Plenary Council Australia – A Reflection
The conclusion of the Second Assembly of the Plenary Council journey, was celebrated with Eucharist at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Saturday 9 July 2022. The 270 members who participated in this week-long event, left with hope-filled hearts knowing that they have been part of a historic moment in the life of the Church […]
Plenary Council Second Assembly
The second and final assembly for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia will take place in Sydney from 4-8 July 2022. At the assembly, the 277 Council Members will consider, discern and vote on the motions in the Framework for Motions that have emerged from that national journey, with the goal of renewing the life […]
Plenary Council 2021: Sr Monica Reflects on the First Assembly
Thank you for your prayerful support during the first assembly for the Plenary Council here in Australia. The members of the assembly felt the power of prayer embracing them during these days. It was indeed a spirit-filled time. As you can imagine there was a rich diversity among the members but somehow through it all, […]
Plenary Council 2021: The Josephite Contribution
Update 14 October 2021: Sr Monica Cavanagh reflects on the themes and achievements of the first Assembly. Sr Monica Cavanagh on the First Assembly Dear Friends, The long-awaited first session of Australia’s Fifth Plenary Council begins this Sunday, 3 October. After a long process of discernment and hard work, hundreds of delegates will gather to […]
Plenary Council 2021: Mary MacKillop Inspires Us To Be A Heart-Centred Church
On 5 August, 45 leaders of religious congregations were formally commissioned as members of the Plenary Council in a virtual ritual prepared by Catholic Religious Australia. As the Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, I am a member participating in the formal sessions of the Plenary Council. I am looking forward to this […]
Plenary Council 2021: An Opportunity For An Inclusive Church
In my role as a member of the Plenary Council Facilitation Team, with Lana Turvey-Collins, Peter Gates, and Olivia Lee, there still seems to be countless matters to attend to in these final days of preparation before the first session of the Plenary on 3 October. Every Tuesday evening for the last six weeks the […]
Dignity, Service, Synodality: The Plenary Council’s Josephite Values
The Plenary Council is a wonderful opportunity for the Catholic Church in Australia to renew ourselves and face up to our current reality. I became involved with the Plenary Council in January this year when I was asked to assume the role of Liaison Officer for the Plenary Council Working Group for the Archdiocese of […]
Plenary Council 2021: A View From The Grassroots
Sr Chris Schwerdt gives an insight into the Plenary process at the local level after attending the Adelaide Diocesan Assembly, held over 17 and 18 September. The Adelaide Diocesan Assembly was a very hopeful and enriching experience, involving more than 400 people, including seven Josephites and two Covenant Josephites. Parish representatives, migrant communities, schools, clergy, […]
Plenary Council
Plenary Council – a journey, with the Spirit and one another, of discernment, dialogue & renewal. When the date for the Plenary Council assemblies was pushed forward a year, because of the impact of COVID-19, I did wonder how this might affect everyone’s involvement and commitment to the journey, begun in 2018. My own involvement […]
Media Release: Plenary Council Discernment Papers
Plenary Council 2020 As defined on the Plenary Council 2020 website: A Plenary Council is the highest formal gathering of all local churches in a country. (The) Plenary Council 2020 is being held so that we can dialogue about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia. In the lead up to the Plenary Council […]
Synods, Councils, and the people of God
When Australian Catholics learned that they were to have a Plenary Council in 2022, most had a fair idea that it would be about a formal gathering of Church leaders. Not long after when they learned that they were to be involved in a Synod, there was some hesitancy about the terminology. According to the […]
I Can, I Will
Trish and Vin Hindmarsh – Eco-Heroes Profile Caring for Earth and finding a sense of the sacred in all things are concepts dear to our Eco-Heroes of the month – Trish and Vin Hindmarsh. “This beautiful green, blue and brown planet we call our common home has been shaping my life and learning since I […]