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| Editorial |
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Some of the best ideas for mission and ministry in local faith communities are never documented. Do we think that what we are doing is too small scale, not big and important enough, to be worth recording? Or perhaps we don't think anyone else would be interested?
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| Happenings |
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Hollenbach in Australia
ACU National and Uniya are presenting a series of lectures by internationally renowned social ethicist David Hollenbach during August. He will speak in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The program is available at www.uniya.org.au/news/news_david_hollenbach.html.
David Hollenbach SJ is the Margaret O'Brien Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology at Boston College, where he teaches theological ethics and Christian social ethics. He assisted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in drafting their 1986 pastoral letter Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy and in June 1998 he received the John Courtney Murray Award for outstanding contributions to theology from the Catholic Theological Society of America. Click here to download a PDF flyer.
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Interchurch Families Conference
Australian Interchurch Families will host an international conference, Sharing our Dream Downunder, 18 - 21 August 2005 at Noah's on the Beach, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. For more details:
www.interchurchfamilies.org or email: Australia2005.Aus@interchurchfamilies.org
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Men Seeking Peace
This two day workshop for men will explore questions such as: how are we to develop the capacity to live nonviolently while engaging fully in the world?; where do we find sacred space to explore the inner and outer urges for violence?; what does nonviolence mean in today's culture of 'war on terror'?; how do we make peace with the 'enemy within'?; what can the Christian story and the way of Jesus offer us?
It will be held 10 - 11 September at the LJ Goody Centre, 39 Jugan Street, Glendalough, Western Australia.
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| Mission & Ministry |
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Youth Reflections
When he was asked to give a reflection at the monthly Youth Mass, Tom Simpson had to look up 'reverence', but his reflection shows that Tom had no trouble understanding what the Gospel was saying to him that week. To read a range of reflections by young people from the St Ignatius Parish in Richmond, Victoria, visit www.ignatius.org.au/youth.htm
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Parish Groups' Meeting Night
Are the various groups in your parish completely clueless about each other's activities? Here's a simple idea from the Holy Child Parish in Dallas, Victoria that could help you to achieve coordination without tears.
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Parish Faces
A sense of humour and a strong sense of self will be needed by those wishing to adopt this strategy from the Ashgrove, Herston and Newmarket parish in Queensland. Instead of the usual 'mug shots' of staff, the parish has posted on their website portraits by the year 2 and 3 students at St Ambrose and St Finbar's.
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Christian Songs in the Mall
It's not too early to get organized for Christmas! The Combined Christian Churches of Willoughby, New South Wales are preparing to perform Christmas carols and Christian songs in Chatswood Chase and Westfield Centre during the week before Christmas.
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| Feature |
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Refugee & Migrant Sunday
Resources to help parishes and schools to celebrate Refugee & Migrant Sunday on 28 August are available from the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office and the National Council of Churches. For resources for Catholic liturgy click here. For ecumenical resources click here.
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| Reflection |
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Working for Human Dignity
What can we hope for from a national workplace relations system? Bishop Kevin Manning* draws on Catholic Social Teaching for his response to this question from a reader of Catholic Outlook. He concludes that "The test of a workplace relations system is whether or not ordinary workers have safe and healthy work conditions, wages sufficient to support themselves and their families with dignity, and the security of knowing that they cannot be dismissed arbitrarily, without reason and due process." Study Guide [PDF]
* Bishop Kevin Manning is the Bishop of Parramatta, he is a member of the NSW Catholic Commission for Employment Relations, and a former Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council.
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