AURORA EXTRA: Two sides to the divestment debate
I write in reference to Thea Ormerod’s article in the September 2016 issue of Aurora magazine where she is promoting and applauding Catholic organisations divesting in the coal industry.
AURORA EXTRA: At Home in L’Arche
In L’Arche worldwide there are 149 communities and 14 projects in 37 countries. L’Arche Hunter is one of the 14 projects. L’Arche’s founder Jean Vanier will turn 88 on 10th September. He wrote the following contribution especially for the book, My Home in L’Arche, an initiative of L’Arche Hunter and he entitled it At Home in L’Arche.
AURORA EXTRA: Channelling mercy through the dust
Predictably, the theme of the 2016 Australasian Catholic Press Association’s annual conference, held in Sydney last week, was “Channels of mercy”.
Christie's claiming gold in more ways than one
TS Eliot once wrote, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
Come to the market place at the cathedral!
I think we could all agree that the world is a bazaar. One could almost say it’s a ‘bizarre’ bazaar – a mélange of people – fat and thin, short and tall, black and white, brown and yellow, healthy and unhealthy, a world of justice and injustice – a world where Christ, two thousand years ago, preached from the hillsides and in the market places – to come and follow him and to learn how to love one another.
Why stopping the boats does not solve the problem
Austria’s foreign minister recently suggested that people seeking asylum in Europe should not be allowed to enter the continent, but should be held on offshore islands instead. Sebastian Kurz said that the principles of the “Australian model” should be applied to Europe, and went as far as to suggest that people who entered Europe “illegally” should lose their right to apply for asylum.
Fossil fuel divestment and living Laudato Si'
The start of a push for Catholic divestment from coal, oil and gas extractive industries is now well under way. Another boost was given at World Youth Day via a letter signed by over 120 youth organisations delivered to Pope Francis. In it, they urged him to support fossil fuel divestment and asked him to ensure the Vatican’s own financial institution cuts its ties with extractive industries. A call from young people will no doubt be significant to Pope Francis.
The sense of an ending, and many beginnings
Gail O’Brien is to be the guest speaker at Holy Trinity Parish Dinner on 21 October (see page 21). Tracey Edstein interviewed Gail at her Sydney home and learned something of her remarkable story.
A pilgrimage of mercy
When we left the diocesan offices on Thursday 14 July to travel to World Youth Day (WYD) in Krakow, Poland, I knew all my fellow pilgrims’ faces, but I didn’t know anything about them. By the time we landed in Venice, 32 hours later, the wonderful people I had shared that never-ending journey with were my treasured friends. And 27 days later, I feel like the bonds we have forged are simply unbreakable.
Heading for your first Fathers' Day?
My husband and I have just had our first baby. Our daughter is only three months old. My husband is not coping with the baby’s crying and wants to hand her back as soon as she starts. He gets frustrated because he wants to be involved but can’t handle it. I think it’s him being wound up and tense and she feels it and that’s why she keeps crying. He’s worried that he’ll lose it and that someone will get hurt. Can you please help? (Post to a parenting website)
Can you plant some seeds for St Dominic's students?
One very specific teaching of Jesus was that at the very heart of our concern and actions in following him should be, before all else, our determination to meet the needs of everyone in our community.
Business student benefits from experience of CatholicCare Director
Lucy Mentoring Program is an innovative leadership program focusing on women studying business, commerce and law. The program communicates to women the diversity of opportunities available to them in the private and public sectors and the personal advantages of achieving job satisfaction. The main aim of the program is to allow women to work with senior business and professional managers to improve and encourage their active decision-making in terms of their careers.
All Amy's world's a stage
Aurora invited local thespian Amy Hill to share something of her story, on and off stage.
Achieving the elusive work-life balance
Q I work in a very demanding job and am finding that due to the high workload, I have to take work home with me. I feel like this is a never-ending cycle and it is having an impact on my family. I feel resentful sometimes when one of my kids has an issue I need to deal with that takes me away from work and I know this is wrong. I love my family and actually like my job too but don’t know how to achieve a good balance between the two.
Statement of acknowledgement and apology from Bill Wright, Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle
In my five years as Bishop of the Diocese, this is the second commission of inquiry before which I have appeared. There is a very considerable difference in scope between the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (‘Royal Commission’) and the Special Commission of Inquiry into matters relating to the police investigation of certain child sexual abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
Satisfaction for a Trove tragic: log on soon!
Frances Dunn calls herself a “Trove Tragic”. She believes Trove is a great source for research, especially when you’re ‘growing’ a family tree, as such a wide range of information is available.
Diocesan student awarded local Aboriginal Student of the Year
Scarlet Avery, a Year 10 student of All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus, Lochinvar, was recently awarded a newly created prestigious award which has inspired her future path.
To Krakow and back
On the face of it, I shouldn’t have much enjoyed this trip to World Youth Day with seventy others from our diocese. I’m not really made for group touring. ‘On your right… And now on your left… Keep together, please.’ I like to poke around on my own and search out little curiosities that no one pays much attention to, to spend the time as I want.
Remember Catholic United Services Auxiliary?
I was rummaging through some books the other day when a couple of photographs fell out of one old tome and onto the floor. I picked them up and after a few seconds, realised I was looking at photographs of my mother, looking young and vital and wearing a uniform. The photos were taken in 1943.
Mary Magdalene widens the space for incisive female presence in the Church
In the Catholic Church many have been honoured for their distinctive way of living the gospel by being formally proclaimed ‘saints’. This is the call to all of us, of course.
