Welcome to my Cyberfriary. I'm Tony Robertson, an Australian whose life has been inspired by Franciscan spirituality.
The spirit of Francis, Clare, Anthony, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Mychal Judge Richard Rohr and others great mentors of this charism continue to influence my work and relationships.
Jubilee Homily is the text I preached at St Mary's Catholic Community, South Brisbane on the weekend of February 6/7 1999 to mark the 25th anniversary of my first vows as a e Capuchin friar
My time with the Capuchins enriched my understanding of community and nurtured my passion for work among peoples of non-English speaking backgrounds. I also gained an appreciation of ritual, celebration and home made wine. For six years I lived among these men, some of whom were pioneers of service to the post-war migrant communities. Many worked in remote regions such as Halifax in North Queensland and worked tirelessly to help communities maintain cultural and religious origins. In a pre-Vatican era and with no training in the emerging understanding of missiology these men ended up living in a strange time-warp of the old country which changed for more dramatically than the communities and parishes they served in Australia.
While here is much to be grateful for the time spent as a Capuchin Friar in Australia , there is also much to regret. The Capuchins in Australia are not known for their passion for advocacy and justice for the poor and vulnerable of the community. Their recent Ministry To The poor initiative while praiseworthy as charity shows no references to Catholic Social Teachings and the challenge of living in solidarity with those who are on the margins of our society.
The 'characters" who are celebrated in their local history are more known for their eccentricity rather than prophetic vision or action. I look back in sadness at the lost opportunity for personal growth and the lack of spiritual wisdom among those responsible for my formation at the time. There were four of us who shared that experience of vowing ourselves to poverty chastity and obedience back in 1972. Of the four, I was the first to leave in 1977 with the awareness that 2 out of 3 wasn't a pass!!! Like some other male orders in the Catholic Church my departure was like a divorce and total separation rather than a celebration of time spent in community.
That reality came home to me many years later when I heard that the Caps had sold off St Laurence's Friary, the building which had been our Novitiate House. Now anyone who has ever lived through a classic "Novitiate" knows that it is one of those legendary periods of life that leaves scars and memories which usually only appear after a great drinking session. However when the time came to sell of this place which had been the most intensive experience of community living for several generations of men in Australia there was no attempt to invite anyone back to celebrate, expunge the ghosts of ages past or just farewell the memories.
This is quite a contrast to the six years I spent at my Christian Brothers' College in Geelong where my presence as an "old boy" is welcomed and encouraged.
If only our religious congregations were more welcoming of those of us who gave formative years to the communities and then for all sorts of reasons chose to "move on".
Wouldn't it be good to have a space on the Australian Capuchins web site for us who spend the rest of our lives in the Church often being introduced as an "Ex-Capuchin"!! These days I live my religious commitment as a "Holy Irritant".
My experience of the Franciscan spirit began in my family with the decision to give me Anthony as a patron My mother's sister, Majella Tracey, has also been a significant influence as a members of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.I currently live in Brisbane, close to the Society of St Francis, an Anglican Franciscan Community.
My all time favourite video clip:
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