Dear Friends
I am not a statistician nor am I a researcher.  I am, however, interested in statistics and in what researchers have to say.  I begin with this because earlier this week I found myself at the Christian Research Association's, National Roundtable which took the focus of Shaping Australia's Spirituality.

Dear friends,

The Australian Catholic Bishops 2000 Social Justice Statement contained nine decisions at the national level and 31 proposals for action in dioceses.  Have these proposals been actioned in your diocese?

Decision 1 and Proposal 1 called for the promotion of a better balance of men, women, clergy and religious within Church structures.  What is the status in your diocese?  Try using the following tool to consider this proposal in your context. You may like to fill out the form below and send it back to us.

Applications are now being received for the 2011 Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship!

This unique program offers an opportunity for Young Catholic women from across Australia to receive top level academic formation in the area of Interfaith relations.

This program is a live-in course which will take place between January and May of 2011. It is open to young women between the ages of 25 and 35.

Applications will be received until Friday 8th October, 2010.

For more information, please contact fellowship coordinator Sr Ruth Durick OSU on (092)6201 9864 Mobile:0408 357 811

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . or contact the OPW.

To complete your application, you need to include the following.

To download the flyer please click here

To download the referee form, click here

To download the application form, click here

Dear Friends,

I have just returned to the office following the launch of the Blueprint for a Better World at Old Parliament House in Canberra.  This exhibition highlights the need for all of us to commit to the Millennium Development Goals.  The staggering statistics which are included in the exhibition along with those that were highlighted throughout the speeches remind us that we have a long way to go to achieve the goals set down.  Dr Ingvar Anda spoke about the realities of Climate Change.  Realities that are affecting communities right now. His address is below.  The exhibition finishes with a challenge to write down what you can do following your visit.  Some of the comments included: speaking up for those who can't, sharing the statistics, thinking about our use of water, and supporting the work of Caritas.  I encourage you to look at the Millennium Development Goals and see what you can do.

Best wishes,

Kim Davis

Dear friends,

This week, the bishops of the Oceania region (which includes countries such as Australia, New Zealand, PNG, Guam, Tuvalu, The Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tokelau and more!) met in Sydney at Sancta Sophia College which is part of the University of Sydney.

Dear Friends,

On Monday I was invited to attend Circles of Spirituality hosted by Sr Maureen Andrews mfic in Brisbane.  A number of years ago Maureen responded to a need to provide an opportunity for women to gather and share their lives and faith.  Circles of Spirituality was formed to do this.    The gathering begins with prayer in form of a dialogue of the Word with the Gospels, followed by some discussion on articles or books.  This group has looked at the writings of a number of contemporary theologians while sharing their own spiritual journey.  It was a blessing to meet and be with these women.

Dear Friends,

Last weekend the Ursuline Province of Australia held a conference which took the focus, Human Rights: People of Faith Grappling with the Issues.  Each of the Ursuline sisters was encouraged to invite a friend or colleague to attend the conference. 

The conference began with prayer which focused on the Charter for Compassion.  This Charter was first unveiled on November 12, 2009. (The Charter for Compassion is a product of its time, for its time.)

Last week the fourth colloquium exploring the identity and mission of Catholic Church-based organisations and agencies was held in Melbourne.  Its specific focus was Nurturing Unity in Diversity.

Through keynote addresses and guided conversations participants discussed common experiences and shared personal insights.  Keynote address 1 was offered by Archbishop Philip Wilson, Archbishop of Adelaide and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.  Archbishop Wilson challenged us to look at the values and virtues of diversity in unity.  In particular he named the virtues of FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY.  He asked, what do these virtues say to us even when we celebrate the diversity in our church?  Archbishop Wilson spoke of his wish to convene a plenary council in the hope of formulating a vision for the Church in Australia.

ROSEMARY GOLDIE

(1916-2010)

By MICHAEL COSTIGAN


Rosemary Goldie, who died at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Randwick on Saturday evening  27 February at 94, will be remembered as a great champion of the Catholic laity.  

Born in Manly on 1 February 1916, raised by her maternal grandmother and educated by the Sisters of Mercy at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, she went on to make a huge contribution to the Church internationally, mainly during the second half of the 20th Century.