Tag Archives: Christ

Advent on the go with Caritas Australia

Advent Jesse tree

Due to overwhelming popularity, Caritas Australia’s Advent calendar based on the ancient Christian symbol of the Jesse tree has returned for Christmas 2012.

In Advent, the Jesse tree reminds us of Biblical characters and events that prepared God’s people for the birth of Jesus. Join Caritas Australia and use the Jesse tree to reflect, pray and act in solidarity with their partners and for the world’s poor.

“Christmas is a precious time of year and one I cherish personally,” said Jack de Groot, CEO, Caritas Australia. “Let us reflect and rejoice this season of Advent as we herald the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ. Continue reading →

Crisis in Congo – Church leaders say DRC on brink of war

Congolese women – Caritas Australia

Media Release, 23 November, 2012

Fear and insecurity has sent tens of thousands of innocent civilians into hiding and flight as the M23 Rebels now occupy Goma, the main city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The military spokesperson of the M23 has now publically declared that the rebels are prepared to march onwards to take over the country’s capital, Kinshasa should the people “invite” them.

Caritas is extremely concerned that water and electricity supplies have been cut off; accentuating the panic and uncertainty amongst the city of one million people. Continue reading →

Letter from Bishop Anthony Fisher – Australian Catholic Youth Festival

Bishop Anthony Fisher

Monday, 26 November 2012

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Australian Catholic Youth Festival : 5 – 7 December 2013, Melbourne

In December 2013 the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will host the first Australian Catholic Youth Festival. The Festival is anticipated to be the largest national gathering of Catholic young people since WYD 2008.

You are invited to begin promoting and preparing for the Festival and supporting young people from your community to attend.

The Festival will be held from Thursday, 5 December to Saturday, 7 December. It will be held at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) St Patrick’s Campus in East Melbourne, as well as at the East Melbourne Catholic Precinct, including St Patrick’s Cathedral and other nearby churches and facilities.

The Festival will invite students in the age group from Year 9 to young adults aged 25 years from schools, universities, youth groups, parishes, groups and movements throughout Australia. The venues and organisational arrangements have a capacity for 4000 young people. With your assistance we hope to reach this limit. Continue reading →

International Day of People with Disability – Removing barriers to create inclusive society

Banner – International Day

Media Release, November 26, 2012

The International Day of People with Disability is celebrated on 3 December each year, with this year’s theme of, “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.”

Bishop Terence Brady, the Australian Bishops’ Delegate for Disability Issues, said that there is much evidence of the types of barriers that are faced by people with disability, and that Church communities can find ways to address these.

“Barriers can take a variety of forms, including those relating to the physical environment or to information and communications technology (ICT), or those resulting from legislation or policy, or from societal attitudes or discrimination.” Continue reading →

Royal commission

The Catholic Church welcomes the royal commission into child sex abuse. Picture: Bill Hearne Source: The Daily Telegraph

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
18 November 2012

The following is the text of Cardinal George Pell’s Sunday Telegraph Column.

Last Monday the Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a Royal Commission on the sexual abuse of children in institutions across Australia.

Naturally the victims were delighted that their struggle for justice was heard.  Many have high expectations and every decent person should work to see that all possible progress is made.

Along with the Australian Catholic bishops I welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement. The Royal Commission will provide an opportunity to clear the air.

Unfortunately the Catholic Church has been unable to reassure everyone that it is serious about dealing with sexual abuse and responding appropriately.  This is despite the fact that in 1997 the NSW Wood Royal Commission found the Catholic response “a model for other Churches and religious organizations to follow”. Continue reading →

Catholic Migrant office calls for reflection on asylum policy during the Christmas season.

Media Release,
23 December 2011
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office today urged both political parties to show moral leadership over the Christmas period with regard to policy debates on asylum seekers and refugees.
Director of the ACMRO Fr Maurizio Pettenà CS expressed the view that people seeking asylum need to be processed in countries who are signatories to the UN Refugee Convention and who can assure them of the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity.
“Richer countries like Australia have a moral duty to do more to help the world’s refugees who are mostly hosted by poorer nations” he said.
“Christmas reminds us that it is in giving that we receive. This applies even more so to how much we give to those who seek asylum. Increasing the humanitarian program is an appropriate outcome that both political parties can agree on.” Continue reading →

Trust in God, and take one day at a time – A reflection on the life of Bishop Joe

Bishop Joe Grech and Fr Maurizio Pettena concelebrating Mass with Bishops and Priests in Sydney, May, 2010.

By Fr Maurizio Pettena CS

Bishop Joe is still very much a holy presence in my life. I remember very vividly last year on the 23rd of December when he called me at about 10pm at night and asked me what I was doing.

He said he wasn’t feeling too well. He kept feeling worse, and the doctor recommended that he be hospitalised. On Christmas Eve, he was.

He rang me as he was being admitted to the hospital and asked me if I could come and be with him. A few hours later, I was there in Melbourne at St Vincent’s private hospital where I found him in his usual joking mood.

The doctor came in, amused by the jovial character and positive in his outlook. Continue reading →

Homily of Archbishop Philip Wilson at the Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and PNG

Archbishop Wilson preaches the Homily at the Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea

The Foundation Eucharist of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
December 18, 2011

It is of great interest to me in reading about the history of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy to discover that it was never the intention of Venerable Catherine McAuley to become a sister. She didn’t want to be a religious. But luckily she met a nice bishop who helped her and this is a good turn of events I can tell you. Given the history that I belong to it’s really something.

But Dr Murray was of great help to her because he understood exactly what she wanted to do and he knew why she had the opinion that she had and he helped her to create a new way of being religious so that the Sisters of Mercy known as the walking sisters, the walking nuns, able to do their work about bringing the mercy of God to the people of Ireland and very quickly then to England and to the rest of the world. Continue reading →

The Sisters of Mercy of Australia and PNG, Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral

On the 12th of December, 2011, the Sisters of Mercy Australia and Papua New Guinea formed one joined Congregation, which will be known as the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea. The following clip is of highlights of the Mass which was celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral by Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop Guiseppe Lazzarotto and Archbishop Philip Wilson, as well as Bishops and Priests from Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The Christmas story of asylum seekers

By Fr Maurizio Pettena CS

Yesterday, I stood in front of the Nativity scene that is displayed in front of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney and considered it for a moment. The Christmas story, as always during December, is much on my mind and in my prayer this week. Even David Jones just down the road has a beautiful display in its windows of puppets re-enacting the Christmas story, complete with baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the three kings and the angels. A huge group of tourists had gathered to watch the mechanical puppets, taking photos and in some way, celebrating what Christmas is about. Continue reading →

“Increase humanitarian intake to prevent future asylum tragedies” says Catholic Migrant office

Media Release
19 December, 2011

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) today expressed sorrow over the tragedy which has resulted in the deaths of a possible 160 people, mostly thought to be asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Iran.

This time last year, a similar tragedy occurred when just short of safety, a boat carrying 50 Middle Eastern asylum seekers crashed off the rocks of Christmas Island. Continue reading →

A vandal at Christmas

By Bishop Greg O’Kelly

This article was first published in “The Witness” of Port Pirie and is used with permission

At Christmas five years ago, people entering St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide were shocked to discover that the nativity crib had been vandalised. Someone had urinated over the statues of Mary and Joseph, and the statue of the baby Jesus in the crib had been smashed into pieces. Continue reading →