The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You

MONSOONAL rains plunged Townsville Diocese into a “once in a century” weather event, and while graziers and farmers in the western region rejoiced after years of drought, thousands of people in Townsville City’s catchment areas evacuated their homes and headed for dry land.  The Bureau of Meteorology reported Townsville received a year’s worth of rainfall in just nine days. BOM ... Read More »

HEAVY rains and rising floodwaters have cut off roads and bridges across North Queensland, quenching a long drought and even forcing the opening of the Ross River Dam floodgates for the first time since 2014. A disaster situation was declared by Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and ordered the closure of Townsville schools and childcare centres for Friday, February 1.  However, ... Read More »

NORTH Queensland is recovering after major flooding cut roads, closed Catholic schools and caused major property damage. Hardest hit was the town of Ingham, where a muddy clean-up of homes and businesses was underway after floodwaters swept through town, with authorities issuing a warning about crocodiles and snakes. “We’re cut off north, east and west still, but the centre of ... Read More »

ASPIRING engineers Lachlan Zidar and Jared Crowley are on the path to changing potentially hundreds of lives with two homemade inventions – and they’re only 14. The Year 9 students from Marymount College, Burleigh Heads, were named finalists for the BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards, held in Melbourne last week. Both Lachlan and Jared were nominated for creating ... Read More »

THE Beenleigh Vinnies team is gearing up to provide ongoing support to families hit hard by flooding. As the brown tide of floodwaters subsides across south-east Queensland, the clean-up is proving a mammoth task, not just for an army of volunteers, but also for agencies such as Vinnies which stands ready to help with food, clothing and furniture. The St ... Read More »

ROCKHAMPTON’S bishop has praised the “extraordinary” efforts of the community preparing for an Eastertide surrounded by the worst floods since 2011. Bishop Michael McCarthy said early in the week many homes had been evacuated and were expected to be isolated as floodwaters continued to rise in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie. The Rockhampton airport also closed at midday on Monday ... Read More »

THE Shay Catholic farming family has felt the full force of Queensland floodwaters – the shock of a rapidly rising river and watching their property going under, but also the generous spirit of a rural community. Andy and Susan Shay, their four children and two farm dogs huddled together in the dark for three hours on the back of a ... Read More »

LISMORE priest Fr Peter Karam has not seen anything like the 2017 flood that inundated his South Lismore church and school. Fr Karam was emotional as he ventured inside Our Lady Help of Christians Church. All the furnishings, with the exception of the pews, have been damaged or destroyed, putting a major curtail on the parish’s Easter celebrations. “It’s the ... Read More »