News
The decision today by the Fair Work Commission to increase the National Minimum Wage (NMW) by 5.2 per cent is welcome but workers on low incomes will still struggle to make ends meet, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan, said today.
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.
On 15 June 1957, Julie Heaphy and Darrel Baldwin were married in St Malachy’s Church, Nagambie by Father George Shanahan. Last Sunday on 19 June, parishioners of St Malachy’s, together with Fr Tony Hill and Monsignor Frank Hickey, celebrated Julie and Darrel’s 65th Wedding Anniversary in that same church with Mass followed by a delicious morning tea. 
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 St Augustine's community in Kyabram came together on National Sorry Day to remember the Stolen Generations and commit to working for healing and justice. The day commenced with a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country led by Traditional Elder, Uncle Rik Ronnan, followed by Mass celebrated by Bishop Shane Mackinlay. 
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.
Good Samaritan Sister, Clare Condon has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Australian Catholic University in recognition of her contribution to social justice and to the Catholic Church in Australia.
Catholic Health Australia has joined the many organisations across Australia in supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart, as part of National Reconciliation Week 2022.
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.
Framework for Motions, the document that will guide Members at the second assembly of the Plenary Council was published on 1 June. It contains 30 motions across eight mission areas which the 277 Members will vote on at the second assembly in July. “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.”
The annual Justice Matters Camp for Sandhurst secondary students was held in Beechworth earlier this month. The camp aims to inspire students to become agents of change locally, nationally and globally, by raising awareness amongst students of social justice issues and fostering advocacy and promoting action for justice. Students also had the opportunity to further understand their relationship with God, with themselves and with others, as well as make new like-minded friends. Marian College students share their experience of the camp. For more information go to the National Council of Churches in Australia website.
27 May – 3 June 2022 Be Brave. Make Change.
Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to focus on learning about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The Week starts with National Sorry Day on 27 May, which marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution because they discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and closes on 3 June, the anniversary of the 1992 Supreme Court Mabo Decision, which held that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.
On Monday this week, representatives from Sandhurst Catholic Earthcare Schools and Parishes gathered to declare their commitment to Laudato Si’ action goals in glorious sunshine on the banks of Broken Creek in Nathalia.
The event also provided the occasion for Catholic Earthcare Australia to celebrate 20 years of creating dialogue and inspiring action to care for our common home.
With the election of Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister and Labor as the new Government, Australia’s most underprivileged and disadvantaged have something to look forward to says Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia. While the new government faces huge challenges, a focus on the more than 3 million Australians who live on or below the poverty line should be a major focus, he said.
