THE church-bombing crisis in Sri Lanka has prompted activists in the Central Queensland town of Biloela to step up their campaign for the return of a Tamil asylum-seeker family seized by Australian Border Force officials and placed in a Melbourne detention centre. “In light of the horrific attacks and growing instability in Sri Lanka … it is now a matter ... Read More »
CHURCH services in Sri Lanka were cancelled, but worshippers took to the streets in a show of solidarity for the hundreds killed and wounded in Easter Sunday terror bomb attacks. “Yes, they are praying in the streets – this is a sign of courage,” Brisbane Dominican Father Pancras Jordan said after speaking to Church communities in his homeland. He said ... Read More »
BRISBANE priest Dominican Father Pan Jordan said the deadly Easter bombing attacks on churches and luxury hotels had “shocked and devastated” Sri Lankan Catholics across the world. “Such a blast has never been seen in Sri Lanka – even during the civil war times,” Fr Jordan, from northern Sri Lanka and now the Queensland co-ordinator of Pax Christi (Peace of ... Read More »
STEPHEN Jorgensen, like many of us, loves going to the movies but there was a time when the horror he was encountering kept him away. He was visiting refugees in immigration detention in Brisbane, and what he was hearing there was overwhelming him. “For a long time, I stopped going to the movies,” he said. “I sort of felt that ... Read More »
RESIDENTS of the Central Queensland town of Biloela have ramped up a campaign demanding the return of a local asylum-seeker family seized by Australian Border Force officials and placed in a Melbourne detention centre. In a dawn operation on March 5, Tamils Nadesalingam and Priya and their two Australian-born daughters were taken from their home. The couple were put into ... Read More »
WHEN Brisbane artist Antoinette Wijeyakulasuriya starts to paint she knows in her “minds eye” exactly how the finished artwork will look. “The Holy Spirit is guiding me, and that is the joy of it,” Mrs Wijeyakulasuriya said from her home studio where she produces exquisite oil paintings that range from naturalistic landscapes to portraits and abstracts. Her acclaimed work, Holy ... Read More »
SATURDAY afternoon has rolled around and Tamil refugee Nobert Eltran takes his usual place on the top step of Sacred Heart Church, Rosalie. He waits as people pull up in the carpark for the 4.30pm Vigil Mass. Like every other Saturday, he runs down to open the car doors for elderly parishioners struggling to exit their vehicle. He also hands ... Read More »
BRISBANE Tamil priest Dominican Father Pan Jordan has hailed Pope Francis’ recent visit to Sri Lanka as a potential inspiration to the country’s new government. The Pope arrived soon after Maithripala Sirisena was elected president after Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to secure a third term in office. “His visit could be a source of strength to the new government at a ... Read More »
The Catholic Loop – Today’s news headlines for the busy Catholic | January 15, 2015 Yesterday Pope Francis canonised Sri Lanka’s first saint, St Joseph Vaz, reminded the country about Mary’s forgiveness during a visit to a Marian shrine, and made a quick visit to the local Buddhist temple. Indian priests in England save a 19th century church that was ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
