Bishop David Walker’s
Letter of Endorsement for 40fied – The Kids Magazine

Pope Paul Vl indicated that the axis of evangelisation is faithfulness to the message and to the people to whom we preach it. Faithfulness to the message is a constant, but faithfulness to the people to whom we proclaim it is a changing reality. For proclamation to be successful, those to whom it is addressed must be able to understand it and make a meaningful application of it to their lives.

In a changing world, Saint Pope John Paul ll introduced another term “new evangelisation’. The term refers to the current challenge of not only proclaiming the Gospel to those who have not heard it, but also to those within Catholic communities who have drifted away from their faith. The emphasis is on the new; the effort to be innovative and creative in presenting the Gospel to people of our own time.

Pope Francis urges us to take up this challenge: “I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelisation in their respective communities.” (Evangelii Gaudium 33)

“40fied – The Kid’s Magazine”, stems from a pledge to be faithful to the message and to the creativity and innovation necessary to present the message in a way that can be meaningfully received by the children exposed to it. It will be helpful as well to teachers, catechists, and parents.

I recommend it.

Bishop David Walker
Emeritus Bishop of Broken Bay

Dr Zachariah Duke

Zach has been a friend and strong supporter of 40fied since its inception in January 2016. He is an active member of a number of different academic and professional associations, including the Association for Practical Theology in Oceania, the Australian Catholic Theological Association, the European Society for the Study of Theology and Disability, Carers NSW, Deaf Australia, Down Syndrome NSW, Fragile X Syndrome NSW and Physical Disability Australia, among many others. Zach has been a lecturer in Biblical Studies and Theology at BBI – The Australian Institute of Theological Education and is currently the Acting Academic Dean; Acting Head of Learning and Teaching; Lecturer in Theology; & Research Fellow at TCI New Zealand.

Zach’s recently completed PhD was entitled: ‘A critical analysis of a theology of disability in the Australian Catholic Church: a qualitative inquiry of contemporary inclusionary practices’.

We thank God for his commitment to our mission. His contribution and presence in overlooking our resources for theological correctness has been comforting, inspirational and motivating.