The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle recently welcomed Fr Richard Lennan home from USA for a seminar held on 7 August about The Future of Faith: Challenges and Possibilities. Fr Richard is Professor of Systematic Theology, Boston College - School of Theology and Ministry.
For National Vocation Awareness week, Pints With A Purpose welcomed two young men studying to become priests. Solomon Omeiza is a seminarian for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and Richard Sofatzis is a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Sydney. They are both 27 years old and are living and studying at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush.
Mary MacKillop was the first Australian to be canonised as a saint - St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She was canonised on 17 October, 2010 - just over 100 years after her death on 8 August 1909. Since then the day of her death has become her feast day and each year there arecelebrations.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) last year initiated the largest survey of young Catholics ever conducted. These results have now been released by the ACBC, and will assist in preparations for the Synod of Bishops on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, which will be held in October this year.
The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle was privileged to have Rev James McEvoy,priest of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, as theologian-in-residence.Fr James is a passionate speaker and very obviously loves what he does.
The Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Council welcomed over 60 people to the Interfaith Dialogue at St Mary’s Campus Maitland to discuss what Mary, the mother of Jesus, means to each faith.