At the Council’s opening session on Monday 4 July, the Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia were invited to carry “a deep consciousness of who we are” as the People of God, called to discipleship in the Australian context.
As president of the Plenary Council, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB opened the first day of deliberations with an address to its Members, acknowledging the failure of the Church to live up to this calling.

The Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia were urged to “cling to the cross” and “ask the Holy Spirit to help us” as they commenced the Council’s second assembly on Sunday evening.

The opening Mass of the second assembly began with a heartfelt Welcome to Country ceremony that included an apology to First Nations peoples on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday.

Families will be placed at the centre of pastoral attention as the tenth World Meeting of Families (WMOF) takes place in Rome this week. With the theme “Family Love: a vocation and a path to holiness,” the week aims to highlight family love as a vocation, focus our attention on the ways family members are called to holiness, and explore ways the Church community can support families in their mission.

The Grotto of the Crucifixion on the grounds of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo is sparkling with new life thanks to Knights Eddie Davies, Kevin Egan, Kevin Umina and John Mooney.  

In January this year, the Grotto was in a state of disrepair.  In consultation with Cathedral Administrator, Fr Brian Boyle, Knights of the Southern Cross member Eddie Davies recruited a team of workers to undertake maintenance works.

For most of the young pupils at St Peter's Primary School, this year's 50th anniversary is hard to fathom, but for others it runs in the family. Brothers Andre and Nikiri Bysouth are following in the footsteps of their mother, Shaniqua who also attended the school.

Along with their classmates, they have enjoyed looking over vintage photos from the school's history as the community prepares to mark the milestone.

By Jenni Kennedy 

For the first time in three years recipients of the Bishop Joe Grech Scholarship were able to receive their award in person. Eight of the eleven worthy recipients gathered at an awards ceremony in Bendigo on 16 June. Executive Director of Catholic Education Sandhurst, Mr Paul Desmond was delighted to present the scholarship in person. "To speak with these incredible students and to get a sense of the calibre of young people in our schools is truly inspiring," he said.

A Mercy Works story for Refugee Week 

When Peace Aziawor, 19, arrived in Ballarat from Togo, West Africa in 2011, she was scared, painfully shy and didn’t want to be seen as different. She was so worried about standing out that she asked not be removed from the classroom at Phoenix College for her one-on-one sessions with her Mercy Connect volunteer, Margaret Adams.

By Mary Pianta

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a term used to describe a group of diseases for which there is no cure. They affect people in every country of the globe, with over 400,000 currently living with MND.

The date chosen for MND Day, 21 June is a solstice – a turning point, in summer or winter depending on where you live – so it is hoped this day will be another turning point in the search for cause, treatment and cure of this brutal disease. Our vision is of a world free from MND.

The Priests Retirement Foundation of the Diocese of Sandhurst (PRF)  has been operating for 21 years and has supported many Sandhurst priests throughout their retirement.  Now,  as approved by the Australian Taxation Office,  the Foundation can not only support retired priests, but also priests living with illness.

As the end of the financial year approaches, you might like to consider making a tax donation to the PRF as a means of assisting Sandhurst priests who have retired or are too unwell to serve. 

Forty Sandhurst Graduate Teachers gathered together for the first time on the banks of the Murray River in Moama for the 2022 Graduate Teachers’ Conference. The conference commenced with a prayerful Land, Fire, Water and Wind ceremony led by Catholic Education Sandhurst’s Aboriginal Education Team, which allowed all attendees to prepare and be present for what would be a fantastic two days of learning, connection and collaboration; writes Andrea O’Connor.

By Jenni Kennedy

It may be the first time that Catholic Education Sandhurst has taken part in the Tomorrow Bound Careers Expo in Bendigo, but it certainly won’t be the last.

1800 students from regional schools filed through the doors of the Bendigo Stadium on Thursday 26 May as the 60 exhibitors showcased the many career paths available for school leavers.

“New ministers in the Labor Government have huge challenges on their hands as they work to address the systemic disadvantage millions of Australians face every day,” Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan, said today.

This Reconciliation Week, Caritas Australia and Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation call on the government to continue to work towards closing the gap for First Australians.

Christine Rhazi, Caritas Australia’s First Australians Associate Director, and a proud Yamatji Widi woman from Geraldton,says “Our country has a history of making decisions on behalf of, rather than with, First Australians. This means we’ve ended up with a lot of policies that don’t work or cause further trauma to culture and communities.”

 For more information go to the National Council of Churches in Australia website.