Catholics around the world are being encouraged to join their prayers with those of Pope Francis on March 25 when he consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

The act of consecration places the warring countries under the protection of Mary, the Mother of Christ, trusting in the power of her intercession. Such an act looks towards God, the source of all peace, and seeks God’s peace through Mary.

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By Jenni Kennedy

Catholic Education Sandhurst Speech Pathologist, Arti Shah is the recipient of the City of Greater Shepparton 2022 Women's Award, announced on International Women's Day, 8 March.

After a period of illness, retired Sandhurst priest, Fr Owen Doyle, died peacefully at Justin Villa in Balwyn. He was 97 years old and in his 34th year of priesthood. Fr Owen entered the priesthood with a wealth of life experience behind him. Raised on a farm in the Mallee, he was a Wireless Maintenance Mechanic with the RAAF in Papua New Guinea during World War II, a teacher for 34 years, a husband to his late wife, Margaret; and father to nine children. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on 16 March at St Mary’s Church, Greensborough, where he was ordained a priest in 1988.

Government must fire both barrels: back Pay Rise and Remove Barriers to Immigration

Catholic Health Australia, the peak advisory body for Catholic aged-care homes, is urgently calling on the Australian Government to address the aged-care labour shortage by supporting a wage rise and making it easier for employers to source workers from overseas.

By Mary Pianta

The global awareness day is observed annually on the 21st day of the 3rd month to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down Syndrome, which was named after Dr John Langdon Down after he discovered common traits of people with Trisomy 21.

Each musician has selected organ music and organ transcriptions which are most suited to the organ at the venue in which he is playing; at Sacred Heart Cathedral, the historic 1904 Bishop & Son (UK) four-manual instrument; and at St Kilian’s Church, the1872 Randebrock (Germany) two-manual tracker-action organ.
After the one-hour recitals, there will be thirty minutes of sung Evening Prayer. Everyone is invited to this prayer gathering.

Proceeds from the organ recitals will support the Aspire Foundation ( Aspire Foundation - Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sandhurst Diocese ) which was established to help preserve and protect the heritage of Sacred Heart Cathedral.

For more information and to book tickets go to: www.grandorgan.com

Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of the world's finest Gothic Revival cathedrals and possibly the last finished in the twentieth century. The Cathedral is an icon of Bendigo and occupies a central place in the community for people from all faith traditions. It provides opportunities for tourism, the performing arts and many other avenues of community participation.  The foundation stone was laid in 1896 and the Cathedral was finally completed in 1977.

Mr Christopher Cook
Christopher graduated in piano & organ from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1983 and has worked in the music and education professions variously as teacher, performer, accompanist, conductor, musical director & concert producer; as well as examiner for primary, secondary and tertiary music institutions, for ANZCA and the AMEB.

Christopher works with a wide social spectrum of society, and is able to communicate with varied age groups and musical development. He has played concerts in UK and Europe and performed in all states of Australia, as soloist and accompanying choral groups in orchestral-organ transcriptions of Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah etc.

In addition to varied and extensive pro bono and free-lance activities, Christopher is currently Repetiteur/Accompanist/piano and theory tutor at Haileybury and The Peninsula School, an Organ Tutor for University of Melbourne, and Director of Music at St John’s Church, Toorak. He is a Director of the Organ Historical Trust of Australia [ohta.org.au] and the Australian and New Zealand College of Organists [anzco.org]. Mr Christopher Cook 

Thomas Heywood
‘An acknowledged master’, Heywood has travelled over 750,000 miles or 1.2 million kilometres performing solo concerts on the most celebrated pipe organs across the globe. He has an ever-growing repertoire of over 5,000 works and was the first Australian musician in history to live as a professional concert organist'. The Dalla Morning News USA
https://www.concertorgan.com/pages/biography-en  Thomas Heywood

Dr Paul Taylor
Paul is currently Director of Music and Organist at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo. He was formerly Director of Music at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Following studies with John Hogan in Bendigo, he majored in organ at Australian Catholic University, studying with Geoffrey Cox, and in 1993, completed a Master of Arts degree, specialising in liturgy, at the University of Notre Dame, IN, USA. His MMus degree (2000) featured a recital of the eighteen “Leipzig” chorale preludes of J. S. Bach and a thesis on Catholic hymnody in Australia. In 2010, he earned a PhD directed by Dianne Gome at ACU with a dissertation on liturgical chant. He is currently serving a term as Executive Secretary of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He has served as an organist at St Francis’ Church and the St Patrick’s Cathedral and sung bass in the choirs of both churches.

Caritas Australia joins the international Caritas network and World Health Organisation in calling for an urgent humanitarian corridor in Ukraine to prevent further loss and suffering. Increasing numbers of people are trapped in cities under constant attack, unable to leave as wide-scale evacuations have not been possible.