PLENARY COUNCIL NEWS

POPE FRANCIS’ HOMILY AT THE MASS FOR MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD— 1 January 2022 The shepherds found “Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger” (Lk 2:16). For the shepherds, the manger was a joyful sign: it was the confirmation of the message they had heard from the angel (cf. v. 12), […]

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD A Reflection by Br Julian McDonald cfc “When the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God’s

POPE FRANCIS’ HOMILY AT THE MASS DURING THE NIGHT 2021 Homily of the Holy Father In the darkness, a light shines.  An angel appears, the glory of the Lord shines around the shepherds and finally the message awaited for centuries is heard: “To you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord”

BISHOP VINCENT’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE A Christmas 2022 Message from Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta Dear Sisters and Brothers, We live in an increasingly dangerous world where a spiral of violence seems to be out of control. Violence and selfishness dominate our daily news, as the ‘answer’ the world offers to us. The

ACTS AND DECREES OF THE PLENARY COUNCIL – TOPIC 8 NTEGRAL ECOLOGY AND CONVERSION FOR THESAKE OF OUR COMMON HOME1. As drought, bushfires, floods, and extreme weather becomemore common in Australia, we realise the urgency ofresponding to our baptismal calling of taking up God’smission of love for the whole of creation.2. Throughout the Scriptures we

ACTS AND DECREES OF THE PLENARY COUNCIL – TOPIC 5 COMMUNION IN GRACE: SACRAMENT TO THE WORLD The Church is “like a sacrament”, a sign and instrument of union with God and the unity of the whole human (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 21 November 1964, n. 1) We know that the Church was founded by

ACTS AND DECREES OF THE PLENARY COUNCIL – TOPIC 4 WITNESSING TO THE EQUAL DIGNITY OF WOMEN AND MEN   God’s word speaks clearly of the equal dignity of women and men: “So God created humankind in his image . . . male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). For Christians specifically, “there is

ACTS AND DECREES OF THE PLENARY COUNCIL – TOPIC 3 CALLED BY CHRIST – SENT FORTH AS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES God’s covenant with creation, made new in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, is fashioned, sustained and nourished by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who calls together the community of disciples, the Church, privileged