A Personal Commitment - Fr. Peter Quin
Published in Threshold Magazine , July, 2004. At a time when the divorce rate is at an all time high and fewer Australians are getting married, we may be forgiven for thinking that the institution of marriage is terminally ill and that it is only a matter of time before it gives up the ghost completely. Despite this rather gloomy prognosis, marriage continues to show that it is the most beneficial living arrangement for men, women and especially children - and there is one priest in Sydney who has dedicated his life to seeing that as many people as possible are aware of this fact and experience it for themselves. Fr Peter Quin, parish priest of the North Sydney-Lavender Bay-Kirribilli parish, has found a formula which results in only 3% of the couples he marries terminating their marriage in divorce. Fr. Quin's example shows that with a single minded commitment and an intensely pragmatic approach to human relationships, healthy marriages are possible. So how does he do it? Firs...