The Leadership for Mission program for young Catholic women is one local initiative to help support the role of women in the Church.

The chairman of the Bishops Commission that supports women’s participation in Catholic life says the Church should celebrate its many outstanding female leaders on International Women’s Day.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse, who leads the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, said March 8 will be a day to particularly recognise the irreplaceable role of women in the Church.

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Melbourne’s Natalia Teguhputri is preparing to take her knowledge and passion to Italy as one of 2000 young entrepreneurs, economists and change-makers attending the Economy of Francesco summit.

Miss Teguhputri, who was born in Indonesia and now works in finance, is deeply committed to various community development causes, including in the provision of clean water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries.

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A researcher, educator and Church historian with a deep commitment to the empowerment of lay people in the Church has joined the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference as an executive secretary.

Clara Geoghegan has this week taken on responsibility for two of the Conference’s episcopal commissions: the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, and the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

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Archbishop Mark Coleridge says Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia (Beloved Amazonia) is not just for a distant and alien part of the world, but has much to offer the Catholic Church in Australia.

“The Amazon is remote from us but the issues are not,” the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said.

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Nicholas Moore is the new chair of the National Catholic Education Commission

Dear friends of Catholic Education,
I am pleased to announce the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education has appointed Nicholas Moore as Chair of the National Catholic Education Commission.

Nicholas was CEO of Macquarie Group for a decade and retired from the Group in November 2018. He is Chairman of Screen Australia, the Sydney Opera House Trust, The Centre for Independent Studies, The Smith Family and Willow Technology Corporation. He is a Member, and former Chair, of the University of NSW Business School Advisory Council, and the former Chair of the PCYC.

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Susan Pascoe will today be named chair of the Catholic Emergency Relief Australia Advisory Council, which will coordinate the Church’s ongoing response to the current bushfire crisis and future national emergencies.

Ms Pascoe’s long list of contributions to public life includes serving as a 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commissioner and as the inaugural Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissioner.

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Sheik Khan, Professor Ramsay, Bishop McKenna and Dr Mohammed with the signed interfaith commitment statement (Giovanni Portelli photo)

Australian Catholic and Muslim leaders have adopted an interfaith commitment statement on the first anniversary of Pope Francis and Al-Azhar Grand Mufti Dr Ahmed al-Tayyeb signing the Document on Human Fraternity.

The anniversary was marked at an event at Australian Catholic University’s North Sydney campus on Tuesday evening attended by dozens of people from the two faith traditions.

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A new whole-of-Church initiative to help people and communities recover from the current bushfire crisis will set the blueprint for how the Catholic Church responds to domestic natural disasters in the future.

Earlier this month, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and a number of other national organisations encouraged Catholics to donate to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal, which is supporting people who have lost loved ones, homes, property and animals.

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Bishop Pat Power and Alison Burt listen to the experiences of people in and around Tumut including those who were on the front lines (CSSA photo/Facebook)

by Ursula Stephens, CEO of Catholic Social Services Australia

Visiting some of the areas of southern New South Wales most affected by the unprecedented bushfires in recent days has highlighted the extent of the devastation and the long road of recovery that is ahead for so many communities.

In Wingello, I witnessed the capacity of a little village to hold its own, grateful for the diligence and persistence of firefighters who held off the fire in the Morton National Park. The community has rallied to support those who lost their homes, and there is an enormous sense of resilience in dealing with the aftermath of the terrifying experience.

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Pope Francis has appointed Fr Mykola Bychok CSsR, currently in ministry at St John’s Parish in New Jersey, the third Eparch of Sts Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia and New Zealand.

Bishop-Elect Bychok will succeed Bishop Peter Stasiuk CSsR, who has served as eparch since 1992. Bishop Stasiuk, now 76, offered his resignation to Pope Francis upon turning 75, as canon law requires.

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