Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tree of Life resource celebrates Laudato Si’ anniversary

Catholic Earthcare Australia’s 2016 resource has been launched on World Environment Day to encourage the community to celebrate the first Anniversary of the papal encyclical Laudato Si’ by coming together to experience dialogue and stimulate action on caring for our common home.

Catholics are being invited to write down their actions about caring for creation and bring them together in the form of a new ‘Tree of Life’ resource. “The ‘Tree of Life’ is a wonderful opportunity to share the message of the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’ and to enable dialogue and action within local Catholic communities,” says Jacqui Remond, Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, the ecological agency of the Catholic Church in Australia. Continue reading →

Revamped website for Migrant & Refugee Office

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) launched its revamped website this week.

The website includes a section on asylum seeker policy, a media section and a resources centre. Interested viewers can sign up to receive the ACMRO eNewsletter through the website at www.acmro.catholic.org.au

The upgraded website features a combination of neutral and bright colours with an uncluttered look and feel. If you would like to send the ACMRO feedback about the revamped website, please email: info@acmro.catholic.org.au

It was upgraded to improve the accessibility and responsiveness of the site for users. The new website is faster and easy to navigate. Staff at the ACMRO will update the site on a regular basis with news regarding issues concerning migrants and refugees.

Resources for schools and parishes are readily available on the ACMRO website.

On 28 August 2016, the Church in Australia will celebrate Migrant and Refugee Sunday. A parish kit including a message from Bishop Vincent Long, Delegate for Migrants and Refugees, will be available to download from the ACMRO website.

To the ends of the earth

Bishop of Toowoomba, Robert McGuckin

On Sunday 8 May, Bishop Robert McGuckin celebrated Mass in St Mary MacKillop Chapel, North Sydney, with his brother bishops during the plenary meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Below is the homily Bishop McGuckin preached celebrating the Feast of the Ascension and World Communications Sunday.

A number of times in the past weeks we have heard Jesus telling his followers that He was going to the Father and the Holy Spirit would come upon them.

The followers of Jesus, we are told in the Acts of the Apostles, would be his witnesses throughout Judea and Samaria and indeed to the ends of the earth.

Some years ago I was at an overseas conference, where the President of one of the Pontifical Councils, the Venezuelan Cardinal, Castillo Lara, gave a wonderful address on the spirit of law empowering all of us to engage in ministry and be involved in ministry. Afterwards I suggested to him that he should also come to Australia and deliver the same message. In a very delightful way he said to me, but Australia it is the end of the earth. (He very much meant this in a geographical manner, from where he usually resided in Rome). Continue reading →

Tax cuts to the rich and service cuts to the rest

In responding to the Federal Budget, Marcelle Mogg, Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) CEO said:

“Vulnerable Australians have again been overlooked in this third Federal Budget from the Coalition Government. The 2016-17 Budget provides tax cuts to the rich and service cuts to the rest. This Budget has given tax relief to those earning over $80K. This measure will cost $4 billion which could have been spent on investment in families and communities.”

“Australia has an estimated 600,000 children living in poverty and this Budget offers them little hope. If the Government invested in these children’s families directly they could have secured the future of the children and stimulated the economy.”

“For the third year running, this government offers nothing to those who are homeless or experiencing significant housing stress. Securing the basics in life – a house, an education, and health care – are increasingly beyond the means of average Australians, and impossible for those on low incomes. The successive failure of this government to address Australia’s housing crisis, rental affordability and rising homelessness is a disgrace. A long term strategy and binding agreement between the Commonwealth and States and Territories is needed to ensure all people have a home.” Continue reading →

Vale Emeritus Bishop of Bunbury, Myles McKeon

Bishop McKeon, centre. Photo Credit: The Record, Perth

With great sadness, I have to announce the death this morning, 2 May 2016, of Bishop Myles McKeon, the Second Bishop of Bunbury. He was 97 years of age.

Bishop McKeon served the Bunbury Diocese from 1969 with his resignation for reasons of health in 1982. Prior to this he was a priest of the Archdiocese of Perth from 1947 to 1962 when he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Perth. He served in that role until his appointment to the Diocese of Bunbury.

Bishop McKeon is well remembered still as a kind and caring pastor. He was also one of the four Western Australian Bishops who collaborated for the founding of the Catholic Education Commission and the Catholic Institution of Western Australia, both of which were unique in the world of that time. Continue reading →

A tribute to Bishop Satterthwaite, 1928-2016

Bishop Satterthwaite, Fourth Bishop of Lismore. Coadjutor bishop (1969-1970) Bishop of Lismore (1971-2001) May he rest in peace.

Bishop Satterthwaite died on Saturday, 23 April 2016, just one week short of the 47th anniversary of his ordination to the episcopate by Cardinal Gilroy.

His provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of this unassuming man to the life of the Catholic community on the North Coast of New South Wales.

Ordained originally for the Diocese of Armidale, Bishop Satterthwaite was what has been termed “a late vocation”. Prior to ordination he had studied engineering at Sydney University and theology at the Lateran University in Rome. Ordination to the priesthood brought with it service in Glen Innes as assistant priest and Armidale as Chancellor and Bishop’s Secretary. At the time of his appointment to Lismore he was Administrator of the Cathedral.

In 1969, at the relatively young age of forty he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop to the then Bishop, Patrick Farrelly, himself first appointed as Coadjutor to Bishop John Carroll in 1931.

Bishop Satterthwaite spent the first years in the Diocese in Casino and Grafton before becoming Bishop of Lismore in 1971, on the retirement of Bishop Farrelly. Continue reading →

Liturgical resources to celebrate Mother’s Day

Australians celebrate Mother’s Day on 8 May 2016. Mother’s Day is a special day to appreciate mothers or mother figures, including stepmothers, relatives, guardians, close family friends and those who would be mothers. The Council for Australian Catholic Women encourages you to recognise the contribution of women within and beyond families on this occasion.

To help celebrate Mother’s Day across the Catholic community, the Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW) recently prepared Liturgical resources for use on Sunday 8 May 2016. The resources include; a suggested parish bulletin notice, sample general intercessions and a blessing for use by parishes, schools and diocesan agencies.

The Mother’s Day resources can be printed from the Office for the Participation of Women website. Continue reading →

Mass for the Fallen on ANZAC Day

Mass for the Fallen will be incorporated into the National ANZAC Day Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Canberra, on Monday 25 April 2016 at 8am.

Mass for the Fallen was commissioned by Allan and Maria Myers for use in celebrations of the Eucharist on Anzac Day, particularly the 100th Anniversary in 2015 but also over the centenary period from 2014 to 2018.

Parishes throughout Australia are invited to incorporate the Mass, or parts thereof, in the Anzac Day liturgy this year.

The mass setting was composed by Christopher Willcock SJ and it comprises a setting of the Kyrie eleison, the Acclamations during the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Agnus Dei.

The bishops conference website includes a list of all cathedrals and parishes where Mass for the Fallen will be sung during the ANZAC day weekend. You are welcome to add your parish to this list on our website.

Elders and bishops gather for a retreat in Alice Springs

You are my sister!

It’s interesting how things happen in life. Who would think that the parish I belong to in Canberra would have a strong link with Aboriginal Catholics in Alice Springs.

This week I’m in Alice Springs participating in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) retreat in partnership with the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (BCRATSIP).

The theme of the retreat is Reconciliation – with God, with others and with the land. Our retreat opened with a welcome to country from two Arrernte Elders followed by Bishop of Darwin Eugene Hurley’s warm welcome to his diocese.

To prepare us for the day, NATSICC members Shirley and Dolly, led us through the open hand prayer. This prayer encouraged us to give, not only this present time to him but to invite God deeply into our hearts and to let God take and give to us what He sees fit. Continue reading →

Australian religious leaders join global call for ambitious climate action

Interfaith Climate Change Statement presentation. Photo credit: Paul Hunt: WCC

The world’s religious leaders have united to call on governments to take urgent action on climate change. At a colourful multifaith ceremony, Ambassador Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly took delivery of the Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders signed by 270 high-level religious leaders, 4970 individuals and 176 religious groups from around the world.

Australian signatories – including the presidents of the Australian Hindu and Imams councils, the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils and the National Council of Churches in Australia – joined Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo – Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences of the Holy See, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Pakistani grand imam Maulana Khabir Azad, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit – General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and more than 250 of their international counterparts to sign the Interfaith Climate Change Statement. Continue reading →

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