A GOLD Coast sculptor has spent the past two years as a labour of love creating a statue of the Holy Family, which now stands in the grounds of a school in Western Australia. “It has been one of the most important projects I have worked on and it has a very special meaning … family is the most important ... Read More »
POPE Francis’ recent document, written following the Synod on Youth, encourages young people throughout the world to use their gifts, to run the race placed before them, to never stop seeking to grow in holiness. Yet if we stop for a moment to consider the first three words of this document, “Christ is alive”, we have much to consider. Yes, ... Read More »
THERE’S a story about a priest teaching a group of young children about the Good Shepherd. He told the children that sheep weren’t smart, needed lots of guidance, and that a shepherd’s job was to stay close to the sheep, protect them from wild animals and keep them from wandering off and doing dumb things that would get them hurt ... Read More »
ONE of my favourite places is looking up at the magnificent Resurrected Christ – freed from the cross beam – high above the main altar of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. On Holy Thursday night I was at the cathedral for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The choir was magnificent and, during the washing of the feet, they sang ... Read More »
“Today you will be with me in Paradise” – Luke 23:43 THE scriptures of Holy Week are very special to me; it’s a week in which I enjoy very deep and meaningful reflections, doing as Mary did, treasuring these things and pondering them in my heart. But there is one that really stood out for me, touching me in much the ... Read More »
CATHOLICS around Australia have used the liturgical season of Lent to restrict their use of social media applications like Facebook. The traditional custom of giving up something for Lent is voluntary; but during his 2019 Lenten message Pope Francis urged the faithful to consider it a gift. “The celebration of the Paschal Triduum of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, the ... Read More »
ALL over Australia, people are again discussing the morality of ending one’s own life. While there still seems to be a strong taboo around suicide, many people seem to think that under certain circumstances – for example, in the final stages of a terminal and incurable disease – you ought to be legally permitted to actively end your life, and ... Read More »
IN mid-August 2018 news broke that lethal injections had been given to three children in Belgium between January 2016 and December 2017. The children were aged 17, 11, and 9 – the latter two being the first cases of euthanasia administered to a child under the age of 12. Belgium, a country with one of the most liberal approaches to ... Read More »
WHEN Brisbane’s Bethany Keady wed Dan Bottesini last December, in a spirited Nuptial Mass and wedding reception, their immense joy couldn’t have been bottled. Prompted to share of the pull towards a marriage vocation, the newly-crowned Mrs Bottesini was quick to relate the shared joy, evident in many young couples around them. Their collective witness to the blessings of commitment ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
