The number of tourists to Australia in World Youth Day month, July 2008, jumped by 47,000 compared with the same month last year, figures show.
[More]
NSW parents lobby to keep free student travel
The New South Wales Catholic Education Commission has confirmed that it has called on parents of children in Catholic schools to lobby for the scrapping of a new travel levy for students.
[More]
Qld, Vic school teachers in new abuse cases
A former Catholic College Bendigo staff member has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two young boys twenty years ago while a Darling Downs Catholic school teacher has been charged with seven counts of rape.
[More]
Catholic Healthcare pilots squalor phone hotline
Catholic Healthcare is to launch a Sydney telephone hotline to coordinate responses to people living in domestic squalor.
[More]
Poland's Wyszynski proposed Wojtyla
Cardinal Stefan Wyszinski declined to be nominated as pope during a 1978 conclave, proposing instead his compatriot Karol Wojtyla, the late Polish primate's journal reveals.
[More]
Vatican denounces Congo "massacre of the poor"
Describing recents events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a "massacre of the poor", Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi called for world support to end the violence and assist refugees.
[More]
Feature - A positive legacy comes from grief
David and Samantha Meyn of East Maitland have gained wisdom beyond their years after losing their son Harrison, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 6, in July 2006. Oscar, now 7 and Campbell, 3, speak often of their older brother and love to draw attention to the photos displayed at home. - Tracey Edstein, Aurora
[More]
Featured Website - Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education
The western Sydney based Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education is the organisation behind the documentary on Australia's treatment of asylum seekers, A Well Founded Fear, which airs on SBS TV tonight. The Centre is a ministry of the Christian Brothers and has a history of advocacy and campaigning on social justice issues.
[More]
Radio - The Rhythm Divine: The Rapping Priest
Fr Stan Fortuna is a Catholic priest and a founding member of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, an order established in the heart of the South Bronx in 1987. But he is also a musician known worldwide as "the rapping priest". Even after 20 years it's not a title he's totally comfortable with.
[More]
Opinion - A moment in history for Anglicans and Catholics
2008 has been a year of potentially historic breakthroughs between Anglican Christians and the Chair of Peter. Many Catholics have noted with great interest the growing number of Anglicans who have approached the possibility of coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. - Deacon Keith Fournier, Catholic Online
[More]
OPINION
Beyond knowledge to wisdomI believe this is one of the crisis points for contemporary Christianity. Put bluntly, its representatives do not seem wise. Yes, those representatives can give you any amount of information, some of them can even speak knowledgeably of Christian teachings. Wisdom is another thing altogether. - Fr Michael Whelan [More] - Aquinas Academy
FEATURE
Connected across bordersIt is time for leaders of nations to see their national interests as connected with the interests of people on the other side of the globe. We have reached the point where human existence is at stake and our destiny is inextricably linked. If we are to overcome this crisis of climate change we need to think beyond the confines of national states. - Just Comment [More] - Edmund Rice Centre
FEATURED CATHOLIC WEBSITE
Catholic Education Diocese of ParramattaReturning to our education theme, we shine the spotlight on arguably the most innovative Catholic education website in the country. In addition to all the standard features of any CEO site, Parramatta's includes some interactive opinion polls and a competition for students to attempt to ''Become the Executive Director for the day''. The site is also well regarded for its RE and curriculum resources.
- www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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Extra protection for John of God accused
A Sydney priest and religious brother of the St John of God Congregation will receive extra protection while in custody in Australia while waiting extradition to New Zealand on child sex charges.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the two - Fr Raymond John Garchow, 59, and Brother Rodger Maloney, 69 - face a total of 32 sexual assault charges against former students at the school for boys with intellectual and learning disabilities.
They worked for the Marylands school in Christchurch, and are accused of sodomising and indecently assaulting boys as young as eight between 1966 and 1979.
On Monday both men were ordered to be handed over to New Zealand authorities. Their lawyers are fighting to have them released on bail while they await extradition, and have lodged a review of the extradition orders.
Br Maloney's solicitor, Greg Walsh, asked the Federal Court today to recommend the NSW Department of Corrective Services tighten protection for the two men while in custody, given the nature of their alleged crimes.
Justice Rodney Madgwick said he would advise the department to comply with the recommendation.
Mr Walsh told the court the men had not received the medication they needed while in Silverwater Correctional Remand Centre.
Br Maloney, who has had prostate cancer, and Fr Garchow, who has had throat cancer, were said to have been depressed since their arrest in December 2003.
SOURCE
Clergymen to get extra protection (Daily Telegraph 16/2/05)
LINKS
Hospitaller Order of St John of God (Australia - offline)
St John of God Health Services
Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God (USA)
ARCHIVE
St John of God priest and brother to be extradited (CathNews 15/2/05)
Brothers face extradition to NZ to face abuse charges (CathNews 1/12/03)
Order head says give abuse victims benefit of doubt (CathNews 14/10/03)
John of God Order condemns tactics of NZ law firm (CathNews 6/8/03)
Sex abuse complainant admits lying to get payout (CathNews 3/7/03)
Brother suspended over sex claims (CathNews 5/7/02)
St John of God Brothers to pay out $3.6 million (CathNews 13/6/02)
MORE ABUSE STORIES
Bail hearing for Catholic clerics adjourned (ABC News 15/2/05)
Priest and brother to be extradited to NZ (New Zealand Herald 15/2/05)
Priest and brother to be extradited (Sydney Morning Herald/Australian Associated Press 14/2/05)
Catholic clergymen to be extradited to NZ (Stuff.co.nz 14/2/05)
Church fights sex case extradition (Sydney Morning Herald 15/2/05 - payment required)
Defrocked Priest Sentenced for Raping Boy (The Herald-Sun Durham North Carolina/Associated Press 15/2/05)
Pedophile priest James Porter dies at 70 (Associated Press/MSNBC 15/2/05)
Ex-Priest Shanley Gets 12 to 15 Years for Rape (Reuters 15/2/05)
16 Feb 2005
