On Tuesday 23rd February, Affinity and members from the Muslim community, gathered at the Affinity Centre in Auburn to farewell the retiring Bishop of Parramatta, Kevin Manning, in a program entitled "Memoirs of Bishop Manning".
Click here to Download Bishop Kevin Manning’s paper
Bishop Manning is a remarkable Australian and a beacon of light to Catholics and non Catholics alike. Ordained in 1961, he has served in many senior roles within the Church including as Secretary of the Australian Catholic's Bishops conference, Executive Member of the NSW Ecumenical Council, Bishop of Armidale and since 1997, Bishop of Parramatta. He is also a member of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The program was hosted by the Affinity Public Affairs coordinator, Osman Karolia, who is also the Principal of Arkana College. The audience of largely young Muslim professionals, university students and representatives from the Columban Catholic Mission Institute, heard Bishop Manning's memoirs of almost half a century of serving Catholics.
Bishop Manning paid tribute to the youth of today, who continue to uphold traditional morals and values, yet are embracing of the dynamic changes which influence our society. He warned of apathy and indifference and urged all Australians to do their part no matter how small to make a difference for the better.
Bishop Manning is a firm believer in interfaith dialogue and recognizes the role of the Catholic Church in promoting peace, tolerance, acceptance and a fair go for all Australians. There are few better role models of these ideals than Bishop Manning himself.
At the end of the event, Affinity President Mr Mehmet Saral gave a Vote of Thanks to the Bishop and concluded, "Bishop Manning has been a true friend and a person of who is an advocate of dialogue and on behalf of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, we wish the Bishop all the very best in his retirement and we hope to continue the relationship with him well into the future."
