Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraiser Project Compassion has been a success this year thanks to the dedication and support of over 1,700 schools and 1,200 parishes across the country.

The Denis JB Higgins Research Scholarship for 2023 was presented to Marist College Bendigo for research in the area of PASA/PASMAP Numeracy Intervention Program.

“Education is an extraordinary, transformative power,” were the stirring words from Mr James Merlino, the Former Minister of Education and Deputy Premier of Victoria at the annual Catholic Education Sandhurst Leadership dinner this week.

The Acts of the Apostles "Making Decisions with the Holy Spirit". Livestreamed over three Tuesday nights in June 2023, with scripture sholars Dr Rosemary Canavan and Fr Brian Boyle. 

Video Recording of talks now availble for viewing.

Bishop Shane wishes each of you all the blessings of this year's Easter celebrations in his 2023 Easter Message.

"I now have great pleasure in announcing the membership of the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council for the coming three years," wrote Bishop Shane in an announcement on 29 March 2023.

Listen to works by Bach, Mendelssohn and others played by Johann Vexo, Choir Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Organist Titulaire at Nancy Cathedral in France – and the Organist who witnessed the catastrophic fire at Notre-Dame in April 2019. 

Caritas Australia is calling on the Australian Government to urgently prevent catastrophe in the worst-affected hunger hotspots in the Horn of Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria.

As Pope Francis reminds us, any purchase is a political act and perhaps none more so than when we buy chocolate eggs to celebrate Easter. Key issues to consider are child labour, trafficked labour, fair-trade and environmental sustainability (high water usage, food-miles, landfill, greenhouse emissions, opportunity cost of agricultural resources).

Challenge yourself to become more aware of the issues and maybe even post on social media when you've found the right egg (it might not even be chocolate!) 

Rural Australians for Refugees Bendigo Branch reports that the two Hazara Afghani refugee families sponsored by their CRISP (Community Refugee Integration Support Pilot) Team are now busy settling into their new lives in Bendigo. Their CRISP Team is now preparing for a third family who is waiting in Iran, a Hazara widow and her two teenage sons who are expected to arrive in Australia in a month or so.