Reimagining the future
There’s a butter churn in the dining room of Rita Gee’s home, “Dalara”, at Jerry’s Plains in the Upper Hunter. Rita recalls that she used it as a girl, growing up on a succession of Hunter Valley dairies run by her parents.
New ambulance the most vital delivery yet for Uganda maternity hospital
It wasn't quite the delivery they are used to, but for Sister Mary Goretti and her small staff at St Luke Health Centre in Bujuni, it is one that will save hundreds of lives. The maternal health centre, located three hours from Kampala, can finally celebrate the arrival of its long-awaited ambulance, which supporters in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle helped to fund during last year's Catholic Mission Church and Schools Appeal.
Sea of Possibilities
‘Have you been here before?’ they all seem to ask, conscious that their corner of the world has not been high on the tourist bucket list. And I am revelling in being able to say ‘Yes, but not for 50 years.’ Papua New Guinea was even more remote from the jetset in 1968, but the schoolboy that I was then had indeed spent a fortnight or more on a tour with his father of the incipient banking industry of the soon-to-be nation. Many things I remember vividly.
Love life but don’t fear death
In keeping with the diocesan vision to live the joy of the Gospel and share it with the world, the 2018 Family Faith Forum will explore the potential of parishes to be centres of living and proclaiming the Gospel.
Grief was permitted to walk with me
Last August, I told a friend I was “allowing my days to unfold in their own unique ways”. I was feeling stunned and in absolute awe of the beauty in the natural world surrounding us, and my regular walks amongst the trees provided my safe and sacred space. “Here,” I said, was “where I entered a space of nothingness”, suggesting that perhaps this is what surrendering really looks like – a place where there are no goals or purpose, other than to rest and absorb the wonder. With no planning or agenda in sight I was free to ‘be’, hope and trust.
St Nicholas Early Education invests in its educators
There are many things that make St Nicholas Early Education the early education provider of choice for many families across the region, such as the quality and ingenuity of the purpose-built centres, the play-based curriculum and the high ratio of early childhood teachers and staff to child ratios.
Vatican images inspire local artist
Regular visitors to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, will have noticed that for the major church seasons of Lent, Easter and Christmas, the four brown panels of the entrance doors are adorned with poster-sized images and verses.
More than meets the eye!
How do we raise girls to be strong and free? It actually starts in the toddler years. They need encouragement and permission to be adventurous, messy, noisy and physical.
Young people the protagonists of their own futures
In October there will be a Synod of Bishops on the theme “Youth, faith and vocational discernment.” In March this year, as Sean-Patrick Lovett wrote, “Pope Francis opened the pre-Synodal meeting in Rome…with a provocation: “Too often we talk about young people without asking what they think,” he said. There are those, said the Pope, who tend to “idolise” youth, and others who prefer to keep young people “at a safe distance”, rather than allowing them to be the protagonists of their own futures. (The Vatican 19 March 2018).
Coming of age a matter of faith
Gabrielle Lynch responded to an invitation to reflect on the Church during the Year of Youth initiated by the Australian Catholic Bishops.
Are you a Sophia woman?
I’m old enough to remember the heady years that followed Vatican II, when small groups were all the go and Catholics began to talk more freely about their faith. For the first time I noticed how women talk about their lives.
Powerful libraries make powerful learners
No longer just a quiet place to sit and develop literacy skills, school libraries have evolved into engaging, forward-thinking contemporary learning hubs.
Maitland woman attends UN Commission focusing on rural women
Aberglasslyn’s Madeleine Banister recently represented the Catholic Women’s League of Australia at the 62nd United Nations Commission for the Status of Women. She shared her experiences with Aurora.
West Papuans cry out for freedom
After more than 50 years of repression, the indigenous people of West Papua hold on to the belief that one day they can reclaim their country.
Norman Thomas Gilroy: An Obedient Life
Norman Cardinal Gilroy was one of Australia’s most influential churchmen, but his talent for administration rather than controversy and tendency to hide his private thoughts and feelings has meant that he is neglected in historical evaluation, a lack John Luttrell’s Norman Thomas Gilroy: An Obedient Life addresses.
Pea and ham soup
As the temperature drops, soup season begins! This is a tasty traditional favourite.
