A Tribute to Predecessors Who Knew the Future is Ours

Dear readers,

It is an honour and privilege to be addressing you in this capacity. At the most recent formal Conference of the National Civic Council, I was elected National President of the National Civic Council.

We are facing many challenges today – challenges to our world, challenges to our nation, challenges to our families, challenges to our faith and challenges to our very selves. The coming years look to be quite tough.

However, we at the National Civic Council remain dedicated to identifying these challenges, and discerning how to counter and constrain them.

One of the great prophetic voices crying out against these challenges is my predecessor, Patrick J. Byrne.

Pat, as anyone who reads News Weekly knows, has a keen insight into many domains and across many issues. His expertise extends from agricultural water policy to the legal issues resulting from the removal of the exemptions granted to religious institutions from anti-discrimination legislation. On top of this, Pat makes the finest jam imaginable.

But Pat is not just some tirade-spewing shock jock or old moaning malcontent. Pat has dedicated his life not just to identifying the problems, but discerning nuanced solutions and the most effective responses.

It is a daunting experience following Pat as national president and, when I look at his predecessors, it only gets more daunting.

Peter Westmore was national president for 20 years. He remains one of the finest commentators on international affairs and environmental issues one could ever hope to read and is a gentleman of such dignity and restraint, it is a real privilege to know he’s still around.

Peter was vice-president for many years, tying him closely to the structures and traditions of The Movement. He was also an astute organiser of our Sydney operations and university groups for many years – as is so delightfully recounted by Greg Sheridan in his memoir, When We Were Young and Foolish.

As daunting as it is to follow in the footsteps of such keen minds as Pat and Peter, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the most daunting shoes to fill are those of our founder.

Bartholomew Augustine “Bob” Santamaria was a man of rare intellect and taste. He was one of the most perceptive and influential individuals Australia has ever seen. From his earliest days in Catholic Action and his efforts to support the rural sector, to his work with the unionists against the Communists all the way through the Cold War conflicts of South-East Asia and to the contemporary challenges of socially liberal laissez-faire capitalism, Bob was the man with the plan and the contacts to make that plan happen. He was a giant among men, with a stature that was moral and intellectual rather than physical.

When I first began working for The Movement 15 years ago, I started including Bob in my prayers – praying for him, but also praying for his guidance and support. I know I am not alone in this, inside The Movement or outside it.

I know Bob through his writings, and the remembrances of his friends and family. In my 20s, while working in the youth ministry field, I was so captivated by Bob’s work that I finalised my bachelor’s degree in theology by writing a major essay on the history of The Movement. This past year, I’ve learnt more about him due to a special research project the National Executive has undertaken.

We wanted to get back to our sources, to return to our foundations, to recentre ourselves in a world seemingly spinning off its axis. What we have found so far is reassuring and encouraging.

One thing that may seem minor but means a lot to me was learning just what a dedicated family man Bob was. I have six kids ranging from two to 18 years. With my wife, they give me the reason to keep going; they anchor me in my life and challenge me to be a better man, a better husband and better father.

Knowing Bob’s prodigious reputation, I wondered how I would keep up with the demands of the job, a job that one of our former National Executive members recently remarked is the hardest in Australia.

I was heartened to learn just how seriously Bob took his family life and how important his faith and his family were to him. It is a real encouragement to hear the man the left still speaks about in anguished whispers went to the football on Saturday nights and cooked the family spaghetti on Sunday nights. He made sure to pray every day and ultimately to trust in Providence.

Thank you for your continued support and stay tuned. We have a vision of hope and it is one I personally look forward to sharing with you.

Luke McCormack is national president of the National Civic Council.