Faith and Australia
‘What do you think God is asking of us in Australia?’ That’s the headline question for the National Plenary Council of 2020/21 and the starting point for the local consultations that are going on across the nation. It’s a good question. It asks us to try to put aside our pet peeves and opinions and to try to imagine how God sees things.
Novocastrians appointed to Apostleship of the Sea National Committee
The Church’s missionary work to serve the needs of seafarers has received a much-needed boost with the commissioning of a new national body.
The welcoming Woolleys
Have you ever met a person, or indeed a family, and felt instantly at ease? Their smile shines from within, their kind words having you nodding your head in agreement and their love for life and those around them radiates. This is how I would describe my first encounter with Bella, Jessica, Mark and Anne- the ‘Woolley Family.’
How Our Diocese Makes a Home
The Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement was launched in Newcastle by Bishop Bill on Friday 28 September. This year’s statement is titled: A Place To Call Home: Making A Home For Everyone In Our Land. The statement raises awareness of the crisis Australia is facing in the area of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing.
Insights from the Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention
Ensuring the Church’s youth of today become its adult disciples of tomorrow was one of the most powerful messages of the Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) in Parramatta last month.
Why I chose St Nick’s
When it came time recently to select a childcare centre for my hyperactive two-year-old daughter, the question I kept coming back to was - who can I trust?
How to remain strong?
Q I feel almost at breaking point. I have put up with so much in my life and I constantly seem to experience one bad event followed by another. How can I remain the strong person I thought I was?
Kailani Craine never gives up
Kailani Craine needs little or no introduction to ice-skating fans. In her short but spectacular career to date, she has won six senior international medals including a gold at the 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy which is held in Germany each year.
Who is Teaching With Miss M?
A leading local education influencer - Teaching With Miss M - who is also a teacher in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, shares a range of information about educational resources, classroom décor, affordable teacher outfits and the everyday moments of teaching life on her rapidly-growing Instagram page @teachingwithmissm.
Finding our “Compass”
The 57 schools in the Diocese, in partnership with the Catholic Education Network, are busily implementing a new student information system called Compass.
Gifted Education makes its mark in the Diocese
In 2016, the Catholic Schools Office acknowledged the need to review its policies around gifted education to help high-ability students to reach their full potential.
The Young Church: Bearing Fruit that Lasts
God calls the Church to work towards the transformation of the world to reflect more of God’s Kingdom. This Kingdom comes about when people encounter Jesus, surrender, and make the decision to follow – when they become his disciples and go out to transform the world
Saint Mary MacKillop Book Giveaway
The book One Door Closes Another Opens: Mary MacKillop in New South Wales 1880-1909 was written by Bernadette O’Sullivan rsj, to give a glimpse of the vision and work of the woman we now proclaim as Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Living the Change
Recently, people have begun saying that we are not so much facing climate change as climate destruction. Yes, the words are alarming but they echo the UN’s recent IPCC report that said "rapid and far-reaching" actions are needed to prevent dangerous global warming.[1] Our response could be resignation and despair or personal action and righteous anger. The latter approach is being taken by the Living the Change campaign.
Are married priests a possibility?
Pope Francis has once again highlighted his progressive tendencies by permitting a discussion on the possibility of priests in remote areas being one day allowed to marry.
REVIEW A Gentle Unfolding: Circling and Spiralling into Meaning
Judith Scully had me hooked with her opening sentence: “At some point in my early teens, just when I was discovering there was more to the opposite sex than beneath-my-notice little brothers, I fell in love with God.”
Ginger Pork Meatballs with Soba Noodles
Healthy, quick & tasty with little fuss. You may have most of the ingredients already in the pantry to give this weeknight recipe a try.
