Statement on the VAD Review Board Report by the Catholic Bishops in Victoria
The Catholic Bishops in Victoria have released a statement following the release of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board Report of Operation January - June 2020. 

"The latest report from the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board is not a celebration of good healthcare, but a sad story of the loss of hope and care for vulnerable people."

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has provided the Holy See's observations on twelve recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to the Australian Government.

The Holy See reiterated its commitment to child protection, and its desire to “spare no effort… in collaborating with civil authorities to pursue every avenue to end the scourge of sexual abuse”.

Child Protection Sunday 13 September 2020

The Theme of this year's Child Protection Sunday is "Putting Children First". This annual celebration of our children is a reminder to all of us to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children in every aspect of church and community life. This requires a diocesan-wide effort. Our efforts to protect children and vulnerable adults in our parishes and communities require constant commitment. Safeguarding is the responsibility of every adult. We can never say we have arrived. We can never say we have finally got this right, writes Fr Brian Boyle.

Fr John Naughton passed away peacefully at Ave Maria Shepparton on Wednesday 2 September, 2020 with loving family by his side. Born to Catherine and Hugh in 1934, Fr John was the eldest of three sons. He was ordained in 1965 and served as a Priest for over fifty-six years in the Sandhurst parishes of St Kilian's, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Tatura, Cathedral, Golden Square and as the Chaplain at Mount Alvernia Hospital. 

Fr John's Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Shepparton by Bishop Shane Mackinlay on Wednesday 9 September at 1:00 p.m.

by Jackson Saunders 

 No doubt many of us would love to travel to other places right now, but after eight wonderful months in Rome, Sandhurst seminarian Jackson Saunders is glad to be back  in Bendigo.  

From the grounds of St Kilian's Presbytery, Jackson writes about his observations of our times, signs of a general rekindling in faith amongst Australians, and all the things we have to be grateful for.  

Kerang parishioner, Christine O’Donoghue shares how the parishes of Kerang, Cohuna and Pyramid Hill are celebrating Mass and keeping connected, thanks to the help of their tech-savvy parish priest, Fr Novelito Lim.  

She writes “From our parishes to yours, may we all keep safe, prayerful and enjoy what we can from these times.”

Sixteen years after his death and forty-one years after he was ordained as Bishop of Sandhurst, Bishop Noel Daly’s legacy continues to provide relief to people experiencing hardship in the Diocese of Sandhurst through the Noel Daly Foundation.

“With this fund, the Diocese has a means to reach out and bless a person, a family, a group, a school, a Church or charitable organisation or a Parish in its midst.

Sandhurst born and raised Fr Leo Wearden MSC, recently celebrated forty years of priesthood. Now parish priest of a remote community in the Northern Territory, he has served in the Tiwi Islands, Papua New Guinea and East Timor; a long way from Tongala where he attended primary school at St Patrick's and was ordained by the late Bishop Noel Daly in front of a packed crowd in the Shire Hall back in 1980.

I am very pleased to advise you that Light from the Southern Cross was published last week by the Australian Bishops and Catholic Religious Australia. This is a comprehensive study of the current practices and possibilities for governance and management in Australian dioceses and parishes, which has been undertaken over the last 18 months by a group drawing on local and international experts.

83-year old Eaglehawk parishioner, Mary Harrison, is now one of five billion people connected to the internet.  Last Sunday Mary watched a live-streamed Mass for the first time. In her 83 years Mary has never known a time when there were no public Masses, and to attend Mass was a great impetus to go online.