As the director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), I spend my days working in the area of pastoral care of migrants and refugees. This isn’t solely confined to saying mass for these communities; it is a 24/7 job which

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I joined the Sisters of St Joseph in the sixties, along with forty nine others in my year.  And yes, I wore the ‘old’ full habit for a short period – and loved wearing it!  Some years later when our uniform had changed to a

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Friday last began like any other day. My day started, as usual, around 5.30 when I got myself together to hurry up and wait. That's what I do, while the editor-in-chief of CathNews and the news editor sift through potential stories and devise the news and

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In late May 1453 the great city of Constantinople was taken by the Ottoman Turks. This marked the end of the great Christian Byzantine Empire founded by Constantine over a thousand years before. During this time the New Byzantium flourished as a political

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Pope Benedict has criticised scientism and the awful influence it has on the world today. Scientism has two aspects. The first aspect is the theoretical notion that only scientific doctrine and method can lead to truth. The second is the practical handing

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What a bonanza – an election campaign for a first-time blogger!   I have the impression that many of my fellow citizens view the election process with some distrust and indifference. People suffering poverty and injustice cannot be blamed for

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When I was a child growing up in Brisbane, I thought Adelaide was the epitome of style and glamour. That was thanks to the fact that my aunt and uncle lived there, in a low-slung bungalow with an unusual amenity for those times – a double garage. And

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There is too much emphasis on virginity. Now that I have your attention, and because I don't mind an each-way bet, on the other hand I don't think there's enough emphasis. So that nobody is in any doubt, I believe unequivocally in the Immaculate

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Elections. They are the strongest symbol of democracy. Although they galvanise opposing understandings of how best a nation, a state, a town should be run, they are, at the moment, the best opportunity we have of ensuring a degree of fair go for all in our

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One of the spiritually nourishing rituals of working in a Catholic school is the small inbuilt time for prayer in morning homeroom. It’s a rite of greeting, a space in the day cleared just for God, a welcoming of him into our daily lives. It may

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