WHEN others celebrated Christmas in July late last month Rosies recognised 22 years of reaching out to the homeless in Queensland.
Rosies chaplain Oblate Father Pat Dwyer presided at the July 25 Mass in the chapel beside St Stephen’s Cathedral.
“The St Stephen’s Chapel was an appropriate venue for the gathering,” Rosies general manager Bob Boardman said.
“In 1990 it was used as a centre point for the Rosies volunteers as they gathered to pray and prepare for their outreach to the young alienated and lonely on the street in Brisbane.”
During the 2009 annual Mass “missionary candles” were presented to representatives of the nine Rosies centres.
“These candles will be the lit each time volunteers gather in prayer before reaching out to our homeless patrons on the streets, in the prison, in the courts and the youth detention centre,” Mr Boardman said.
“It will be a sign for each Rosies group of our unity as several teams of volunteers in other centres gather together in prayer and prepare to be present with our homeless brothers and sisters.”
Rosies had humble beginnings on the Gold Coast in 1987 – providing a safety-net outreach for the young Year 12 graduates as they celebrated at “Schoolies”, Mr Boardman said.
“The following year, after several contacts during Schoolies with the homeless young people of the streets in Surfers Paradise, the Schoolies outreach team commenced a year-long ministry to the homeless,” he said.
“The (then) Lord Mayor Sally-Anne Atkinson invited Rosies in 1990 to set up a street outreach to the homeless in the Brisbane CBD.
“Rosies developed in response to a growing need within the community for a ‘faith in action’ group to be a sign of the Gospel message to the young homeless who live on the fringes of our society.”
Other outreaches began in Burpengary, Logan, on the Gold and Sunshine coasts and more recently in Warwick.
Rosies have thanked the people of Brisbane archdiocese for financial and prayerful support offered throughout the 22 years.
