In an expression of pastoral solidarity with the people of Ukraine, a delegation from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, including Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, recently visited the war-torn country. Annie Carrett, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, was also part of the delegation. She reflects on their moving encounters with Ukrainians from all walks of life—people who continue to demonstrate persistent hope and courageous love amid the devastation and trauma of war.
Today, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference also launch their annual Social Justice Statement, Listen, Learn, Love: A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, which calls the Church in Australia to ‘lead the way’ in the pursuit of reconciliation, and to ground ‘our attitudes and actions towards First Nations peoples ... in justice, love and humility’.
In other stories this week, we hear from Fr John Healy and his team at Holy Trinity Parish in the western suburbs about their journey of mission renewal, and how discerning what not to do is sometimes as important as discerning what to do; Homelessness Week sparks a national conversation on the housing crisis; Fr Michael Shadbolt, previously the Archdiocese’s official exorcist, shares why prayer and the sacraments remain our greatest defence against evil; in an inspiring story of resilience, a special graduation was recently held for Jade McAlear following a terrible car accident; and in the final of Catholic Social Services Victoria’s recent series of conversations on the Voice to Parliament, three Aboriginal elders speak of their hope and concerns ahead of the upcoming referendum.
Finally, Professor Clare Johnson of the ACU Centre for Liturgy joins us to explore movement in the liturgy, looking at what we do, how we do it and why it matters.
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