Migration Colloquium to Focus on Christian-Muslim Relations in a Persecuted Region

Bishop Robert Rabbat

Bishop Robert Rabbat

On Thursday 25 August, the sixth annual Bishop Joe Grech Memorial Colloquium will draw attention to Christian-Muslim Relations in a Persecuted Region and the Impact of these relations on Immigration.

Keynote speakers; Bishop Robert Rabbat, Melkite Catholic Eparch of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Bayram Aktepe, President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, and Fr Fabio Baggio, a missionary of the Scalabrinian Congregation, will present different perspectives on Christian-Muslim relations and debate the impact of such relations on immigration.

Hosted by the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), the Colloquium will take place at the Philippa Brazil Lecture Theatre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. Commencing at 7pm, the Colloquium is open to the public and free to attend. A questions and answers session will follow the keynote addresses. Continue reading →

How Catholic Women Can Escalate Their Leadership Capacity In Just Two Days

2016-PSU-CACW-colloquium_poster_thumbHow do we make more space for women in decision-making, leadership and lay pastoral ministry in our Church? This is the focus for the Council for Australian Catholic Women’s Colloquium from 17 to 18 September at Mary Mackillop Place, North Sydney.

The Colloquium theme, Women as Witnesses to the Joy of the Gospel will set the scene for theological and pastoral reflection on Pope Francis’ call to “create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church” (Evangelii Gaudium 103).

The keynote addresses and workshops will examine this theme, Dr Maria Harries, Adjunct Professor at Curtin University will lead a keynote address considering the issues facing ‘Women in the Family’. Dr Michele Connolly, RSJ, Lecturer of New Testament Studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney, will explore the issues facing ‘Women in the Church’. Dr Megan Brock RSJ, member of Catholic Religious Australia and a psychologist working in private practice, will deliver the final keynote address on ‘Women in Society’. Continue reading →

Pope asks young people, do you want empty thrills or the power of grace in life?

Sequence 010_200Do you want a complete life? Pope Francis asked thousands of young people gathered from all over the world to celebrate World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow.

‘So I ask you: Are you looking for empty thrills in life, or do you want to feel a power that can give you a lasting sense of life and fulfilment?  Empty thrills or the power of grace?  To find fulfilment, to gain new strength, there is a way.  It is not a thing or an object, but a person, and he is alive. His name is Jesus Christ.’ 

‘Jesus can give you true passion for life.  Jesus can inspire us not to settle for less, but to give the very best of ourselves.  Jesus challenges us, spurs us on and helps us keep trying whenever we are tempted to give up.  Jesus pushes us to keep our sights high and to dream of great things.’

Gathered at Blonia Park, Krakow for the papal welcome on Thursday 28 July, young people listened attentively as Pope Francis said, ‘It pains me to meet young people who seem to have opted for “early retirement”. Continue reading →

Opening Mass at World Youth Day, Krakow

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Photos by Emilie Ng, Catholic Leader

Welcome message to pilgrims at World Youth Day.

My dear friends!

The moment we have been waiting 3 years for has arrived.

We have been waiting since the day Pope Francis announced in Rio de Janeiro that the next World Youth Day would take place in Poland – in Krakow. We are pleased to welcome the Cardinal and delegation from Rio de Janeiro. I thank you for coming to us to pass the happiness of World Youth Day.

The clock fitted on the facade of St. Mary’s Basilica in the heart of historic Krakow counted the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the moment which we are now experiencing. 

But a more important clock, registering the thoughts and feelings in our hearts, spiritually prepared us for the meeting that we are beginning today of young disciples of the Master of Nazareth from all over the world. Continue reading →

Highlights from the Australian Gathering at World Youth Day 2016

IMG_8987_OpMore than 3,000 young people from across the Australian dioceses and half of the Australian Catholic bishops gathered at Tauron arena on Tuesday 26 July 2016 to celebrate their faith, national identity and the beginning of World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland.

The two-hour gathering was filled with prayer, testimonies from young people, music and catechesis. Bishop Patrick O’Regan preached the homily and Bishop Peter Comensoli delivered a ‘call to action’ to young young. Two young people, Chris Lee from Parramatta diocese and Sr Elizabeth from Port Pirie diocese, gave witness to how they have received God’s mercy in their lives. Their authentic accounts described how we can discover God’s mercy when we show mercy to others, it is through our acts of mercy that God reveals his merciful heart to us. Sr Elizabeth said, ‘I thought by being committed to God, I would simply receive his mercy’.

Bishop Mark Edwards, Australian Bishops Delegate for Youth; Kelly Paget, Diocese of Broken Bay and Sunil Mohanaraj, Archdiocese of Adelaide were the MC’s.

Genevieve Bryant, Fr Rob Galea and the Salvatorians Soul band provided the festival music that had the entire gathering on their feet within seconds. Malcolm Hart, Director of the ACBC Office for Youth, unveiled an invitation to all of the young people to get involved in the the ‘Year of Youth’ 2018.

There was a beautiful period of reflection as the musicians sang a decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Watch highlights from the Australian gathering below.

https://youtu.be/Ne-CaI2nz08

The Australian gathering can be viewed online via a web cast from Xt3.

Australian Catholic Bishops Press Conference in Krakow during World Youth Day

PCDuring World Youth Day this week, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference hosted a press conference to officially launch a ‘Year of Youth’ in 2018.

The Year of Youth will be focused on empowering and local youth ministry teams as well as celebrating the tenth anniversary of World Youth Day 2008.

The press conference was held on Tuesday 26 July at the Mercy Centre in Tauron Arena, Krakow, Poland. Australian, Polish, American and Canadian media attended the press conference.

With the support of Xt3, a recording of the press conference is available to view below.

https://youtu.be/WWGxHO6Pvjc

World Youth Day is a catalyst for renewal in youth ministry, Australian bishops say

Pilgrims at the Australian Gathering in Tauron Arena, Krakow.

Pilgrims at the Australian Gathering in Tauron Arena, Krakow.

World Youth Day in Sydney changed the landscape of youth ministry nationally, the Australian bishops said today during a national gathering of Australian pilgrims currently participating at World Youth Day (WYD) events in Krakow, Poland.

Today, the Australian Bishops joined more than 3,000 young people at a national Australian gathering during WYD Krakow that included a launch of the ‘Year of Youth’, building on the legacy of World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08).

The Year of Youth will celebrate the tenth anniversary of World Youth Day, Sydney and highlight how the Australian Church continues to tell the story of WYD08 in its local ministry.

Bishop Mark Edwards, Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Youth and an MC at the national gathering said, ‘The years of preparation leading up to World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08) and its events have changed the landscape of youth ministry leaving a lasting impression on the Church. Local youth ministries have grown and diversified. The number of youth ministers has increased along with diocesan support structures. Continue reading →

Pilgrims Walk in the Footsteps of the Saints

Siena_200Over the past few days, Aussie pilgrims moved to ‘Days in the Diocese’ hosted by Polish parishes and families across the country. Meanwhile, other diocesan and religious groups continued their pre-World Youth Day pilgrimages in Europe before arriving into Krakow over the weekend.

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle are currently on pilgrimage in Italy following in the footsteps of the Saints from Milan to Padua, Assisi to Cascia; the resting place of St Rita, Saint of the Impossible.

There are 71 pilgrims journeying to World Youth Day from the diocese. Blogging about the experience, Joanne Isaac wrote, ‘On Sunday morning we visited the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua (Padova). In Italy, St Anthony is simply known as Il Santo (The Saint) as he is the only one to be canonised less than a year after his death in 1231. He turned his back on wealth to live in simplicity and dedicate his life to God. He was a great preacher and a Doctor of the Church.

Pilgrims from the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Group.

Pilgrims from the Maitland-Newcastle WYD Pilgrimage.

The Basilica belongs to the Vatican so, as our tour guide Sal pointed out, “You’ll have one foot in Italy and one foot in the Vatican”. Every year 4.5 million people visit the church to venerate the relics of St Anthony – his incorrupt tongue, his jawbone and his vocal apparatus.’ Continue reading →

Closing date for PROCLAIM 2016 approaches

2016 Proclaim eNewsbuttonDelegates have one more week to register for the PROCLAIM 2016 conference.

Registrations for PROCLAIM 2016 will close on 1 August. The event will features three international keynote speakers, 30 exhibitors supporting parish life and 35 practical workshops focused on one evangelising mission.

Hundreds of parish leaders from Australia and abroad  will gather together for the event hosted by the Diocese of Broken Bay in partnership with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

The full conference program is available online.

Some of the workshop topics include: connecting parish and school, renewing sacramental preparation, family-friendly liturgies and evangelisation strategies.

Fr John Pearce CP & Paige Bullen will lead the workshop on ‘Connecting the Parish and School for Christ-Centred Mission. The relationship between the parish and school represents one of the greatest opportunities for evangelisation in the Australian context. Growing relationships and connections at various levels of parish and school life has been the key ingredient in the story of St Brigid’s, Marrickville. Continue reading →