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A US Coast Guard officer who refused to be injected with a vaccine derived from the remains of an aborted child has won an exemption from the required vaccination.
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Pope thanks "wifes of Christ"
Pope Benedict yesterday thanked consecrated virgins for their "total gift" to Christ encouraging them to "always irradiate the dignity of being the wife of Christ."
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Mail and penny drop for WYD
Preparations for World Youth Day have stepped up a notch with a letter drop to half a million Sydney homes and the release of a commemorative colour coin of the Pope.
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Priest in supermarket trolley protest
Melbourne parish priest, Fr Noel Brady, has launched a protest against unsightly supermarket trolleys left abandond in streets for up to three months.
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Call to follow WA and reject cloning
Sydney archdiocese policy officer, Dr Brigid McKenna, has welcomed a decision by the Western Australian Legislative Council to reject cloning as a victory for "commonsense science and morality."
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US churches offer mortgage help
With US lenders threatening to repossess 650,000 homes in the first quarter of 2008, Catholic parishes are mobilising to offer assistance to mortgage distressed homeowners.
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Feature - A new dawn for Sorry Day
It is time for this country to build new relationships and to be open to future possibilities, we commit ourselves to deep, on-going dialogue with our indigenous sisters and brothers on further ways of moving forward. - Fr Mark Raper, Pathways
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Featured Website - Ron Rolheiser
This is the website of one of the best known Catholic priests in the western world. Fr Rolheiser is best known through his writings and lecturing on spirituality and prising open the Word in such a clear, beautiful and heart-inspiring style.
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Film Review - Shutter
Based on a 2004 Thai film of the same name, Shutter is an American/Japanese production. If you can take the shocks and violence of this genre, this film is worth the admission price for the cinematography alone. - Fr Richard Leonard, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
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Opinion - Middle class creep in Irish Church
During the transformation of Irish society from a largely rural and agricultural economy to an industrialised one there occurred a failure of imagination in the Irish Church. - Fr Oliver Rafferty, The Catholic Herald
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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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Pastoral Planning Conference underway in Newcastle
Around 50 clergy, religious and lay people arrived in Newcastle at the weekend for a three-day conference exploring "issues, trends and signs of hope in Church life as the Church seeks to become more relevant in people's lives now and into the future".
The local Diocese is hosting the Conference in association with the National Pastoral Planning Network. The theme is: Signs of hope in an emerging Church.
The Network promotes pastoral planning across the Australian Catholic Church and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and skills among pastoral planners so that the quality of professional service in this field is continually enhanced.
"Pastoral planning happens at national, diocesan and parish levels", explained Paul O'Bryan of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Pastoral Support Unit. "It's the process by which the faith community, with a deep appreciation of its past and an understanding of its present strengths and weaknesses, seeks to respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of people within and beyond the community to further the Kingdom of God."
Speaking on behalf of the Conference Organising Committee, Mr O'Bryan said, "We hope that the conference will facilitate an exchange between keynote speakers who research and reflect theologically on people's experience of Church today, and those who come with the local experience of pastoral planning and a view to gaining deeper insights and a better appreciation of the 'signs of hope' – the things that are working effectively for the building-up of the Church in today's world.
"Participants will be involved in processes that help them pray together; read the signs of the times; share initiatives, insights and experiences from around Australia and New Zealand ; and reflect on material presented by keynote speakers," Mr O'Bryan said.
Keynote speakers include the Fr Richard Lennan, a theologian and lecturer at the Catholic Institute of Sydney, and Dr Scott Cowdell, a Canberra-based Anglican Pastor and lecturer in theology at Charles Sturt University .
SOURCE
Newcastle hosts national conference on Church pastoral planning (Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle 21/10/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
National Pastoral Planning Network
24 Oct 2005
