2022 – the year in review
As each year draws to a close, it has become customary to include a reflection on the contributions of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle to our community, during the 12 months prior. Thankfully, 2022 has provided a little more stability than recent years. This in turn has enabled the Diocese, through its agencies, pastoral groups and parishes, to grow its services as we live our Mission to serve all in the community so that they may experience life to the fullest.
Moving art exhibition opens this week
An exhibition that explores the hopeful and creative capacity of the arts in providing a compassionate space for self-expression and healing opens this Thursday in Wallsend.
Colourful event celebrates Hamilton South
On Wednesday, the grey skies cleared to make way for a truly colourful celebration in Hamilton South as hundreds of residents and service providers gathered for the 42nd anniversary of its community hall.
Perpetual Day of Remembrance
Each September, the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle pauses to acknowledge the devastation caused to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy and other Church personnel, as well as the impact to their families, and the whole community. Although historical, survivors and their families live with the impact every day.
Inequity has young advocates seeing red
Period poverty – the lack of access to sanitary products due to cost – is widely recognised as a major barrier to learning in schools and now a group of Year 12 students from St Paul's Catholic College, Booragul, have said enough is enough.
Memories of the Mater
Calvary Mater Newcastle has a proud history of being at the heart of our community, and this year celebrates 100 years of service.
Nowadays, as well as serving the local community through its critical care, medical and surgical services Calvary Mater Newcastle is recognised as a leading research centre. The hospital also provides specialist medical care in a range of cancer services, palliative care, and toxicology.
To celebrate Calvary Mater Newcastle’s centenary Aurora asked one of its longest serving employees, Ludmilla (Milly) Sneesby, to share a reflection of her time at the hospital. As we go to print, Milly is preparing for retirement, but as you will read, she has created memories at the Mater that will last a lifetime.
Plans progress for the future of our Church
“The Church is not the presence in our society it once was. We need to take a measure of that and make decisions accordingly. The culture in which we have to proclaim the Gospel is very different to what it was even 20 or 30 years ago.”
Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, made these powerful remarks in 2016 after he was elected to chair a special bishops’ commission to plan and run the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia. At that time, it had been 79 years since Australia’s last plenary council was held.
A bright forecast predicted
It’s Monday morning on a cold winter’s day in August. The prevailing westerly wind cuts through the youth as they approach the gates at St Laurence Flexible Learning Centre at Broadmeadow.
