Australian Salesian Bulletin

Online E-Conference

The Broken Bay Institute, located at Pennant Hills in the Broken Bay Diocese of New South Wales, Australia, specializes in delivering the best of contemporary biblical and theological reflection by means of contemporary media. BBI’s most successful initiative has been its development of what is known as an e-Conference. Quite simply, it means that presenters gather and are filmed in a studio in Pennant Hills, and over 30,000 people follow the presentation via the internet, as it is filmed. The show is “live.” It is also subsequently archived, and made available online, as well as handily available on a DVD.  In the past twelve months BBI has run three e-Conferences: one to commemorate the Pauline year, another to initiate the “Year of Luke,” and most recently an ambitious presentation of the theme “Mary – First Disciple.” The Institute chose Fr Frank Moloney, SDB, the Provincial of the Salesians and well-known biblical scholar, to present his thoughts on the theme of Mary, the first of all disciples.

His ideas on this important question are well-known, as he has published a widely appreciated little book on Mary entitled Mary: Woman and Mother. Running across a whole day, and beaming into all states in Australia, into the Philippines, South America, the USA, France (even Lourdes!) and the United Kingdom, Fr Moloney addressed a number of themes, but followed the development of the New Testament teaching on Mary as a Mother in Paul and Mark, through the gradually emerging recognition of her faith, courage and discipleship in Matthew and Luke. The culminating reflection was on Mary as the Woman and the Mother in the Gospel of John.

He concluded by suggesting that Mary as the Mother of the Beloved Disciple (John 19:25-27) opens the door to the later use of the title “The Help of Christians,” the title used for Australia’s Marian patronage. As we all know, Mary, known as the Help of Christians, was also “Don Bosco’s Madonna.”

The day was filled with interludes between Fr Moloney’s talks: Mary in the Eastern Churches, the use of Mary in icons, witnesses from people from all walks of life to their “Mary Moment.” The day was a wonderful success, and congratulations and thanks have reached the Broken Bay Institute and Fr Moloney from all over the world.

If you missed it, then do not worry.  You can pick it up from the BBI’s website, and a DVD will be immediately available. The Institute is also making Fr Moloney’s book Mary: Woman and Mother available to all who would like a copy. The online presentation of the day and order-forms for the DVD and the book can be found at bbi.catholic.edu.au. See you there!