November 14, 2017
Last week I wrote about our honouring Fr Richard Shortall SJ, our Missionary of Mercy, at a farewell. I am now at my desk, having spent the afternoon with about eighty people who gathered to say thank you and to bid him a fond goodbye. We all had a lovely time of story-telling and sharing the wonderful moments of mercy, community and healing, experiences that will live on beyond Fr Richard’s time with us. What a grace and blessing the Year of Mercy and the Missionary of Mercy have been, and will continue to be for us!
November 07, 2017
I hope that, by now, you are aware that our Missionary of Mercy, Fr Richard Shortall SJ, is finishing his mission with us and to us on Sunday 12 November. I also hope that you have received Bishop Bill’s invitation to his farewell, either by a notice in your church foyer, a bulletin notice or via our Dio Update. His farewell will take place this coming Sunday, 12 November, at St Joseph’s College, Lochinvar, commencing at 2.30pm, with a ritual and afternoon tea. All are welcome and I hope to see you there.
October 31, 2017
I find this week each year to be an interesting one because we celebrate All Saints Day, then All Souls Day, and after that we begin our remembrance of the Holy Souls during the month of November. What continues to fascinate me are the events and costumes surrounding Halloween, on the eve of All Hallows Day, All Saints Day. I can’t imagine that I will ever think this to be a ‘normal’ part of our lives, here in Australia.
October 24, 2017
This week I begin my message with a quote I came across and read at the Two Bishop’s Dialogue a couple of weeks ago. The topic for this dialogue was Morals, Ethics and Decision Making.
October 17, 2017
During the past week, there have been many diocesan events which I will share with you as part of this message, in an attempt to keep you up to date with how we are living out our call to be the people of God in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
October 10, 2017
As I was thinking about this week’s message, I became aware that since 2012, October 11 has been observed as the International Day of the Girl Child (Day of the Girl).
