Author Archives: Mark Wei

Bishops’ Australia Day call for time limit on detention

Media Release
24 January, 2012

To mark Australia Day, the Catholic Bishops Commission for Justice, Ecology and Development calls upon political parties to work towards a common approach to asylum seekers, so that human beings do not become pawns in a political argument. Further, and more immediately, to honour the Australian sense of justice and compassion, there must be a defined limit to incarceration in detention centres for people who are not criminals. The Bishops are calling on the Government to limit detention to three months.

Four of the Bishops who signed this statement minister directly to asylum seekers in immigration detention centres located in their dioceses. Bishop Julian Porteous, Auxiliary Bishop in Sydney, supported the opinions of the other Bishops who have direct involvement in the pastoral care of asylum seekers in detention. “Prolonged and indefinite detention in these facilities can only produce psychological damage”, he said. Continue reading →

Catholic schools: making good use of government and family funds

Media Release
10 January, 2012

The National Catholic Education Commission commented today on reports in the Australian Newspaper and on the ABC regarding government funding for Catholic schools, suggesting that there has been a misrepresentation in the media of how much funding schools receive per student.

Mrs Therese Temby, Chair of the National Catholic Education Commission, said that the reporting is quite misleading, as it suggests that Catholic schools receive a higher level of funding than Government schools. Continue reading →

Oranges and Sunshine is named Australian Film of the Year by the Catholic Film Office for 2011.

Noting the quality of many of the Australian films produced this year, the jury of the Australian Catholic Film Office (ACFO) has awarded its 2011 Film of the Year to Jim Loach’s Oranges and Sunshine.

This film tells the story of a Nottingham social worker, Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson), who almost singlehandedly confronted the UK Government on its relocation scheme that forcibly moved more than 130,000 children from the UK to other countries between the 1940s and the 1970s. More than 7,000 so-called “degenerate” and “unfit” children, who were in the protection of the UK social services, were shipped to Australia.
Continue reading →

One year on, much-loved Bishop’s legacy still being felt

Media Release
28 December, 2011

Exactly one year after the sudden death of Sandhurst Catholic Bishop Joseph Angelo Grech, the legacy of the much-loved pastor is still being felt by the Catholic community around Australia.

On 28 December, 2010, Bishop Joe passed away at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne at the age of 62, after complications arose from an existing blood disorder.

The Bishop had just a couple of weeks earlier spoken out on the tragedy of a boat of asylum seekers who had drowned just short of safety on Christmas Island, calling upon all people of good will to reflect deeply on the nation’s treatment of vulnerable people.

Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office Fr Maurizio Pettenà CS was with Bishop Joe in the days leading up to his death and attested to the concern that he showed for asylum seekers and refugees to the very end.

“Even in his final lucid moments he was speaking about how we need to do more for migrant chaplains, particularly for overseas priests, those who live in remote places and are isolated”, he said.

Bishop Joe was particularly loved by young people around Australia and remembered for his way of making each individual feel and know that they were loved by God.

He was well-known for using the phrase “God does not make rubbish” often, particularly when preaching to young people.

His funeral on 6 January, 2011 attracted over 4,000 people to Bendigo’s Sacred Heart Cathedral.

For media enquiries please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256. A number of high res photos of Bishop Joe are available by getting in contact.

Catholic Migrant office calls for reflection on asylum policy during the Christmas season.

Media Release,
23 December 2011
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office today urged both political parties to show moral leadership over the Christmas period with regard to policy debates on asylum seekers and refugees.
Director of the ACMRO Fr Maurizio Pettenà CS expressed the view that people seeking asylum need to be processed in countries who are signatories to the UN Refugee Convention and who can assure them of the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity.
“Richer countries like Australia have a moral duty to do more to help the world’s refugees who are mostly hosted by poorer nations” he said.
“Christmas reminds us that it is in giving that we receive. This applies even more so to how much we give to those who seek asylum. Increasing the humanitarian program is an appropriate outcome that both political parties can agree on.” Continue reading →

Trust in God, and take one day at a time – A reflection on the life of Bishop Joe

Bishop Joe Grech and Fr Maurizio Pettena concelebrating Mass with Bishops and Priests in Sydney, May, 2010.

By Fr Maurizio Pettena CS

Bishop Joe is still very much a holy presence in my life. I remember very vividly last year on the 23rd of December when he called me at about 10pm at night and asked me what I was doing.

He said he wasn’t feeling too well. He kept feeling worse, and the doctor recommended that he be hospitalised. On Christmas Eve, he was.

He rang me as he was being admitted to the hospital and asked me if I could come and be with him. A few hours later, I was there in Melbourne at St Vincent’s private hospital where I found him in his usual joking mood.

The doctor came in, amused by the jovial character and positive in his outlook. Continue reading →

Foundation Chapter and Eucharist heralds new era for Sisters of Mercy

Institutional leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy

MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday December 20, 2011

About 1,500 Sisters of Mercy, their friends, families and ministry colleagues gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Sunday, December 18, for the foundation Eucharist of the newly established Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

This historic occasion, also attended by members of other religious congregations and many bishops and priests from dioceses throughout Australia and PNG, heralded the beginning of a new era for the Sisters of Mercy. Continue reading →

Christmas giving: A bucket of prawns or fight poverty?

Media Release from Caritas Australia
20 December, 2011

Australians are expected to spend $27 billion this Christmas. That works out at $1213 each, much of it on food and gifts.

That’s a lot of money. In fact, it’s more than the $20 billion which has been estimated as the amount needed to bring much of the African nation of Kenya out of poverty within four years. Kenya’s population is roughly 41 million people. Continue reading →

Homily of Archbishop Philip Wilson at the Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and PNG

Archbishop Wilson preaches the Homily at the Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea

The Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
December 18, 2011

It is of great interest to me in reading about the history of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy to discover that it was never the intention of Venerable Catherine McAuley to become a sister. She didn’t want to be a religious. But luckily she met a nice bishop who helped her and this is a good turn of events I can tell you. Given the history that I belong to it’s really something.

But Dr Murray was of great help to her because he understood exactly what she wanted to do and he knew why she had the opinion that she had and he helped her to create a new way of being religious so that the Sisters of Mercy known as the walking sisters, the walking nuns, able to do their work about bringing the mercy of God to the people of Ireland and very quickly then to England and to the rest of the world. Continue reading →

Address by Sr Berneice Loch RSM, Newly elected leader of the Sisters of Mercy

Sr Berneice Loch RSM, the newley-elected leader of the Sisters of Mercy addresses the congregation at St Mary's Cathedral

Sr Berneice Loch RSM is the newly-elected Leader of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea

The Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, December 18, 2011

Your Eminence. I thank you for your hospitality in hosting Sisters of Mercy and our many friends and guests here at this gathering today. I rather thought being called to lead a group of over 900 religious women was a daunting task, but right now, addressing such a huge gathering in this cathedral seems hardly less daunting. So I’ll keep it brief. Continue reading →