Finding purpose in faith

Last week our Cathedral gained a beautiful new icon of St Patrick, a man whose experiences as a teenager formed and strengthened the faith that would sustain him through a tumultuous and remarkable life. His unshakable trust in God gave Patrick direction and purpose, bringing light and hope to countless others, and highlighting the important role of faith in forming and educating young people.

As part of our Better Together series, we speak with Alone Australia series 2 winner Krzysztof Wojtkowski and Fr Wieslaw (Tony) Slowik SJ, his longtime friend and mentor, about how Krzysztof’s formative teenage experiences of the Catholic faith and Polish Catholic community helped him to survive his time in the wilderness, and about how their new initiative, POLOZ, is helping to connect with new generations of the Polish community in Melbourne.

Catholic Education Week encouraged young people from across our Archdiocese’s schools to ‘arise and shine’ with the light and glory of God last week as they celebrated the gift of a Catholic education. A jam-packed week of events included a creative arts exhibition, a joyful concert in the park and the annual Mass of St Patrick for Schools, where our new icon of St Patrick was unveiled and blessed.

And with the recent release of a study showing that Catholic school education provides lasting benefits in employment, health and life satisfaction, two Melburnians share how their Catholic educations helped to shape their different but enriching career paths.

Better Together
Krzysztof Wojtkowski and Fr Wieslaw (Tony) Slowik SJ
Spending time fasting and in solitude is a tradition with a long history. With the next season of Alone Australia airing this week, we joined season 2 winner Krzysztof Wojtkowski and Fr Wieslaw (Tony) Slowik SJ, a long-serving migrant chaplain to the Polish community in Victoria, at a barbecue on the weekend to talk about their new venture, POLOZ, their relationship spanning more than 30 years and what brought them together.
Arise, shine: schools celebrate Catholic Education Week
Students from Catholic schools across Melbourne have celebrated a Catholic Education Week inspired by the motto of Jubilee 2025—Pilgrims of Hope—hearing the call to radiate the light of faith in every aspect of their lives. Celebrations included an art exhibit of the best student works coming out of our Catholic schools, the annual Schools Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, where students got the first look at the Cathedral’s new icon of St Patrick, and a party in Treasury Gardens for the younger students, with music provided by secondary school bands.
‘A really positive contribution’: study reveals lifelong benefits of Catholic education
A new research study from the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey has found that Catholic school education provides lasting benefits in employment, health and life satisfaction. These findings reflect the experience of two Melburnians—audiologist Ewa Ng and artist James Murnane—whose very different career paths have the common base of Catholic education.
Faithful to grace: after 150 years, Mother Gonzaga’s legacy lives on in Loreto schools
In May 1875, ten intrepid women set off from Dublin, Ireland, for a two-month voyage to Victoria. By late September that same year, they had established the first of what is now a network of schools in four states operated by the Loreto Sisters Australia and South East Asia. This year, Loreto schools are acknowledging the 150th anniversary of their founders’ arrival through a travelling art exhibition and a play that beautifully connects past to present.
Shining lamps: a graduating student’s valedictory message
On Friday 21 March, 281 students—including almost 100 students from Catholic Theological College—graduated from the University of Divinity at a graduation ceremony held at St Patrick’s Cathedral. We share the valedictory address of Sr Emma Llewellyn RSM (MEdTheol, GCDiv, GCRM 2025), who encouraged her fellow graduates to be a light and a ‘source of hope, especially in times of darkness’ and spoke, as a teacher, of the ‘great privilege’ of ministering in Catholic education.
Tongues of angels: a reflection on the Annunciation
Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation, remembering a pivotal moment not only in the life of a young Jewish woman in first-century Nazareth but in every life for all time. Mary’s wholehearted ‘yes’ changes the course of history. But the Annunciation is about more than a world-altering response; it is also about a remarkable message. So what can we learn from the Archangel Gabriel about how to communicate in ways that bring life and hope to the world?
Pope returns to Vatican after long hospitalisation
Immediately before leaving Rome’s Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment for breathing difficulties, double pneumonia and infections, Pope Francis greeted hundreds of people who gathered outside the hospital on 23 March. ‘In this long period of hospitalisation, I have experienced the Lord’s patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless solicitude of the doctors and health care workers,’ the Pope wrote in a message he had prepared for the midday Angelus prayer.
‘Father and brother to the Church’: new Bishop of Bunbury ordained and installed
A large congregation gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Bunbury, on 19 March, the Solemnity of St Joseph, for the ordination and installation of George Kolodziej SDS as the fifth Bishop of Bunbury. In his homily, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB prayed that ‘the “fatherliness” of St Joseph, expressed through tenderness and compassion, but also through courage and fidelity, will be a source of inspiration and hope as he begins this new ministry as father and brother to the Church in this Diocese of Bunbury.’
Project Compassion spotlights Lam’s journey from isolation to independence
Growing up in rural Vietnam, Lam dreamed of becoming a graphic artist but faced limited opportunities due to his physical disability. Through the I-SHINE program, supported by Caritas Australia’s partner in Vietnam, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Lam was able to pursue his dreams, gaining the life-changing training and support he needed to kickstart his own freelance graphic design business from home.
‘When you have faith, you are never alone. So I always have the power of prayer to help in the dark times. I didn’t have moments of doubt so much, just moments of difficulty. And if you ask, God will help.’
Alone Australia season 2 winner Krzysztof Wojtkowski
on how his faith helps him in the most difficult and challenging circumstances
Come work with us

Applications are currently open for the following positions:

Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

  • Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of Victoria (ACMV) Coordinator, Thornbury
  • Personal Assistant to the Vicar General, East Melbourne
  • HR Officer, East Melbourne

Parish positions

  • Parish Secretary, Catholic Parishes of Yarraville and Kingsville
  • Parish Secretary, St Mary's Parish, Castlemaine

Other

  • Part-Time Chef (two roles), Newman College, Parkville

If you are interested in applying for any of the above positions, further details can be found here.

Upcoming events
Mannix Library Book Sale
Friday 28 March 2025
– Friday 11 April 2025
Calling all bookworms! Mannix Library is back with another book sale, and this time there are some really special items for sale. The book sale has introduced a new book type called ‘folio treasures’. These are larger books that can grace your coffee table, have pride of place on a ...
Six30 Holy Hour
Thursday 24 April 2025 6.30pm –7.30pm
Join with young Catholics from across the city for a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, music and an opportunity for confession. Please note that Six30 Holy Hour will not take place this Thursday, 17 April due to Holy Thursday services at St Patrick’s Cathedral and that various venues ...
Fiat at St Augustine’s 2025
Friday 28 March 2025
5.00pm–9.00pm
Find stillness, peace and friendly faces in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD as St Augustine’s opens its doors on the evening of Friday 28 March. Over four hours, different groups will each lead an hour of prayer. All are welcome at any point throughout the evening. Reconciliation will also be ...
Encounter—St Andrew’s, Werribee
Friday 28 March 2025
6.30pm–9.30pm
Our Encounter evenings are back for 2025! Tailor-made for secondary school students, these evenings are an opportunity to encounter Jesus with prayer, fellowship, food, testimonies and a whole lot of fun. Includes adoration and Reconciliation. This is the first of four Encounter evenings in 2025. Dinner is provided. Registrations close ...
Taizé Lenten Prayer with Br Merric, St Benedict’s, Burwood
Friday 28 March 2025
7.00pm–9.00pm
Taizé Melbourne and St Benedict’s Burwood invite you to a special evening of Taizé Lenten prayer, led by Br Merric. Br Merric is the first Australian brother of the Taizé community, an ecumenical Christian monastic community in France. This is his second visit to Australia since becoming a Taizé brother ...
Fiat: A Weekend of Prayer 2025
Friday 28 March 2025
– Sunday 30 March 2025
The Archdiocese of Melbourne will unite in a weekend of prayer from Friday 28 March to Sunday 30 March. Fiat: A Weekend of Prayer is inspired by the annunciation (commemorated on the feast day falling on 25 March), when Mary, the model disciple, listened to the call of God and ...
Faith and Culture Sessions Presents Dr Matthew Petrusek, Senior Editor at the Word on Fire Institute
Saturday 29 March 2025
10.00am–12.00pm
Dr Matthew Petrusek is the senior editor at Word on Fire Institute and a moral theologian who delves into how Catholic teaching intersects with contemporary culture. He’s known for offering clear, faith-based perspectives on today’s social and moral complexities. In this talk, he’ll discuss ways Catholics can respond thoughtfully to ...
United Prayers for Mercy for Australia and the World, with Eight First-Class Relics
Saturday 29 March 2025
2.00pm–5.00pm
The world and humanity have a great need of prayer and the mercy of God. Australia Unites in Prayer invites you to participate in united prayers to intercede for peace in the world and for the needs and protection of our nation, Australia, on Saturday 29 March at the Divine ...
Via Crucis, Presented by St Mary’s Star of the Sea
Sunday 30 March 2025
7.30pm–8.30pm
An invitation choir and soloists directed by Jonathan Baker, with Fr Nicholas Dillon as organist, will present Franz Liszt's dramatic musical meditations on Christ's way to Calvary during Stations of the Cross. A leaving collection will be taken up to assist with costs. Please download attached flyer. All are welcome!
Melbourne Catholic Professionals Luncheon: Jonathan and Karen Doyle
Wednesday 2 April 2025
12.00pm–2.00pm
Join us at the RACV City Club for the first Melbourne Catholic Professionals (MCP) event for 2025, where Jonathan and Karen Doyle will join us as guest speakers. Jonathan and Karen are globally recognised leaders in faith-based education, relationships and personal development. As founders of Choicez Media, they have inspired ...
Celebrity Organ Recital, Featuring Johann Vexo
Friday 4 April 2025
6.00pm–7.15pm
Following a highly successful concert event in 2023, globally acclaimed organist Johann Vexo (former organist at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris) returns to St Patrick’s Cathedral for another dazzling program. Vexo has performed extensively throughout Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and has recorded several CDs ...
Mass for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers
Sunday 6 April 2025
11.00am–12.00pm
‘You are a treasure for the Church, for society, for the people, because you are witnesses of God’s tenderness for the sick and suffering.’—Pope Francis, ‘Address to Healthcare Workers’, 2016 A Mass for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers will be celebrated by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli at ...
Sisters of Saint Joseph Retreat: Life Is a Journey
Sunday 6 April 2025, 7.00pm
– Friday 11 April 2025, 1.00pm
Hosted by the Sisters of St Joseph, the ‘Life is a Journey’ retreat is a reflective, prayerful excursion that contemplatively aligns our personal journeys with the journey of Jesus, focusing on transforming our past through the intimacy of God’s love. It emphasises healing, liberation, freedom and spiritual growth by reframing ...
The Primacy of St Peter: A New Work by Composer Conrad Helfrich
Thursday 10 April 2025
7.00pm–8.30pm
A profound musical experience, performed by an esteemed 25-voice ensemble featuring some of Melbourne’s best singers, including ​members of Chorus Ecclesiae. Aria award winner Conrad Helfrich, composer and director of music at St Peter’s Church, Toorak, presents The Primacy of St Peter—Part One, an original a cappella choral composition sung ...
Beyond the Vows: A One-Day Marriage Retreat
Saturday 12 April 2025
9.45am–5.00pm
Your marriage doesn’t need to be in crisis to deserve attention. Set aside a day to reaffirm your vows, deepen in intimacy and draw nearer to God. Beyond the Vows is a one-day Catholic marriage retreat designed to help couples navigate life and draw closer together. Sponsored by the Vocations ...
Mary Glowrey Museum Open Day
Wednesday 16 April 2025
10.00am–3.00pm
Visit the Mary Glowrey Museum in Fitzroy to learn more about the life and legacy of Australian-born medical missionary in India and Servant of God Dr Sr Mary Glowrey JMJ. Mary Glowrey is one of two Australians currently being officially considered for sainthood. She was the first president of the ...
Melbourne Rosary Pilgrimage with the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecelia—New Date!
Saturday 17 May 2025
10.00am–3.00pm
NEW DATE! Please note that the date of this year's pilgrimage has been moved to Saturday 17 May to accommodate more pilgrims. Join the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecelia on their annual Catholic Historic Melbourne Marian Pilgrimage. The day will begin with Mass at St Mary Star of the Sea ...

To learn more about upcoming events and opportunities, visit the Melbourne Catholic events page.

This newsletter is published by the Communications Office
of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

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