Media Release, 23 April, 2013

CARITAS Australia, the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church, has urged the world not to forget the people of Darfur in Sudan’s western region as the conflict now exceeds 10 years.

CEO Jack de Groot said Darfur remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises over the last decade, with millions of people still in need of humanitarian aid.

“Many Darfuris continue to struggle on a daily basis just to get by,” Mr de Groot said.

“At Caritas we centre all our work on children, women and men, the most vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice. At this time we urge the world to not forget the continuous suffering being experienced by people of Darfur. Continue reading →

Media Release, 22 April, 2013

NOTE: Mass of Christian Burial for Bishop William Murray (Emeritus Bishop of Wollongong) will be held at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong, 11.00 am on Wednesday, 1 May 2013. Following the Mass, Interment will take place in the burial site adjacent to the Cathedral.

Bishop William Edward Murray, Emeritus Bishop of Wollongong, died peacefully at 5.10pm on Sunday 21 April 2013, at the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home, Randwick.

Bishop Peter Ingham of Wollongong spoke of Bishop William (Bill) as a dedicated priest and bishop who served the Wollongong diocese for 22 years.

“Between 1975 and 1996 when he served was a time of great change and development for the Church. He made provisions for the vast expanding Macarthur area with the establishment of new parishes, to provide for the growing needs of the community.”

“He had a sharp sense of humour, and cared for the people of the Diocese. His final years were difficult for him having suffered a stroke which crippled his body and impaired his ability to speak”, said Bishop Ingham. Continue reading →

The Truth Justice and Healing Council held its first meeting in Sydney earlier this week with discussions ranging across document procurement for the Royal Commission, systematic issues related to the protection of children and future communications about the Council’s work and the Commission’s progress.

Mr Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Council, said it was pleasing to take the first official step as a group and to get down to work. Continue reading →

On May 19, which is the official end of the Year of Grace and the Feast of Pentecost, you are invited to pray together with the Bishops of Australia the following prayer. This is a prayer of Consecration to the Holy Spirit.

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy. Holy Spirit, we consecrate today to You, at the end of this Year of Grace, Australia – Saint Augustine

-Thankyou to Deacon Matt Ransom for providing this prayer

Media Release, 17 April, 2013

Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has welcomed the appointment by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, of Fr. Antoine Tarabay O.L.M. (Lebanese Maronite Order) as Bishop of the Diocese of St. Maroun (Maronites) in Australia.

“For the Australian Bishops, I warmly welcome the appointment by Pope Francis of Fr. Antoine Tarabay to the Maronite diocese of Australia”, said Archbishop Hart. Continue reading →

Media Release, 14 April, 2013

The Prime Minister’s public statement today has provided some detail regarding the structure and scope of the school funding reform the Government has been planning now for many months.

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) is, of course, unable to agree or disagree with the funding reform proposal until the State and Territory Governments, who are also significant partners in the funding of Catholic schools, indicate their positions. Continue reading →

UFPA is one of Caritas Australia’s long-term partners in the First Australians Program. In 2003 Caritas started supporting UFPA, which runs a holistic, community-owned Australian Indigenous Wellness Program in Djarindjin and eight other communities across the Kimberley region.

Caritas CEO Jack de Groot said Ernie was instrumental in the establishment, development, management and implementation of the program, which strives to prevent diseases like diabetes and to improve healthcare across vulnerable Indigenous Australian communities.

Mr de Groot and Mark Green, Group Leader, First Australians Program, both recently spent time with Ernie and his family in Perth.

“To know of Ernie’s wonderful focus on walking with Aboriginal people so they become the owners of programs to prevent diabetes has been inspiring,” Mr de Groot said. Continue reading →

CARITAS Australia, part of Caritas Internationalis one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks, has called for more to be done to contain the growing humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries.

Two years of conflict in Syria has caused more than 70,000 deaths and four million people are now in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, including 2.5 million people within Syria who are now internally displaced. Just last week, the UNHCR announced that the number of Syrians registered or receiving assistance as refugees in neighbouring countries had surpassed 1 million.

The Caritas network including Caritas Lebanon, Caritas Jordan and Caritas Turkey have a long established presence in the region.

In response to the crisis, the Caritas network is providing emergency humanitarian assistance, shelter, medical care, food, water and sanitation, and psychosocial support to many Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Continue reading →