People gather at St Peter's for the Synod

Media Release, 7 October, 2012

Three Australian bishops are among the hundreds of Bishops and priests from around the world gathering in Rome for the XXIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, on the theme “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”

The three are Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, and Bishop Christopher Prowse, Bishop of Sale. Cardinal Pell was nominated by Pope Benedict XVI as one of the Synod Fathers, and Archbishop Costelloe and Bishop Prowse were elected to represent the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

The Synod commenced this morning with Mass in St Peter’s Square at 9.30am and will conclude on Sunday 28 October. Continue reading →

Media Release, October 4, 2012

The Third National Conference on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees will be held from 6-7 December at St Patrick’s Campus of Australian Catholic University, Melbourne.

The conference carries the theme “I have heard them crying out” (Exodus 3:7) and is run by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) through the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) and endorsed by the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People. Continue reading →

Cardinal Alencherry blessing in Rome

Media Release
3 October, 2012

His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, the Major Achbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church will commence a pastoral visit to Australia in November 2012, the first ever pastoral visit by the Head of the Syro-Malabar Church to members of the church in this country.

As Head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal George Alencherry is looking forward to meeting his people here in Australia.

“I am very excited to visit with some of the 10,000 Syro-Malabar families spread across Australia”, said Cardinal Alencherry. Continue reading →

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is seeking a Communications Officer to work with the General Secretary, Communications Director and Director, Office for the Participation of Women in the media and administrative work of the Secretariat in Canberra.

The Communications Officer will have an understanding of communications, websites and social media, and administrative tasks, with direct responsibility to the General Secretary.
Working as part of the Communications team, the Communications Officer is responsible for updating the various websites; managing eNews platforms and blogs; writing and disseminating media releases where required; some social media initiatives; and administrative duties to assist the General Secretary, Communications Director and Director, Office for the Participation of Women, where required.

Continue reading →

Cardinal Rodriguez at the Purple House

By Ryan Heffernan

CARITAS Internationalis president, Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga stood in solidarity with Australia’s first people when he visited Purple House, a unique medical service operating in Alice Springs and surrounding remote communities.

Cardinal Rodriguez and Caritas Australia CEO, Jack de Groot, engaged in conversations with dialysis patients and witnessed firsthand the Purple House renal facility, nutritional program and traditional bush medicine program – run by the Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation (WDNWPT). Continue reading →