The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You

CATHOLIC schools across Australia have committed to extending school fee relief for families facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said Catholic schools have a long tradition of offering school fee relief and assistance to families facing financial difficulties. “Catholic schools keep their fees as affordable as possible, but we know many ... Read More »

PAUL Field wears his heart on his sleeve – literally. The manager of the world’s most popular children’s entertainers, The Wiggles, has the name of his late daughter Bernadette tattooed on his arm along with his beloved Sacred Heart, an image he says typifies both his suffering and strength. More than 30 years on, he admits his Catholic faith has ... Read More »

A ROOM with a view was a life-changer for Franciscan Father Joe McKay. Being struck by the sheer beauty flooding that view one morning was what made the difference. In his 30s at the time, he was living in Wollongong, NSW, working for BHP as a chemical engineer, and enjoying the happy and fulfilled life of a young professional. But ... Read More »

AS the coronavirus pandemic widens, each one of us is called on to make decisions – based on answering to deep moral questions. This ranges from the mundane decisions we make about how much toilet paper to take from the supermarket shelves, to the life-and-death calls that doctors have to make about which patients to treat. David Kirchhoffer, the director ... Read More »

POPE Francis offered his early morning Mass for vulnerable people and health care workers who lived in fear that they or their loved ones might fall ill to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world. “In these days of so much suffering, there is so much fear,” the Pope said on March 26 at the start of the Mass, which was ... Read More »

DO you ever have the feeling, while reading Scripture, Jesus is speaking directly to you? I can be engrossed in Scripture during my quiet times, when sometimes, almost suddenly, I find myself “stuck” on a word or phrase. Not “stuck” as in questioning, but “stuck” as in glued to those words. They grip me, they hold me; I can’t move ... Read More »

FAMILIES anticipating the need to stay inside the home together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic are being asked to pray together too. Fr Tom McDonough, provincial of the Passionist Fathers in Australia, has encouraged families to find creative ways to assist the elderly, the needy, our members and neighbours in self isolation as a way of loving their neighbour. The ... Read More »

ALBANY Creek parish youth co-ordinator Tom Warren took one look at the list of Brisbane archdiocese’s Plenary Council 2020 delegates and thought, “Oh my gosh, those are some fantastic people”. He said it was “nothing short of shock” to find his name on that list alongside Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Brisbane Auxiliary Bishop Ken Howell, Brisbane vicar general Monsignor Peter ... Read More »

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced schools would close from next Monday to all but the children of essential workers in order to ease pressure on schools amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The change applied to Catholic schools, independent schools and state schools. Ms Palaszczuk said schools would move to pupil-free days from next week but parents could still send their ... Read More »