EVERYBODY in the Blackall parish could rely on Trish Elliott. A faithful Mass-goer, Trish was always there to make the altar flowers pretty or give a friendly pep talk to a stranger. Even one teenage boy called Trish his “honorary aunty” at her funeral in April 2002. Trish never had any children of her own; she was rendered infertile from ... Read More »
THERE’S a strong bond between new Order of Australia Medal recipient Paul Finch and his son Michael. Mr Finch, 76, received the award on Australia Day for his outstanding volunteer work for the St Vincent de Paul Society over more than 37 years. It came as an overwhelming surprise to learn that 43-year-old Michael was responsible for nominating him for ... Read More »
BRISBANE’S newest cathedral music director decided in his teens to take up playing an instrument that was at odds with his name. Dr Andrew Cichy, whose surname is Polish for “quiet”, picked the organ as his muse when he was just 15 and a student at Trinity College, East Perth. “‘Cichy’ does indeed mean ‘quiet’, so I’m not quite sure ... Read More »
AFTER nearly three years of waiting, the announcement of a new bishop has been warmly greeted across the vast Townsville Diocese. “We’re getting text messages and emails of excitement from all over the diocese,” Diocesan chancellor Len Horner, who over the last 35 years, has worked alongside Townsville’s past three bishops, said. “And I think we are very happy ... Read More »
QUEENSLAND pro-life doctor David van Gend said a looming parliamentary vote to legalise abortion represented a crisis moment for society. State MPs will start debating two abortion Bills soon after parliament resumes on February 14, before taking a vote. “Every generation has it’s life-and-death issue,” Dr van Gend, the Toowoomba-based president of the Australian Marriage Forum, said. “In past generations ... Read More »
THE final hearing into the Catholic Church at the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse has revealed shocking data highlighting the extent of abuse in Church institutions spanning decades. In the opening session of a three-week hearing, Senior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission Gail Furness SC revealed a study of Catholic Church data found 4444 people alleged child sexual abuse ... Read More »
Takayama Ukon was be beatified on February 7. Marist Father Paul Glynn shares some history from his amazing life. ST Francis Xavier strode manfully from a small boat into feudal Japan on the feast of Mary’s Assumption, August 15, 1549, the day he had taken his vows as a Jesuit. There was no semblance of a dictionary that translated Japanese ... Read More »
AS well as fronting the Royal Commission this week, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge has spent time speaking extensively to journalists about child abuse and the Church. Speaking to the ABC’s Radio National Breakfast, Archbishop Coleridge told presenter Fran Kelly, the Church was doing all it could to change the culture of the past to protect the children of today. “The data is ... Read More »
THE priest who exposed systemic child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in the United States has told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse the Church’s views on human sexuality were a major factor in the abuse crisis. Called as an expert witness, former Dominican Dr Thomas Doyle, a canon lawyer and consultant in the areas ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
