Healing begins with acknowledgement
At the beginning of Grief Awareness Month, Benita Tait offers some wise advice – about advice.
Vale Gloucester as we know it?
We are often urged by politicians to ‘Be alert, not alarmed’, in their efforts to alert us to some threat to our safety and wellbeing and that of our country, usually emanating from some foreign source.The Catholic parishioners at St Joseph’s, Gloucester, could well pass the alertness test but probably fail miserably on not being alarmed.
Stories of faith, family and flood
Peter Bogan is the first recipient of‘Community Connect’, an NRMA/State Emergency Service commendation recognising those who have contributed significantly to improving their community’s resilience in the face of natural disasters. Tracey Edstein spent some time with Peter recently.
Euthanasia a radical shift in society’s values
Euthanasia is not an incremental change to current end-of-life practices, but a radical and massive shift in our society’s and civilisation’s foundational values, says internationally renowned Australian ethicist, Margaret Somerville.
A pilgrim way for Australians?
Earlier this year I was in Newcastle as part of a four-month pilgrimage through five Australian states. I live on the UK’s Holy Island of Lindisfarne – the Cradle of Christianity to English speaking people. From that island Saint Aidan, helped by women on the mainland such as Saint Hilda, introduced the brutal seventh century Anglo-Saxons to the gentle ways of Christ, and allowed Jesus to emerge in the natural patterns of the people.
So just what is spirituality?
It’s a word and a concept that seems to be used in many and various circles, so varied in fact that one can be left wondering just what is meant!
Is the child teaching the parent?
“This is not how you raised us to behave!”
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Australian Catholics editor Michael McVeigh explains to his niece how baptism is the beginning of a heroic quest for God – for those brave followers who choose to accept it.
Home at Last
As its name suggests, the Catholic Church has never been a ‘one size fits all’ community. Recently a member of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Fr Stephen Hill, has begun ministering in Mayfield, Mayfield West and Stockton.
The Parish as Family
Matthew’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ family:
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have aword with him. But to the man who told himthis he replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who aremy brothers? ’ And stretching out his handtowards his disciples he said, ‘Here are mymother and my brothers. Anyone who does thewill of my Father in heaven, he is my brotherand sister and mother.' (12:46-50)
Falling in Love Daily
In recent years, several priests from overseas have come to serve the People of God in Maitland-Newcastle. Aurora invited Fr George Anthicadu, Administrator of Taree and Wingham Parishes, to share something of his story.
CARE TALK: Strategies for Living With Anxiety
CARE TALK is a monthly advice column in Aurora Magazine where a registered psychologist offers answers to common questions around mental health and counselling.
Time to Thrive at San Clemente
High school is a rite of passage and an opportunity for young people to thrive in their surroundings whilst building the skills they need to become happy and successful young adults. Two staff at San Clemente High School, Mayfield, Scott Donohoe and Nathan Beckett, with the support of the principal, Tony Kelly, introduced a positive education program (PosED@SCM) in Term 1, 2015, designed to strengthen student well-being at the school.
New Services for Gloucester Community
As the Director of CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning, I am proud to announce the opening of CatholicCare’s newest facility in Gloucester.
All Aboard for Adelaide
“Melbourne came alive. Young people walked around the city in small groups with smiles on their faces, engaging in conversation with anyone they met along the way.”
Diocese Announces Major Developments in Education
This July, I had the privilege of being able to share with our valued staff, clergy, students and caregivers, news regarding one of the single biggest developments to Catholic education in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s history. The diocese will build a new high school at Chisholm and another at Medowie, scheduled to open in 2018 and 2020 respectively. St Mary’s High School at Gateshead and St Joseph’s High School at Lochinvar will also grow from offering Years 7-10 to Years 7-12 from 2018.
Marriage: what's in a name?
Surely the greatest thing about human beings, the clearest trace of our divine origins, is our capacity for deep and enduring love. The love between couples is not the only form of unconditional love, of course, but from earliest times it seems to have been a common and eminent part of our human experience. And couples who have declared their love to each other and chosen to be together for life seem always to have wanted to make their love and commitment known to the world. From the simplest village ‘hand joining’ to the announcement in The Times and the grand reception, couples have wanted to let their world know, and to have their world acknowledge, that their lives are now joined, that the two have become one.
