Our Lenten journey has begun. The ash daubed on our foreheads last Wednesday was a poignant reminder that each of us is dust, and that something must die before it can be resurrected—an idea that finds its ultimate expression at Easter and in the waters of baptism.
Many of this week’s stories show how, in the life of faith, we are often called to let go of one life so that a new one can be born. On Sunday, for instance, catechumens and candidates from more than 60 parishes gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral for the Rite of Election, an important step on their journey to receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter, and to a new life in the Church.
We also share the wonderful news that eight new seminarians have recently joined Corpus Christi College—the largest single intake since 2017—and hear from two of them about the lives they have left to follow God’s call to a new life in the priesthood.
And we hear from Czech theologian Mgr Prof Tomáš Halík, who recently shared with us the remarkable story of his clandestine life as a priest under the former communist regime in his home country, some insights from his thriving ministry among young people and ‘seekers’ in Prague, and his (very Lenten) conviction that for the Church to be resurrected and transformed, first something must die.
You can find lots more stories below on what’s been happening in the Archdiocese of Melbourne and beyond, or you can visit the Melbourne Catholic news and stories page or follow us on Facebook. To connect with people and events across the Archdiocese, check out our events page for what’s coming up soon.
