This Sunday (22 May), Archbishop Peter A Comensoli will celebrate a special Mass to commemorate those who died during the COVID pandemic. In the lead-up to Sunday, individuals and parishes are invited to submit the name(s) of those they would like remembered during the Mass.
One of those who submitted names is Liz Winston, who sadly lost her parents during Victoria's COVID lockdowns. She graciously shared her story with us and is looking forward to this Sunday's Mass, saying ‘it can be the Mass that my mum didn’t have.’
Caring for those on their end-of-life journey is so important. Next week is National Palliative Care Week, and we hear from Lydia, whose mother experienced the incredible benefits of palliative care at VMCH's O'Neill House, which Archbishop Peter A Comensoli recently visited.
This week is also Laudato Si' Week: an opportunity to reflect upon Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical. If you haven't read the document before, we encourage you to do so, and we've provided you with three keys to reading it for all it's worth. Also, if you are interested in thinking more deeply about ecology—beyond the issues that are "the usual suspects"—we've gathered a short booklist for you to consider.
As part of our ongoing celebration of the Diocese's 175th anniversary, Professor Jaynie Anderson sat down with Melbourne Catholic to discuss part of the legacy of Melbourne's first bishop, James Alipius Goold, and his impressive art collection. There is much to celebrate this year, not least the contributions of the many immigrant communities that have enriched and helped shape the Church of Melbourne. In the first of a series celebrating these communities, we hear about the important contributions of Filipino Catholics over the years to our shared life of faith.
And in case you missed it, last weekend Pope Francis canonised 10 new saints—the first in over two years—and among them were four women, leaders of their time and founders of religious orders. Here are their stories, and just a glimpse into the profound influence they had.
Finally, last week we began our series looking at Marian devotions around the world. This week we travel to Asia to learn about Marian shrines in Vietnam, China and the Philippines. The stories never cease to amaze!