BISHOP Raymond Benjamin, Townsville’s fourth Bishop, was laid to rest in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Townsville on March 17. The cathedral congregation joined Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Townsville diocesan administrator Fr Mick Lowcock and many other bishops and priests to farewell Bishop Benjamin, 91, who died earlier this month. Fr Orm Rush, on behalf of the priests of the ... Read More »
A SEARCH of Mary MacKillop on the Internet today highlights just how far the saint’s influence has spread. Dioceses have her as their patron, schools and child care centres and ministries carry her name, and the work of the sisters extends across the globe. And yet, with an average age of 78 many Catholics may question “What is the future ... Read More »
AGNES Hough was a nurse all her working life. When the 81-year-old retired 24 years ago she was snapped up to run a unique charity shop, and she’s been working there ever since. “I just do what I have to do,” Agnes said. She heads up a team of volunteers who have made Gifts by the Sea – the heart ... Read More »
DR Doug Ashleigh has decades of experience as a Catholic teacher, principal and administrator, but there’s nothing old school about this senior educator. Dr Ashleigh recently moved with his family from Sydney to take on the challenging role of deputy executive director at Brisbane Catholic Education. He has spent much of the past decade at the leading edge of digital ... Read More »
LIVING on the streets could be a thing of the past if Brisbane entrepreneur Jean Madden’s new cabin project takes off. Ms Madden has launched the “swags with walls” business to shelter the homeless, with a vision to provide life-skills training and potential to create hundreds of jobs. The founder of the not-for-profit Street Swags has set up a factory ... Read More »
ALLEGATIONS of recent military and police intimidation, beatings and torture, kidnapping and murder in West Papua, have been documented in a new Church report. The report documents Muslims being radicalised in the once predominantly Christian Papuan provinces, and “very active” Muslim militias that burn down Papuan houses. The report was compiled by the Brisbane Catholic Justice and Peace Commission’s Shadow Human ... Read More »
PLEDGE for Parity was the theme of International Women’s Day 2016, marked at morning teas and network events across the Archdiocese of Brisbane on March 8. The Archdiocese has a Workplace Gender Equality Focus Group which gives voices to identified women’s issues and reports annually on progressing meaningful change. About 85 per cent of the archdiocesan workforce are women. Human ... Read More »
A SENIOR priest who works closely with asylum seekers in detention has called on the Prime Minister to end their incarceration. Darwin diocese vicar general Fr Malcolm Fyfe has described harrowing conditions inside the Wickham Point detention centre on the outskirts of Darwin. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart priest’s plea to the Prime Minister has the backing of Darwin ... Read More »
CARDINAL George Pell has told the child abuse royal commission the Catholic Church made “enormous mistakes” and “let people down” in its handling of child sexual abuse by priests and religious. Cardinal Pell, whose heart condition prevented him from returning to Australia for questioning, testified via videolink from a Rome hotel room, in front of a group of child sex ... Read More »
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