There are seven I AM statements in the Gospel of John. Last week we had the fourth, this week, we have number seven: I AM the true vine, and my Father is the Vinedresser (John 15). Jesus is the vine – we are the branches. Our lives are interwoven with our Lord in intimacy and vulnerability – essential in sincere friendship. Furthermore: Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty. We are not called to be busy. No, we are called to be fruitful, and that requires ‘blooming where we are planted.’ So much of life can be wasted by waiting until the right moment arrives o ..read more

Fr Paul Stuart RAN Amidst the evils and horrors of war, goodness and humanity shine through, Fr Paul Stuart RAN told the faithful at the Australia National ANZAC Day Mass this morning. Held at St Christopher’s Cathedral in Manuka at 8 am, parishioners filled the pews for the solemn mass, joining visitors including New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia Andrew Needs, Vice Admiral David Johnston and Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Balvo. In opening the Mass, Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate of Australia and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Chris ..read more

The mystery of God becoming a man fills and consumes all things. The reality of God becoming one of his own creation, dwelling in the midst of his people, and living a life like their own is a mystery so vast and expansive that the human mind cannot fully grasp or appreciate what has happened and what continues to happen because of this immense act of love. God has come to us. God is with us. We are not alone. The whole of creation, and everything that is authentically human, is taken up and completed in the mystery of the Incarnation. Nothing is lost. Nothing falls by the wayside. In Jesus Ch ..read more

(L-R) Angela Smith and Christine Patron of Mary Help of Christians In a historic shift, Pope Francis’s 2021 apostolic letter, Spiritus Domini, opened the door for women to serve officially as acolytes during the Catholic Mass.  This change has inspired women throughout our Archdiocese to answer the call, and the Catholic Voice spoke with Angela Smith and Christiane Patron of Mary Help of Christians Parish in South Woden to ask them about their experience as acolytes. In both cases, it was the seeds planted by the then parish priest, Fr Richard Thompson, after the Pope’s letter that led ..read more

The second Tim Fischer Oration for Ethics in Public and Political Life takes place in the Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra, on Wednesday, 7 August 2024, at 6pm. Helen Alvaré, Chair in Law and Liberty at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, USA, will give the Oration. Helen is a regular contributor in the public square, across many mediums, on the many moral and social challenges we face. Tim Fischer died in August 2019 after a distinguished career in politics and diplomacy. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1996 to 1999 and served with the Australian Army in ..read more

There are seven I AM statements in the Gospel of John. God told Moses to tell the people that his name is I AM (Exodus 3:14). Jesus walks on the water, assumes God’s name, and declares to the frightened disciples: I AM. Do not be afraid (John 6:20). John then immediately sets about ‘putting flesh’ on the name of God. Today we have the fourth: I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10). Christ is our Good Shepherd and we are his sheep, the only animal – apparently – not to go feral. According to St. John Vianney, priests are supposed to be good shepherds after the heart of Christ. Wh ..read more

L-R: Fr Xavier Francis IVDei and Fr Rofin Raphael IVDei from the Institute Voluntas Dei (India) to the Archdiocese with Fr Richard Thompson VG     Many parishioners across the Archdiocese will notice a new face on the sanctuary in several of our churches this Easter. New accents will test our listening abilities, and new names will be challenging to pronounce. I know I do. It is undoubtedly true that the face of our local Church is changing. This is not a new experience for our Church. Older parishioners will still remember trying to understand the heavy Irish accent of the priests ..read more

Synod on Synodality delegates in small groups in Rome listen on Oct. 4, 2023, to Pope Francis’ guidance for the upcoming weeks.   PARISHES within the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn will benefit greatly t from the creation of evangelisation circles in this Year of the Holy Spirit, according to Roger Paul. The Chair of the Blackfriars Parish renewal team said the church’s own circle, which has been running for several years, had been enlivened by the Year of the Holy Spirit. “We use it as a catalyst for continuing renewal,” he explained. “It is renewal based on the church’s mission ..read more

What does it mean to be a Fine Young Man? Marist College is answering that question with a whole school approach, adopted to support the spiritual, physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of individual boys. Assistant Head of School – Wellbeing and Engagement, Sarah Mahar, said the wellbeing framework, called Forming Fine Young Men, delivered explicit lessons to students. “The lessons draw upon research on character education, positive masculinity, respectful relationships, Catholic values, Marist Spirituality, and our hopes for our graduates,” she said. “Over the past five y ..read more

A Group of devout Catholic men set out from Sydney on their motorcycles to honour St Joseph. They stopped at any church in country NSW named after the great saint and patron of the universal church, for prayers, adoration and where possible – a celebration of the Eucharist.  They started off from St Joseph’s Kingswood in Sydney and went west to Lithgow, and Bathurst before heading to St Joseph’s in Orange for an overnight stop.  Next morning they headed south for a swing through the northern part of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, including staying for the evening in Goulb ..read more