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
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
Media Release
24 November, 2011
The Australian Catholic Bishops today at their Plenary meeting expressed solidarity with the Coptic Christian community in Egypt.
In recent months, sectarian violence has plagued the country. Continue reading
By Fr Peter Brock
You’ll have seen Archbishop Wilson’s Letter, on behalf of the Australian Bishops, announcing the Year of Grace [www.yearofgrace.catholic.com.au]
The Bishops have chosen, as a sort of sub-heading, a phrase from Pope John Paul II’s Novo Millennio Ineunte: “starting afresh from Christ”.
So that might be the four-word answer to the question.
At the meeting of our National Planning Team, we brainstormed a slightly longer version:
“Listening to the wisdom of God, the Year of Grace calls us to:
· encounter Jesus Christ in prayer
· seek healing and renewal through repentance
· grow as disciples by cultivating the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that the Church in Australia will continue to be transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection”. Continue reading
“One Body in Christ” – Release of a New Resource for Welcoming People with Disability
Media Release
16.11.11
The Australian Catholic Disability Council and the Disability Projects Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference have released today a new resource for parishes and Church communities called One Body in Christ, Welcoming People with Disability. Continue reading
By Archbishop Mark Coleridge, photos by Loui Seselja
I have no illusions about the challenges we are facing, but I have high hopes for the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. Both the challenges and the opportunities were on show last Saturday at the Archdiocesan Assembly attended by over four hundred members of the Archdiocesan community. They came from far and wide, from every corner of this far-flung and very diverse Diocese; and it struck me that in some ways this was the “core leadership” group. Continue reading
By Marita Winters, Director, Catholic Enquiry Centre and the National Office for Evangelisation
Recently I’ve been part of several dinner conversations on the state of the Catholic Church.
Does that sound familiar?
During one, there was comment on the average age of the few participants at a vigil Mass -the estimate given was “at least mid-60’s”. During another there was discussion around the overwhelming participation for registration for a parish Sacramental program one week and the return to half-empty seats the following week. Continue reading
Media Release – Caritas Australia
9 November, 2011
Millions of families in Myanmar are the hidden face of Thailand’s flood devastation, confronted with financial ruin as relentless waters cripple the Thai economy.
Large numbers of Myanmar’s impoverished population rely heavily on so-called “remittances” _ money sent back from bordering nations like Thailand by loved ones working illegally, often in the construction industry. Continue reading
Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention 2012
After the highly successful Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) in Melbourne 2010 which hosted over 400 youth ministers from parishes, diocese, schools and communities around Australia, the BCPL is preparing to host another in 2012. 
Continue reading
www.cievents.com.au/events/ACMC2012
Recently, a friend sent through a message to me on Facebook with the picture just below, which shows Jesus talking to a young man. Indeed, Jesus is asking us to follow him, and although we all misread the signs at times – Christ desires all of us to be with him. So, we have a 2,000 year old message which is timeless, it doesn’t age, although perhaps the mediums we use to communicate the message could do with a little work. This message of course is that of love, hope, mercy, faith and salvation. These are not easy messages to put into one line “tweet” or a pithy “facebook” status. We don’t exactly update our relationship status to “In a relationship with Jesus Christ” and consider ourselves “Facebook official” the moment we realise how much we have been gifted by God in our lives.. The hope of Christ in the world gives life to all, and yet so many haven’t been touched in this way. 
Next year, the second Australian Catholic Media Congress will be held at the Menzies Hotel in Sydney with the theme “Communicating the Word: Timeless messages, new media.” Our international guest for this Congress is Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
The Congress is open to anyone who wishes to attend, particularly those with an interest in Church media. The congress aims to address some of the challenges of spreading a message in a sometimes hostile world; it aims to show new ways of engaging with technology to more effectively proclaim those messages. Over three days, from the 30th of April to the 2nd of May, the bishops have invited you, the people of Australia to attend the Australian Catholic Media Congress and discuss your hopes and vision for Church media.
So we hope that you will join us. www.cievents.com.au/events/ACMC2012
By Beth Doherty
Note: For a copy of the Social Justice statement, or for more information, visit http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/
Social Justice Sunday was celebrated in parishes over the weekend of 24 September and this year’s statement by the bishops is on a unique and timely subject: prisons and the justice system. The statement is hopeful and reflects the Gospel-inspired dream of human dignity held by the Church for some of the most undervalued members of our society. It also wonders aloud about a system in this country which falls terribly short.
The CEO of Jesuit Social Services Julie Edwards spoke on our justice system as she opened the National Justice Symposium held at Australian Catholic University over the weekend of 21-22 October, a symposium specifically on this topic.
She said: “We want a community where people flourish and get to reach their potential. We want to bring this type of community into being through evidence-based assessments and respect for human dignity, not just knee-jerk reactions. Let’s not have a shallow, superficial and populist conversation. We want to help people turn their lives around. We need to step back and ask, “What does a humane, effective justice system look like?” Continue reading