EILEEN Glass was travelling on the back of a truck from Kathmandu to London more than 40 years ago when her life took a turn that would change her forever. “I was a young person doing the ‘see-the-world’ trip … and I met a woman on the back of this truck who ended up at L’Arche in France,” she said ... Read More »
STEPHEN Jorgensen, like many of us, loves going to the movies but there was a time when the horror he was encountering kept him away. He was visiting refugees in immigration detention in Brisbane, and what he was hearing there was overwhelming him. “For a long time, I stopped going to the movies,” he said. “I sort of felt that ... Read More »
SHIRLEY Strickland’s a champion – not to be confused with the hurdler Shirley Strickland who won Olympic gold for Australia in Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne in 1956. But she’s a true champion for hundreds of children she’s met in Religious Instruction classes at Albany Hills State School at Albany Creek, north of Brisbane, over more than 20 years. Carole ... Read More »
AMONG any accolades or commendations that come Peter Maher’s way as he retires as Vinnies’ chief in Queensland none are likely to be more precious than a few words from one of his daughters. Looking back over more than 14 years in the chief executive officer’s chair, a comment from Peter’s daughter Belinda was up there among his most cherished ... Read More »
STUDENTS and staff at St John College, Woodlawn, are busy settling into the new school year but someone special is missing. Eighty-seven-year-old Fr Paul Pidcock is not among them this time, for the first time in about 60 years. He’s in Sydney, having retired from the college late last year. As he adjusted to the idea of not returning to ... Read More »
THE St Vincent de Paul Society’s new chief executive officer in Queensland can’t wait to “get out into the field”. Kevin Mercer’s been appointed to the role to succeed Peter Maher who is retiring. They will work alongside each other in transition until March 1 when Mr Mercer takes over as chief executive officer. Mr Mercer, whose career in Catholic ... Read More »
VULNERABLE children in Uganda are benefitting from Queenslanders’ discarded drink bottles and cans. Money raised through recycling the bottles and cans is being directed to the children through a Brisbane Catholic couple’s charity Uganda Kids. Sue and Paul Fyfe have registered their charity with Queensland’s new Containers for Change recycling scheme, and the benefits have started to flow. The Petrie ... Read More »
AT the age of 23, Carlton Sinn has taken the big step of becoming a Catholic and this will be his first Christmas receiving Holy Communion. When he sits down to talk about his decision he jokes that “Sinn” is “an ironic surname for a Christian fella, but it’s two n’s – an important distinction, I think”. And there’s a ... Read More »
SR Elisabeth Keane loved life as a teacher and mentor of young women, and then she discovered the joys of parish ministry, but now she’s really at home in prison. Every week for the past 18 years, she’s been visiting women at Numinbah prison in the Gold Coast hinterland. And, at a time when she’s celebrating 60 years as a ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
