As the war in Ukraine goes on, one the very few things within our power – other than financial giving – is prayer. This Friday, 25 March, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli will join Pope Francis in consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, honouring a direct request from the Ukrainian bishops. It will take place at the 7am Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The Vatican has also released the official text for the Prayer of Consecration which parishes are encouraged to pray locally.
If you are wondering about the meaning, purpose, and history behind such a consecration (and there are a few rabbit holes there), here's a brief rundown of the situation, and why the Ukrainian bishops have made the request.
In Melbourne, people have been engaging in prayer processions of their own! On Sunday 20 March more than a thousand people gathered at St Patrick’s for a “Walk with Mary”, praying for world peace. Also last Sunday, Holy Eucharist Parish, St Albans South, celebrated its 50th anniversary, with a beautiful display of the parish's history and multicultural heritage.
In the wake of the Djokovic affair, media attention was drawn to the asylum seekers who had been held indefinitely in detention at the Park Hotel in Carlton for more than nine years. Fiona Basile shares how a personal encounter with a young woman from Sydney, led her to the men – fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, husbands – being detained in the Park Hotel and to a deeper understanding of their lives and journey, and ultimately, to compassion and action.
Since Pope Francis has stunned the world with some sweeping reforms of the Roman Curia, we take a look at just some of the changes taking place under the new Apostolic Constitution, ‘Praedicate Evangelium’.
The funeral of Victorian Senator Kimberley Kitching was held at St Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week, bringing together various members of the diplomatic corps and politicians from both sides of the divide. Archbishop Comensoli reflected on the faith of Ms Kitching and how St Patrick’s was her ‘faith home’.
Finally, if you’re starting to feel a bit spiritually flat halfway through Lent, don’t worry. We all feel that way at some point. We take a look at another key to making it through the season of penance.
