The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You

THERE will be plenty of room at one guest house this Christmas after a Brisbane safe house successfully transitioned its last live-in mother into stable accommodation. Pregnancy Crisis is a volunteer-run service that provides practical support, including emergency accommodation, for women with unplanned or unexpected pregnancies. During the pandemic the organisation extended its crisis accommodation period for as long as ... Read More »

BISHOP Vincent Long has called for an end to the “deplorable” situation facing refugees and asylum seekers in the heart of Brisbane. Bishop Long, the Parramatta bishop who chairs the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Social Justice, was responding to reports that the health and wellbeing of men detained at a Kangaroo Point hotel continues to deteriorate. Brisbane refugee advocate ... Read More »

TERRY Latchford sets the standard for Mass attendance in his parish. He’s 101 and was among the first to return to Sunday Mass when churches re-opened around Brisbane during the COVID pandemic lockdown. Fr Ladu Yanga, parish priest at St Rita’s, Victoria Point, is inspired by Terry’s commitment and said he was an inspiration to other parishioners. Seeing Terry walk ... Read More »

BRISBANE Deacon Peter Pellicaan was joining a line-up of speakers including Scott Hahn, Catholic Answers’ Trent Horn and Dr Peter Kreeft at the Virtual Catholic Apologetics Conference running from October 23-25. The conference was the brainchild of Australian podcaster Matt Fradd, who projected it to be the “largest apologetics conference ever”. Mr Fradd, who had previously worked in Brisbane as ... Read More »

SOME of Brisbane’s homeless call her “Santa”, but Sr Salvacion Bunao likes to think of herself just as a nun serving the vulnerable, inspired and challenged by the Pope. The Franciscan Immaculatine Sister, who works alongside the Capuchins at South Brisbane, has been personally delivering food and good cheer to vulnerable members of her community, including elderly parishioners, families and ... Read More »

YOUNG Catholics from the Kingston-Marsden parish are walking on air after raising more than $7000 for some of India’s most vulnerable citizens by trekking through the Logan suburbs. Members of the Maxmilian Kolbe parish youth group set a challenge to raise money for two organisations run by Catholic religious congregations in India by each walking 50km over 21 days. The ... Read More »

VIETNAMESE refugee Fr Huong Van Nguyen is well aware of the emotional roller coaster that comes with putting your life on hold. The 71-year-old priest for the Brisbane archdiocese said he suffered anxiety, fear, isolation, and uncertainty when he had to wait 12 years to become a priest. In 1983 Fr Nguyen was ordained a transitional deacon for his home ... Read More »

WHENEVER Casey Arden got into trouble as a young girl, or if she had a burning question about life, she “straight away put up a prayer” to God. It was an unusual habit for a child with no exposure to Christianity at home – until late last year, she didn’t even know what the Holy Spirit was. But for 35 ... Read More »

A BRISBANE priest has spoken out against plans to remove mobile phones from refugees and asylum seekers in detention. Bracken Ridge parish priest Fr Gerry Hefferan has pleaded for the proposed federal legislation not to be adopted. Fr Hefferan, who was part of an Australian Catholic delegation that visited Port Moresby last November to meet asylum seekers and refugees formerly ... Read More »