Light in darkness

This Holy Week, as we walk the way of the cross, Pope Francis reminds us that we do not travel this difficult path alone. By reaching out—like Simon of Cyrene—to those who struggle, helping to shoulder their burdens, we participate in Jesus’ redemptive love, his passion inspiring our compassion.

Today, at this year’s Chrism Mass, more than 200 priests came together to renew their priestly vows and to reflect on their mission of healing and forgiveness.

Sr Brigid Arthur CSB AO has devoted her life to caring for those weighed down by burdens too heavy to bear. Reflecting on her work accompanying asylum seekers, she points to some ways we can bring hope to those who need it most.

Tenebrae—an ancient Holy Week ritual—is having a resurgence in popularity. This evocative liturgy combines powerful symbolism and sublime music to help us enter the darkness of Christ’s passion, ultimately giving us a deeper appreciation of the light and hope he brings to the world.

A healing and forgiving mission: more than 200 priests gather for Chrism Mass
Earlier today, at this year's Chrism Mass, more than 200 priests—a record number—came together to renew their promises. In his homily, Archbishop Peter A Comensoili reflected on that electrifying moment when Jesus stood in the synagogue at Nazareth and claimed the prophet Isaiah’s words for himself, revealing that he was the promised one, the Christ, the Anointed.
Tenebrae: a liturgy of shadows before the light
During Holy Week, an ancient and very moving service, Tenebrae, is held in a few churches across Melbourne, including at St Patrick's Cathedral. As liturgist Prof Clare Johnson explains, ‘It's a chance to go really deep into why Christ died for our sins, and to understand what the world would be like without him.' In this way, we discover 'hope in God, that God is with us in that moment and leading us to the light.’
Hope does not disappoint
Maintain hope: Sr Brigid’s enduring call to support asylum seekers
In a world grappling with unprecedented levels of displacement, Sr Brigid Arthur CSB AO stands as a beacon of hope and a guide for action. The long-time advocate for those seeking asylum and refuge in Australia offers a compelling message: there are concrete ways to extend support and solidarity to our neighbours in need.
Christians to celebrate Easter 2025 together, in rare alignment of calendars
Easter this year will be celebrated at the same time by both western and eastern Christians. This relatively rare synchronisation of dates—and the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea—has renewed calls for the permanent alignment of Easter.
Carry the cross with compassion, says Pope Francis on Palm Sunday
Carrying the cross means more than bearing personal suffering; it means stepping into the pain of others and walking beside them, Pope Francis wrote at the start of Holy Week. ‘To carry the cross of Christ is never in vain,’ he wrote in his homily for Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square on 13 April. ‘It is the most tangible way for us to share in his redemptive love.’
Living and ancient stones: why the Good Friday Collection matters more than ever
As Christians around the world prepare for Good Friday, the Australian Church is once again being called upon to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Lands—those who live in the regions of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection, and who today face immense hardship. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection, taken up each year in parishes around the world, provides critical support for the sacred sites of Christianity and the small but vital Christian communities in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and beyond.
Make sweet choices that matter this Easter
Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) are urging Australians to look a little deeper into their shopping baskets this Easter with their ‘ACRATH approved’ Easter campaign. The campaign—including the ‘Be Slavery Free Chocolate Scorecard’—helps chocolate lovers make choices that matter by supporting companies committed to eliminating slavery from their supply chains.
Caritas Australia echoes Pope Francis’ call for peace in Sudan as crisis enters third year
In Sudan, where a brutal civil war has raged for two years, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Recalling the ‘suffering of children, women and vulnerable people that cries out to heaven and begs us to act’, Pope Francis renewed his appeal to the parties involved, ‘that they may end the violence and embark on paths of dialogue, and to the international community, so that the help needed may be provided to the populations.’
‘Let us decide how we are meant to carry our own cross during this Holy Week: if not on our shoulders, in our hearts. And not only our cross but also the cross of those who suffer all around us. Let us prepare for the Lord’s paschal mystery by becoming, each of us, for one another, a Simon of Cyrene.’
Pope Francis
reflecting at the beginning of Holy Week on what it means to take up our crosses
Come work with us

Applications are currently open for the following positions:

Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

  • Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of Victoria (ACMV) Coordinator, Thornbury
  • HR Officer, East Melbourne

Parish positions

  • Parish Secretary, St Martin of Tours Parish, Macleod/Rosanna

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

Upcoming events
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 ...
Holy Week and Easter at St Patrick’s Cathedral
Thursday 17 April 2025, 7.30pm
– Sunday 20 April 2025, 8.00pm
All are welcome to St Patrick’s Cathedral for this year’s Holy Week and Easter liturgies, some of which will be broadcast to TV and livestreamed for those unable to attend: Holy Thursday (17 April): 7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper* Good Friday (18 April): Stations of the Cross (in Cathedral) ...
Melbourne City Churches in Action: Way of the Cross
Friday 18 April 2025
10.00am–12.30pm
Melbourne’s ecumenical walk through the streets of the city on Good Friday attracts around 4,000 participants each year from wider Melbourne and beyond. The Way of the Cross begins at St Francis’ Church, 326 Lonsdale Street (corner Lonsdale and Elizabeth Streets), Melbourne at 10am. From there it moves from church ...
The Melbourne Passion Play
Friday 18 April 2025
10.00am–1.00pm
Performed this year at a new venue—Catholic Regional College in Sydenham—‘The Melbourne Passion Play’ is a great opportunity to experience the passion and death of Christ enacted in Melbourne by a group of volunteers. This is a scene-by-scene representation of the ministry of Jesus by people in real, open-air surroundings ...
The Combined Societies of Mary: Divine Mercy Novena
Friday 18 April 2025, 7.00pm
– Saturday 26 April 2025, 8.00pm
Join the Combined Societies of Mary in praying the Divine Mercy Novena at 7pm each evening for nine days, starting on Good Friday, 18 April, and ending on the first Saturday after Easter, 26 April. In the diary of St Faustina, it is recalled that Jesus told the Polish nun ...
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 ...
Sisters of Saint Joseph Retreat: Hildegard of Bingen, a Woman for Our Time
Thursday 24 April 2025
– Saturday 26 April 2025
Hildegard is an inspiration for us in her passion for God, her visionary artistic and musical gifts and especially in her ability to discover the exuberant Spirit of the Divine alive in all creation. Through pondering on selected writings and illustrations of this remarkable medieval woman, participants in this retreat—facilitated ...
Divine Mercy Sunday around the Archdiocese
Sunday 27 April 2025
The first Sunday after Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. With celebrations planned at many churches and shrines across the Archdiocese, please check the flyer below for details of what's on offer at a place of worship near you. All welcome!
Mass for the Jubilee of Workers
Thursday 1 May 2025
1.00pm–1.30pm
As we continue our local Year of Jubilee celebrations, workers are invited to come together to mark the Jubilee of Workers. Please join us for Mass for the feast of St Joseph the Worker at St Patrick’s Cathedral, to be celebrated by the Vicar General, Fr Tony Kerin. All are ...
Permanent Diaconate Information Session
Saturday 3 May 2025
10.00am–11.30am
Following the success of the permanent diaconate information sessions in 2024, we will be holding another session for those interested. The permanent diaconate is open to single and married men, aged between 30 and 60 years, who want to serve God and the Church as ordained ministers. The information session ...
Gala NextGen Organ Concert 2025
Sunday 4 May 2025
3.00pm–4.00pm
Presented by the Australian and New Zealand College of Organists (ANZCO), the GALA NextGen Organ Concerts give audiences the chance to hear tomorrow’s leaders today and give young organists the chance to perform on some of Australia’s finest pipe organs. Every NextGen Organ Concert features a variety of young organists ...
The art of the ask: how your invitation becomes evangelisation
Thursday 8 May 2025
6.00pm–7.00pm
Overcome the fear of inviting others to Mass and step out with bold faith by learning practical strategies that make invitation second nature. Join Michael Harvey, founder of Back to Church Sunday, for a powerful online event that will equip you to break through fear and embrace a culture of ...
Encounter—Good Shepherd, Gladstone Park
Friday 9 May 2025
6.30pm–9.30pm
Tailor-made for high-school students, these evenings are an opportunity to encounter Jesus with prayer, fellowship, food, testimonies and a whole lot of fun. The evening will include adoration and Reconciliation. Dinner is provided. Registrations close Thursday 8 May. Please note: Parents/guardians will be required to 'sign in' and 'sign out' ...
Mother’s Day Concert, with Michael Petruccelli (Tenor) and Coady Green (Piano)
Sunday 11 May 2025
3.00pm–4.00pm
Give mum the gift of music this Mother’s Day. Join Australian operatic tenor Michael Petruccelli and renowned pianist Coady Green for a special concert in the stunning atmosphere and acoustic of St Patrick’s Cathedral. Program highlights include Ave Maria—SchubertLa Danza—RossiniLa Vie en Rose—LouiguyOn the Street Where You Live—Lerner and ...
‘Can a scientist believe in God?’ presented by Rev Dr Christopher Mulherin
Monday 12 May 2025
7.00pm–8.30pm
Many people say (or fear?) that God and science don’t mix. In faith-based schools, 60 per cent of secondary students say Christianity and science conflict. This introduction to the ‘conflict myth’—which is eligible for maintaining accreditation in Catholic schools in Victoria and Queensland—offers some clues about how to understand the ...
‘60 Years since Vatican II—Pope Francis, Synodality and the Jubilee Year of Hope’ presented by Rev Dr Max Vodola
Tuesday 13 May 2025
7.00pm–8.30pm
This session will explore some of the key insights of Vatican II, which concluded 60 years ago in 1965. The council renewed the Church in order to focus on liturgical reform, the role of the laity in the mission of the Church and the important work of ecumenism and social ...
Helder Camara Lecture: A Conversation with Cardinal Chow SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong
Monday 19 May 2025
5.00pm–7.00pm
You won’t want to miss this conversation on ‘Bridge-building’ with Cardinal Stephen Chow SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong. Moderated by Fr Frank Brennan SJ, the conversation—part of the Helder Camera Lecture series—will be hosted by Newman College. Born in 1959, Cardinal Stephen grew up in Hong Kong during British colonial ...

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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