Mary Jamieson (seated, second from right) wearing her Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal at a recent meeting of the CSSA board

A long-time Catholic Social Services Australia employee has been awarded a papal honour for her services to the Church and to the Pope.

Mary Clare Jamieson, CSSA’s director of corporate services, was bestowed the symbol of honour of the Exalted Cross – Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (for services to the Church and to the Pope), which is instituted for persons distinguished for outstanding service and zeal. Continue reading →

Paul O’Callaghan, the chief executive officer of Caritas Australia, the Church’s international aid and development agency, tendered his resignation yesterday.

Mr O’Callaghan’s decision to step down comes shortly after the successful conclusion of Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s major annual fundraising and community education project. Continue reading →

Holly Roberts

Two young Australians will join an international delegation in Rome next month to identify concrete ways to implement Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit.

Huw Warmenhoven, 25, from the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and Holly Roberts, 22, from the Archdiocese of Adelaide, are both excited about the opportunity, having recently been told of their selection to represent Australia’s Catholic youth by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. Continue reading →

Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop Mark Edwards OMI, Maronite Bishop of Australia Antoine-Charbel Tarabay and Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse at Our Lady of Lebanon Church

Leaders of Eastern Catholic Churches say having Latin rite bishops join them in their liturgical celebrations shows the unity of the universal Catholic Church.

During their biannual Plenary Meeting in Melbourne, bishops from across Australia celebrated Sunday Mass with the Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, Syro-Malabar and Ukrainian Catholic communities on May 5. Continue reading →

Philipp Ozores

Australia’s Catholic bishops have heard about the increasing threat to religious freedom from the secretary general of the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need.

Following the brutal bombings perpetrated against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, in which more than 350 people died and more than 500 were wounded, Australia’s bishops have been updated about efforts to support these communities to rebuild physically and pastorally. Continue reading →

The Listening and Dialogue phase of the Plenary Council 2020 process has changed the way people within the Church communicate with one another, three key figures have explained.

The Plenary Council’s opening phase concluded in March, with more than 220,000 people sharing their stories and considering the question, “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” Continue reading →

Former New South Wales senator Ursula Stephens will take over as the new CEO of Catholic Social Services Australia on July 1, it was announced this morning.

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv, chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice – Mission and Service, this morning welcomed Dr Stephens and, on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, wished her well in the new role. Continue reading →

Australia’s Catholic bishops have released an annual pastoral letter calling for renewed efforts to create an economy of inclusion for all workers.

For more than 20 years, the Catholic Church in Australia has marked the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1 with a pastoral letter that places Catholic Social Teaching in dialogue with current work issues in Australia. Continue reading →

An Australian appeal has been established to support the Catholic community in Sri Lanka, still reeling from the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 253 people and wounded hundreds.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), whose mission is to support the Christian faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need, established the appeal on Friday. Bernard Toutounji, national director of Aid to the Church in Need in Australia, said local donations will support ACN’s projects most in need in Sri Lanka. Continue reading →

Indigenous Australians, those on the Newstart Allowance and refugees and asylum-seekers are among the groups of people Catholic Social Services Australia wants to be front and centre in the federal election campaign.

In the preamble to its pre-election statement, which outlines five key policy areas, CSSA insists that the election campaign provides “a challenge to every political party to offer the Australian nation a vision of social and economic inclusion where the inherent dignity and potential of each person can be realised”. Continue reading →

Australia’s bishops and religious leaders have called on the faithful this Easter to be filled with hope for the future while encouraging Church organisations to continue providing great works of love, care and mercy.

In their 2019 Easter messages, the bishops reflected on local and global issues, including the effects of sexual abuse revelations, the rise of ideologies of hate expressed in violent massacres and the financial and social pressures on families, especially in regions crippled by long-term drought and natural disasters. Continue reading →

CNS/Reuters photo

Australia’s religious leaders have sent messages of support and sympathy to the people of France following the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral yesterday.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge awoke to the news and was soon moved to prayer. Continue reading →