The choice is ours, and so are its outcomes
August 21, 2023
Annually in the Australian Catholic Church on the last Sunday of August (this year on 27 August), we commemorate Social Justice Sunday. For this day, Sr Susan shares a reflection focussing on the Voice.
Australians will be required to vote in the referendum on the Voice in a matter of weeks. Each of us will be asked whether we approve an addition to the Constitution that would recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Making an honest choice requires us to consider what good or ill may arise from that choice.
Social Justice Sunday: Listen, Learn, Love
In launching the Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for this year’s Social Justice Sunday (27 August), Listen, Learn, Love, Bishop Vincent Long reminded us of the words of Pope John Paul II when he visited Australia in 1986:
This year, in an epic moment for all of us in this country, each of us will have the opportunity to make our contribution to realising that vision. As Bishop Long pointed out, the referendum on the Voice to Parliament is a moral and social issue. It has been made political by those who seek to portray it as a threat to our democracy and who are using both misinformation and disinformation to further their own ends. These people ignore the modest and basic request which has been supported by the vast majority of First Nations peoples, the Australian churches, and community groups right across this country.
World Youth Day 2023
World Youth Day (WYD) is an international event for young Catholics. This year, WYD took place in Lisbon, Portugal from 1-6 August.
I was blessed to be one of the estimated 1.5 million pilgrims who gathered for the event. I travelled to WYD with the Sydney Archdiocese, and then completed most of the pilgrimage with the Maronite Catholic Youth.
The Wonders of Nature in Australia
Father Julian Tenison Woods experienced financial insecurity at first-hand. To supplement his meagre income he submitted articles, letters and essays to Australian newspapers. His topics were based on his travels and observations.
The Wonders of Nature in Australia is a series of 10 such letters published in the Saturday editions of Sydney Mail and the New South Wales Advertiser during 1879. As a skilled raconteur and journalist, Fr Julian wrote with the intention of providing his dear readers with accurate descriptions supported by instructive and interesting explanations.
Age is no barrier
Joelle Sassine – Eco-Hero Profile
An active member of the Josephite Action Group and Josephite Justice Network, Joelle Sassine is proof that age is no barrier to being an Eco-Hero.
As a recent graduate from the University of Sydney, the 22-year-old has hit the ground running, working simultaneously on a variety of social justice and environmental advocacy campaigns.
Whether it’s writing letters to politicians about adopting renewables, grassroots lobbying at a local and Federal level, or rallying students for the School Strike for Climate, Joelle’s passion for the environment shines through in everything she does.
Bernadette on the march
August 15, 2023
There’s still time to donate to the Stadium Stomp taking place on 20 August.
The SOSJ Stompers are in final preparation mode – with team leader Bernadette leading the way.
World Humanitarian Day – A Good Samaritan
August 8, 2023
Annually on 19 August, we commemorate World Humanitarian Day. Twenty years ago on 19 August 2003, the United Nations lost 22 colleagues in an attack on the United Nations in Baghdad, Iraq. The tragedy profoundly changed the way in which humanitarians operate – from being respected, to being targeted – and led to the creation of World Humanitarian Day. (World Humanitarian Day)
For this day, we share Sr Helen’s story on a ‘Good Samaritan’.
Closing Mass for New South Wales Region Sesquicentenary
The quotes by Mary MacKillop, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart” (1907) and “We have much for which to be thankful” (1873) were the mantras from the Litany of Gratitude spoken by all at Mass on Saturday 15 July, marking the conclusion of celebrations during our Sesquicentenary year.
The Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel, located in North Sydney, was filled with a beautiful spirit of joy and togetherness, and we were lifted to a place of grace. We knew we were on holy ground.