WHEN Benedictine Father Robert Nixon gave up his music career in 2013 to become a monk in Western Australia, he was resigned to the fact that he might never perform in public again. The Mt Isa-born pianist and former music teacher is a Benedictine priest in Australia’s only monastic town, New Norcia, Western Australia. Before entering New Norcia, Fr Nixon ... Read More »
Tag Archives: Brisbane Catholics
Don Barrett, who taught Latin, Greek and ancient history for decades, wins Australia Day honour
BRISBANE Catholic and retired educator Don Barrett, 92, has taught Latin for more than half a century and said the best part about learning the ancient language of the Romans was how it improved your English. “English is heavily indebted to Latin,” Mr Barrett said. “You get much greater insight into how English works, how words are derived from Latin; ... Read More »
God’s caring for Brisbane health worker in London
DAVID Armour knows about life and death on the pandemic frontline. The Brisbane Catholic paramedic working in London has revealed the daily anxiety and pressure of working in the middle of a COVID-19 crisis, as Britain along with the United States and Germany are engulfed by record daily death tolls. “The country and our NHS (National Health Service) is at ... Read More »
Greater Brisbane plunged into three-day lockdown to stop spread of UK COVID variant
GREATER Brisbane residents will go into a three-day lockdown from 6pm tonight until 6pm Monday night. The lockdown applies to people living in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands. Masks are mandatory for those who will be going outside in those areas. People in lockdown areas will be allowed two visitors at their homes. Catholics will be unable to attend ... Read More »
Brisbane Catholics look back on the highs and lows of the 2011 floods
MEMORIES of nine families taking refuge under one roof and the tide of community spirit that rose after South-East Queensland’s 2011 floods loom large for Ravina Waldren as the 10th anniversary of the disaster comes around. Ms Waldren, co-ordinator of Murri Ministry, was among the first to rally supporters to respond to the desperate need of flood victims across Brisbane ... Read More »
When turning a hobby into a career didn’t work out, Fr Eric Alleaume turned to the seminary
FATHER Eric Alleaume’s road to becoming a priest was a bit like being drawn into a kind of “Bermuda Triangle”. After his family emigrated from Mauritius when he was almost three years old, Fr Eric grew up in Melbourne where his destiny was sealed. “I grew up in Springvale North, in the parish of St John Vianney’s, which was an ... Read More »
Refugee detained in Brisbane for seven years pleads for government not to take away his phone
“PLEASE, we are human … So please, please, consider and treat us as human beings,” is the plea of a Sri Lankan refugee languishing in detention in Brisbane on hearing the news that the Australian Government could take away his mobile phone. Raj is a Tamil refugee, a businessman from Sri Lanka who Australia has held in immigration detention for ... Read More »
Brisbane Christian Brother launches new book on Christian meditation
CHRISTIAN Brother Brian Grenier is rare as far as writers go. That’s because he was more interested in his readers’ answers than his own. Having just released his new book, Listen to Him!, Br Grenier was reminded of a theologian who said “it is the question rather than the answer that educates”. “And you could say that in the book ... Read More »
Nearly one in 10 police assigned to coronavirus pandemic response
QUEENSLAND police and frontline authorities are boosting their COVID-19 response, with a warning that the pandemic is far from over. As well as strict border checks, police are out and about ensuring churches, sports clubs and pubs adhere to the latest social distancing restrictions, and more specialist domestic violence workers are being deployed. One in nearly every 10 police will ... Read More »