The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You

Overseas help: Caritas Australia chief executive officer Paul O’Callaghan visiting Kitui, Kenya, where he met communities and families impacted by drought. Photo: Caritas Australia. FAMINE in the Horn of Africa is shaping as the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, an Australian Catholic aid expert says. “It is unnerving when you see the scale of the disaster,” Caritas ... Read More »

CHURCH groups have condemned a Federal Government ultimatum to thousands of asylum seekers to lodge their claims to stay in Australia within four months, or have their welfare axed and face deportation. “This latest announcement is cruel, morally reprehensible and a fundamental repudiation of the Government’s moral and legal obligations to those seeking asylum in Australia,” the St Vincent de ... Read More »

CHARTERS Towers’ remaining Good Samaritan Sisters will close their convent doors at the end of the month after 117 years of service. The sisters will withdraw from the Charters Towers community from May 28. Sr Ita Stout, Sr Marion Firth and Sr Patricia Comerford, who have served the Townsville diocese for 55 years collectively, are the last of the Good Samaritans ... Read More »

TAN Le, 42, was robbed by pirates at sea, resettled as a refugee, and has built a successful career on his journey to becoming a Catholic. Mr Le, a Buddhist for most of his life, and his six-month-old son Eli Vinh were baptised together at the Easter vigil celebrated in St Mary’s Church, Upper Coomera. “It was a very special ... Read More »

NEWLY baptised Korean Catholic Charles Park believes he was destined to become a son of God. Born Chul-soo Park in Korea, Mr Park took on the English name Charles when he moved to Australia nearly eight months ago. When he was preparing to be received into the Church on Easter Sunday with 40 Korean adults and children, he picked Carlo ... Read More »

PREGNANCY is supposed to be a precious time for new mums but, for Logan woman Emma Nelson, it means avoiding hospitals and doctors’ appointments. The 24-year-old mother of two is expecting a third child in August, but a negative experience during her second pregnancy has left her tending to avoid the health system. Diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pregnant with ... Read More »

AN internationally renowned theologian and Dominican priest has questioned why 110 young Australians have gone to fight for the terror group ISIS in the Middle East. Fr Timothy Radcliffe, who was Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992-2001, raised the issue of extremism and martyrdom during an audience with Catholic parishioners in Brisbane. “Why are they drawn to this ... Read More »

CARING for people with a mental illness begins with Mass, for chaplain Fr Jim Smith. Fr Smith has devoted his past 30 years as a diocesan priest to providing spiritual care for people with a mental illness at the Catholic Psychiatric Pastoral Care centre in Brisbane. Every week Fr Smith opens the door of the centre to dozens of people ... Read More »

MASOUD Abdollah Pouri was once a sporting champion. Now the former member of Iran’s elite Thai kickboxing team is languishing in an aged-care nursing home in Brisbane’s northern suburbs. He has a brain injury. He is unable to move most of his body and is in the constant care of his mother Fatemeh and younger brother Edris. Masoud’s story is ... Read More »