ANYONE watching on as Br Joseph Liaia kicks a football around the grounds of a monastery in Brisbane most likely won’t realise it’s part of his preparation for priesthood. Apart from the fact he’s having fun and getting some exercise, when the 29-year-old from Papua New Guinea is kicking the ball he’s also thinking of the life ahead of him. ... Read More »
LIKE any serious Lebanese homemaker, Hazel Yared never fails to have a table of handmade delicacies ready for any stranger who walks through her door. The day she’s scheduled to have an interview with The Catholic Leader, her dining table is decorated with dainty Lebanese shortbread, walnut slices, almond-and-chocolate biscuits, ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and an endless offering of tea or coffee. ... Read More »
SUSAN Fajardo loves the Mass, but certain things that sometimes happen when she’s there disturb her intensely. She gets so disturbed that she’s taking on years of study to give herself a chance to do something about it. It all started when a priest in her suburban Brisbane parish gave her the role of liturgist, and trained her in preparing ... Read More »
LIKE many young men his age, Patrick Grieshaber is at the point of tearing his hair out over the Brisbane Broncos’ form struggle. “I’m even thinking of putting on a jumper myself …,” the 22-year-old said, indicating his frustration at seeing the champion National Rugby League club outside the top eight after 10 rounds. Patrick, like many young men his ... Read More »
TONY MacPherson was mowing the lawn one day and he started humming a tune – a tune that would change his life. That was 26 years ago, in the days when he was a teacher at Villanova College, an Augustinian school at Coorparoo in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, not far from Wynnum where he grew up in a staunch ... Read More »
BEVERLEY Moore has spent much of her life helping complete strangers through the tough times, and she knows what it’s like to have others stand by her through her own struggles. As a long-time member of the St Vincent de Paul Society, she’s had her Vinnies “family” by her side for her two major battles – the first when her ... Read More »
‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?’ (John 2:4) I KNOW many people who visibly wince whenever the ‘Wedding at Cana’ is the Gospel of the day. It is certainly jarring to hear those words spoken by Our Lord to Our Lady – it seems rather rude at first. I know of a priest in South Australia ... Read More »
PUT Sr Patricia Dent in front of any piano, but especially her 1970 Yamaha, and prepare to be whisked away on a musical adventure for at least an hour. The beloved Presentation Sister spends nearly every day tinkering on her piano in her living room at Caloundra Rise on the Sunshine Coast. “And if the neighbours don’t hear me play, ... Read More »
INDIGENOUS Catholic student Lachlan Tomkins says a surprise trip to Rome has given him a thirst to know more about himself, his faith, and to be involved in the Church in a new and enriched way. Last month, the Australian Catholic University student, literally, found himself in the heart of Vatican City at short notice, as a delegate preparing a ... Read More »
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