Volunteering is a precious free resource made available by generous people for the benefit of others, for the Church and our communities. It is giving one's time and personal resources in the service of others. In this it is close to the heart of the Scriptures, where service runs deeply through the history of God's relationship with his people. Are we making the most of this resource, or can we do better?

Melbourne Catholic magazine attended the inaugural Catholic Mass in Arabic at St Ambrose’s Church, Brunswick on 4 March, 2017.  It had been Fr Samir Haddad’s long aspiration to lead the Mass in Arabic for people from Syria and other parts of the Middle East where the Mass is said in Arabic.  At last his dream became reality.

Come and walk in solidarity with parishes, organisations and many others Walking for Justice for refugees and people seeking asylum.  Last year an estimated 15,000 people attended the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice. Come and hear about the current needs and priorities of people seeking asylum and what is being done to support them. 

Competition and efficiently working markets have their role to play, but collaboration not competition, mission not markets should be the drivers of social service delivery in the 21^st century, according to a recent article by Denis Fitzgerald from Catholic Social Services Victoria.  Related to this, faith-based bodies can only achieve their potential in service and advocacy and be true to their prophetic calling if they also develop and advance a new vision of a society that would be informed by the needs of all.