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.
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
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
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
Media Release
15 December, 2011
The Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life (BCPL) in partnership with The Broken Bay Institute (BBI) is happy to announce the winner of this year’s youth ministry scholarship.
Ms Lauren Cole, the Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Rockhampton Diocese has been award a full scholarship to study the BBI-University of Newcastle Graduate Certificate in Theology, specialising in Youth and Campus Ministry in 2012 and 2013. Continue reading
Media Release
8 December, 2011
The Bishops Commission for Church Ministry (BCCM) has founded a new Lay Pastoral Council to develop policies for the education, formation, pastoral care and support of Lay Pastoral Ministers.
The members of the newly-formed Council are: Sr Philomena Burrell (Perth); Mrs Heather Carey (Adelaide); Sr Kathy Hatherall (Brisbane); Mr Richard McMahon (Sydney); Mrs Kathleen Lillis (Melbourne); Fr Brian Moloney (Australian Catholic Council for Clergy Life and Ministry Representative) and Bishops’ delegate Bp Peter Comensoli (Sydney). Continue reading
Media Release: Embargoed until 10:00pm EST,
7 December, 2011.
Wagga Wagga priest Fr Michael Kennedy has been appointed Bishop of Armidale today following the resignation of Bishop Luc Matthys having reached the age limit.
Fr Michael Kennedy was ordained for the Diocese of Wagga in the late 1990s and is currently the Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Murrumbidgee Deanery. He is also currently the Parish Priest of Leeton in New South Wales.
Bishop Gerard Hanna of Wagga Wagga expressed his support for the news that one of his senior priests had been appointed and wished him every success in his new ministry.
“We congratulate him on his appointment. He has over the last 13 years shown a very balanced approach to his pastoral ministry in the Diocese and I believe that he is well suited in his new role of leadership as the Bishop of the Diocese of Armidale”, said Bishop Hanna.
In the course of his ministry in Wagga Wagga, Fr Michael Kennedy was the Rector of St Francis’ Residential College at Charles Sturt University. He has also served as assistant priest in Albury.
Fr Michael expressed both surprise and joy when receiving the appointment and hopes that he will be a true shepherd to the people of Armidale.
“I am both honoured and humbled to have been chosen to be a successor of the Apostles as the bishop of Armidale. It is my hope to be a true shepherd and teacher for the people of Armidale so that, together, we may grow in faith and build up the Body of Christ. I begin by asking the faithful of the Armidale Diocese to pray for me, and by assuring them of my heartfelt prayers for them”, said Fr. Michael.
Fr Michael Kennedy began his priestly formation at Vianney College in Wagga Wagga and completed his studies in Rome at Propaganda Fide, obtaining a Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
In addition to working as a Parish Priest in the Diocese, he has worked as a lecturer at Vianney College, covering moral theology as a major course.
For media enquiries or to arrange an interview with Bishop-Elect Michael Kennedy, please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256
Caritas Australia invites you to join us on a first-time interactive journey throughout the world with our Advent Calendar, which for the first time available as an iPhone App which can be downloaded here http://www.caritas.org.au/advent/index.html
Continue reading
By Beth Doherty
Eight years ago, Anna Chandler had a virus. The virus resulted in her full hearing loss in her right ear, a condition which has continued to deteriorate each year since in her left ear.
The charismatic youth minister, teacher and Centacare facilitator however has not let this enormous challenge prevent her from sharing a message of hope with those around her. Continue reading
LEAVE the chocolates in the aisle, your friends eat too much anyway.
LEAVE the wine on the shelf, your Dad doesn’t need another drop.
LEAVE the handcreams where they are, your Mum doesn’t really doesn’t like them.
AND don’t even think about toys. There’s just no more room for them.
So take a deep breath. For Christmas why not buy your kin something useful? Something really useful.
Aid and development agency, Caritas Australia, has launched its 2011 Global Gifts campaign _ a one-stop shop for anyone who thinks beyond their own wants. Continue reading
Dear Friends in Christ,
At our baptism, we are welcomed and commissioned to spread the Good News, to produce fruit that will last and to use our God-given gifts. We are all called to witness the life of Jesus Christ through our prayer, our offerings and how we share our gifts. It is through the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour that we are challenged and called to be a loving, compassionate and inclusive community; to be truly One Body in Christ.
The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, in his recent letter to the Catholic Church in Australia, invites and calls us to a Year of Grace. It will be a time to contemplate the face of Jesus Christ; for it is when we recognise Jesus Christ in ourselves and each other that we are led on a profound and mysterious journey towards understanding the meaning of being One Body in Christ.
Continue reading
Media Release
24 November, 2011
The new English translation of the Roman Missal was officially launched today by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Philip Wilson during the Bishops’ Plenary meeting in Sydney. Continue reading