This year is the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Melbourne, an opportunity for us to appreciate more deeply where we have come from, and the many people who have shaped where—and who—we are today. (It also happens to be the 125th anniversary of the consecration of our spiritual home, St Patrick's Cathedral!)
Desmond Cahill is Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Studies at RMIT University and he graciously set time aside to take us through the many waves of migrants that came to Australia, especially in the wake of the Second World War, for a deeper understanding of how Melbourne became a 'microcosm' of a global village.
Speaking of milestones, we hear from Melbourne Catholic John Anthony Bohan, one of our most recent centenarians! John shares fond memories of his childhood in South Geelong and his career as a surveyor. ‘I had quite a hand in building this city,’ he says with pride. He also once served as an altar server to Archbishop Daniel Mannix during a 1935-visit to Werribee.
Our Archdiocese is now home to a brand new statue of Pope John Paul II! Bishop Martin Ashe recently blessed the statue which resides at the Ta'Pinu shrine in Bacchus Marsh. The shrine has long been a site of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all ethnicities and nationalities, so it seems only fitting that it is now home to a statue of the "global pope".
Last Sunday, a pair of cyclists from Caritas Australia – Kristy Robertson and Richard Landels – finished their epic 900km bike ride from Sydney to Melbourne, where they were greeted by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli on the steps of St Patrick's Cathedral. The ride was gruelling but went towards raising almost $50,000 to help break the cycle of poverty.
Recently, the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation hosted renowned Australian literary critic Peter Craven to give its third annual Ramsay Lecture on the topic, 'Classics and why we must keep them alive.' Against the tendency to "cancel" or remove certain books from the curriculum, Craven argues that young people need to have a deeply classical education, for their own benefit and the benefit of our society.
Finally, since Mother's Day is just around the corner, we take a look at what some saints and Catholic theologians have said about the beauty and significance of motherhood, both biological and spiritual.
