In Brief

May Advent awaken us to God’s presence in our daily lives

On the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis called on us to “awaken from our slumber” and to always be aware of the presence of God and welcome Him in our daily lives. Welcoming pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square, the Pope emphasised that “God conceals Himself in the most common and ordinary situations in our life,” and we need to be constantly aware of this reality, not awaiting extraordinary events. This can be when we face someone in need, a chance encounter, or even in what might seem quiet or dull moments of daily life. “It is right there that we find the Lord, who calls to us, speaks to us, and inspires our actions.” The Pope said Advent is the time we can be “shaken out” of our lethargy and awakened “from our slumber” to be vigilant always. We can ask ourselves if we are alert and vigilant, and if we “recognise God’s presence in daily situations,” saying that if we are unaware of this reality today, we will be unprepared when He arrives at the end of times.

Why did a chicken, goldfish and sheep visit St Joseph’s, East Maitland?

Vee the Sheep, Bruno the Chihuahua, and Johnny Cash the Bantam Hen were just a few of the animals that had an experience as unique as their names when they were ceremonially blessed at St Joseph’s, East Maitland recently. The group of animals on leashes, in cages or in arms or bowls gathered, alongside their owners, under the shade of a large tree for the parishes first Regional Pet Blessing. Father George Anthicad led the Blessing with support from Father John Vien Vo and Father Graham Fullick. The pets were ‘met’ and then sprinkled with Holy Water. “There were many people of all ages from various Regional Parishes united in a love of animals and our God who creates and blesses them,” Father Graham said. Father George’s intercessory prayers offered a reminder of animals’ gifts to us and our role in caring for them as part of God’s creation.

The event was so successful that the parish plans on hosting a Pet Blessing at least once a year.

Going green secures gold

An initial humble effort to reduce waste at St Brigid’s Primary School in Raymond Terrace has developed into a whole school environmental action plan and the securing of the NSW Minister’s Young Climate Champions Award. In their submission for the award, the school told of the purchase of new bins and the implementation of a radical new sorting system that separates playground waste into REDcycle, cans and bottles, and landfill. “In the classroom, we are sorting our glue sticks and pens for recycling, and we initiated plans to overhaul our canteen waste. In the gardens, we are building a habitat for butterflies and bees and composting our scraps. Initially, this was driven by our Year 6 students, however, this has now changed, and we have the whole school involved. As a result, not only have we halved our landfill contribution, but we have also changed behaviours!” they wrote. As winners of an NSW Sustainability Award, St Brigid’s Primary School has automatically been entered into the prestigious 34th National Banksia Sustainability Awards. The school community is also celebrating the announcement that they are finalists in the Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Awards and the Kreative Koalas Competition because of their sustainability efforts.

Share the Christmas spirit with Fr Eugen

This Christmas, Catholic Mission is inviting you to learn the story of Fr Eugen from Romania. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, guided by the missionary spirit, Fr Eugen and a network of volunteers have opened their hearts and homes to welcome families fleeing conflict. With the war still ongoing, Fr Eugen has said the support provided to him by Catholic Mission and its generous donors enable him to continue to provide a safe environment for the refugees who have had to leave their country under duress. To help Fr Eugen continue this important work and assist Catholic Mission to support those in most need, please consider sharing in the Christmas spirit by donating at catholicmission.org.au

Bishops formally approve Plenary Council acts, decrees

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has formally approved the acts and decrees of the Fifth Plenary Council and they have now been sent to the Apostolic See for review. The Bishops Conference also approved the terms of reference for the review of the implementation of the Plenary Council. The terms of reference were set out by the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, which concluded its work at the November plenary meeting. Plenary Council vice-president Bishop Shane Mackinlay said the work of implementation – the Council’s third and final stage – would be critical. “There might have been a deeper sense of excitement during the period of preparation and certainly through the time of the Council’s celebration, but it will be in the implementation that the fruits of these years will be seen,” he said. The implementation phase will see oversight and coordination for each decree of the Plenary Council entrusted to at least one of the Bishops Conference’s commissions. Those commissions will provide reports to the May 2023 plenary meeting of the Bishops Conference. Another review will be undertaken in 2025, with a final review report to be published in 2027.

You can’t put a price on stability in care, but a financial support package certainly helps

The NSW Government recently announced a suite of changes to be introduced to the out-of-home care sector, including the extension of financial support for foster carers to enable care to continue until the recipient is 21. On the back of the announcement Director of CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning, Gary Christensen said the Your Choice Your Future package was overdue but welcomed. “As well as benefiting these young people and their carers directly, the wider community will also bear witness to the benefits this investment in our youth is expected to yield. For example, other states already extending the support have reported a reduced risk of youth homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, incarceration and greater engagement in education and employment,” Mr Christensen said. “Most significantly, though, the announcement by Premier Perrottet is an acknowledgement to young people in care that their community values them and wants to support their life endeavours, whatever pathway they choose.”

To read more Catholic news from across the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle and around the world visit www.mnnews.today or scan the QR code below. There, you will also find links to upcoming events, important dates for your diary and to live stream Sunday Mass from Sacred Heart Cathedral.