St Josephine Bakhita

Australians should not be indifferent to human trafficking and can take simple steps to combat this global injustice.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life (BCPL) and Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) are calling for a day of prayer, reflection and action against human trafficking on the Feast of St Josephine Bakhita on 8 February 2016.

‘In marking the Bakhita Day of prayer and fasting in this Year of Mercy, Australia’s Catholics should be mindful of Pope Francis’ challenge to us to stop human trafficking. We can all commit to learning more about human trafficking. We can commit to helping victims of human trafficking. And we can commit to tackling the systems that enable human trafficking to flourish’, said BCPL Chair, Bishop Terry Brady.

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A long drive during the visit

From 9-15 December last, I experienced the expanse and diversity across the Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes. Not too mention the friendliness of the local people. Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green hosted me for a week in the Western part of his Diocese, centring in Broken Hill. 

Flying into the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes is quite a different experience. The REX plane seated 33 passengers and flies lower than interstate commercial aircraft, thus, less pressure on your eardrums, which is pleasant and you see more. My flight also experienced some interesting turbulence. 

Distances are immense. Wilcannia-Forbes covers 51% of NSW, broken into 20 parishes with 14 priests. While the chancery and the bishop’s house are based in Forbes, the Cathedral is a nine hour drive to Broken Hill. Bishop Columba, like other locals, seems to think nothing of a two hour drive. 

Heat is also a reality. At 7.00pm, it had cooled to a pleasant 35 degrees! Continue reading →

CRA logo celebrating the Year of Mercy

Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) proudly unveiled a logo to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy which began on the 8th of December 2015 and will conclude on the 20th of November 2016.

The logo reflects the call of Pope Francis to contemplate the mystery of mercy throughout the year to become more effective witnesses of God in our lives. We are all called, said Pope Francis, “to look beyond, to focus on the heart to see how much generosity everyone is capable.”

The logo is for the use of CRA members and the ministries and partners of its member congregations and institutes. Church groups, parishes and the broader Australian Catholic community are welcome to use the logo for the promotion of the Year of Mercy.

“The logo depicts the CRA cross and shows the region of Australia, Oceania and Asia where many religious women and men associated with CRA serve the marginalised,” said CRA President Sister Berneice Loch. “Showing these regions on the globe demonstrates our interconnectedness and unity in mission with others striving for merciful love in the world.” Continue reading →

John Allen, Image from Crux

From 24 – 26 February 2016, Catholic Social Services Victoria and Catholic Social Services Australia will jointly host a mission conference focused on the theme ‘Review, Reimagine, Renew: Mission making a difference in a changing world’.

Veteran journalist and Vatican Correspondent, John L. Allen Jr, will be the keynote speaker at the Conference. The Tablet, has called Allen ‘the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language’.

Allen, associate editor of The Boston Globe, also writes for The New York Times, CNN and NPR. He is author of nine books including, ‘Against the Tide: The Radical Leadership of Pope Francis’ and ‘The Future Church: How Ten Trends Are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church’.

Other speakers at the Conference include: Julie Edwards, Jesuit Social Services, CEO, speaking about ‘Leading people to build a better world’; Cathie McGowan, MP, will talk about ‘A more just and compassionate Australia’; and, Tony Nicholson, Brotherhood of St Laurence, CEO, will deliver a workshop about the ‘New models for social investment’. Other topics include the challenge of preventing domestic violence and sexual abuse within the community. Continue reading →

A Christmas message from Archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe SDB.

Archbishop Coleridge

The world at the moment seems a real mess – terrorism, the refugee crisis, climate change, economic woes, political turmoil and so on. But in one way or other the world has always been a mess. It certainly was when Jesus was born.

In Palestine at the time there were dramas of every kind – not least of which, from a Jewish point of view, was the Roman occupation. Whatever about the famous pax romana, things were anything but peaceful in the Holy Land. As one conquered warlord said of Rome, “They create a devastation and call it peace”. Into that mess Jesus was born; and the mess is symbolised in the Christmas story by the circumstances of the birth – no room at the inn, the farm animals, the feed-box into which the newborn is placed.

When the child is born, God enters into the human mess to transfigure it. The transfiguring begins at Christmas but will be complete only once Jesus is raised from the dead and even the mess of death is transfigured. The shadow of the cross falls across the crib; but so too does the light of Easter.

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The recent horrors in Paris, Syria and throughout the Middle East show that our world has changed. The dark, foreboding thrall of possible violence, the struggles of nations and the never-ending lines of refugees underline the suffering which is so present in our human condition. It is not surprising that we become anxious and restless, and even when we do get some peace our wounds and memories are a burden to us.

Yet we sense that there must be something more to life. In the midst of this suffering and confusion the Lord comes to us again as a tiny baby. Pope Francis invites us this Christmas to be still and place ourselves at the Manger of Jesus and to ask ourselves, “Do I really allow God to love me? Do I really have the courage to welcome with tenderness the difficulties and problems of those who are near to me?” Continue reading →

John L. Allen Jr laughs on board a flight with with Pope Francis

Poor communities often preserve a wisdom rooted in the Gospel that’s sometimes lost on the affluent, veteran journalist John Allen told the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in a recent interview.

The famed Vatican correspondent and Associate Editor of Crux said, ‘One role for Catholic social services in sync with that insight could be to think creatively about ways that wisdom could be shared.’

Allen will visit Australia next year to deliver an address at a mission conference for Catholic Social Services in Australia from 24 – 26 February 2016.

The Pope is calling for a Church that is poor and stands with the poor, that gets personal and goes beyond traditional forms of social engagement. Asked what new directions could be considered by Catholic Social Services, Allen says, ‘For one thing, making sure that the voices of the poor are heard. During his recent trip to Africa, Francis visited a slum in Kenya and insisted that the poor must be more than objects of charity, however well intentioned’. Continue reading →

Fr Greg Bourke

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference appointed Fr Gregory Bourke as Executive Secretary of the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry and Director of its Office for Clergy Life and Ministry, and  commencing in January 2016.

Archbishop Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, acknowledged with gratitude the priestly leadership of Fr Bourke over many years within the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Fr Brian Moloney will finish his term in the role in mid-January when Fr Bourke takes up his appointment.

Fr Bourke was ordained in 1981 and has served the Archdiocese of Melbourne as Assistant Priest, Parish Priest, staff member of Corpus Christi College and Chaplain of the Bushfire Recovery ministry.

Since 2011, Fr Bourke has been Director of Ministry to Priests and Ongoing Formation of Clergy in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

During the recent bishops plenary meeting at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, Archbishop Hart said, ‘As Director of the Office for Clergy Life and Ministry, Fr Bourke will bring his rich pastoral experience, care of clergy, knowledge of priestly formation and ongoing formation, together with his understanding of the issues faced by clergy both locally and nationally. Continue reading →

Bishop Hurley with young people from the Darwin Diocese.

It was a rare occasion to see a diverse group of young people dine with a large number of bishops during an informal dinner at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival on Friday 4 December last.

The gathering was a unique opportunity for the Australian bishops and young people to chat and laugh together.

‘It is awesome to have this time to meet the bishops face to face in a relaxed way and to meet other young Catholic people like me from all across Australia’, said one young woman from Brisbane.

Archbishop Fisher, Bishops Delegate for Youth, spoke at the event encouraging youth to, ‘be the gift of new life that the Church needs today’. Continue reading →