IT takes a lot of faith to be a Catholic in country Australia.
City-dwelling faithful should spare a thought for their country cousins who have to endure isolation, nature’s harshness and few opportunities to worship together.
While city Catholics can choose to drive down the road to another parish if the local Mass times aren’t suitable, country Catholics are often lucky to see a priest in their area once a month.
But how often do you hear people in the country complain?
This sort of resilience and determination is what has also led to a number of important steps forward in ecumenism.
There are many examples of Christians of all traditions coming together to worship and pray in country areas, and finding strength and encouragement from each other.
They are all in similar circumstances and this has bred a spirit of co-operation and understanding that is difficult to find in metropolitan areas.
In this week’s Leader, stories about the signing of a local covenant between four Churches in Stanley River parish, north west of Brisbane, and the forging of a formal agreement between the Anglican and Catholic Churches in south-west Queensland, are two examples of the benefits this co-operation and understanding can bring.
When it comes to breaking down the barriers between Christian traditions, country people have the ability to show their city cousins a few lessons.
It is something worth harnessing.
