AUSTRALIA'S the lucky country. Even amongst growingly secularisation, violent religious persecution seems far-fetched, well beyond our borders. It can seem like something reserved for the Early Church, under the grips of pagan Rome. But these fears are...

THE last day of SYNOD24 has come to an end, but Brisbane's synodal journey has only just begun. Synod table facilitator Tom Warren said the outcomes voted on at synod called for "bold" action by the Church. "But we’re called to be bold as Catholics,...

CHRISTIAN unity was front and centre as the Church in Brisbane opened the second two-day session of SYNOD24 today. The morning began with an ecumenical service, which included members from other Christian churches who work alongside Brisbane archdiocese...

BRISBANE Catholic Melissa Ledwich says there are lots of people out there asking questions about the meaning of their life, about God and the Catholic faith. These are the "seekers", she said, people who were not Catholic, but who were at a stage in their...

MARGARET Barry remembers her wedding day like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding, she said, and especially remembers how cold it was in mid-winter Melbourne. She wed her husband Kevin 60 years ago this year at a parish church St Finbarr's in...

FOR Brisbane Catholic Anita Kent, study is so much more than just hitting the books. "The study of the world is ultimately the study of God," she said. "Because it was created by God, the natural world is a physical manifestation of the transcendentals,...

ST John Henry Newman, born in London on February 21, 1801, is remembered as one of the most influential religious figures of the 19th century. His profound theological insights and journey from Anglicanism to Catholicism have had a lasting impact on the...

ONE in six Australian children live below the poverty line and the St Vincent de Paul Society wants this to change. "Households living in poverty have limited access to proper housing, healthy food and educational opportunities for their children,"...

CONTROVERSY over women's ordination, even at the synod, detracts attention from the plight of women in the Catholic Church and society, Broken Bay Bishop Anthony Randazzo said. Bishop Randazzo was speaking as a member of the Synod of Bishops taking place...

BRISBANE Deacon Adam Walk says the Church calls permanent deacons from all corners of society - and that is their strength. "In Brisbane, we have a very diverse group of deacons," he said. "We're encouraged to use our gifts in ways that are meaningful...