Jesuit Social Services has launchedtwo new podcast series; the first is co-produced between its Support After Suicide program, Joy 94.9 and Switchboard Victoria, and provides support, conversation and comfort to people affected by suicide. The second podcast series is called Braided, which was produced by its Artful Dodgers Studios and captures stories of young people.

Jesuit Social Services is pleased to announce that applications for the fourth round of the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program, which seeks to increase the representation of African-Australians from refugee and other backgrounds in Victoria Police, are now open! Successful applicants will commence the Victoria University 15 week Course in Policing Recruitment Pathway, which is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm-9pm, on 31 March 2020. Applications close 19 February 2020.

Wellsprings for Women has received a grant from RACV Community Foundation to support its ‘Creative Enterprising Women’ program, designed to help vulnerable and isolated migrant and refugee women to build confidence and know-how that would enable them to utilise their existing skills either as a source to earn an income or to contribute to help others in the community.

Congratulations to Sr Mary O'Shannassy, who recently celebrated 25 years of working in Prison Ministry. Sr Mary said, “To be with, to sit with, to walk with, to loiter with people that are considered right down there. There is preciousness in each one of them and it just takes time to be with them, to sit with them, and to be privileged to share the sacredness of the story that has brought them to be who they are. So these 25 years have been a gift to me.” As an aside, Sr Mary defines chaplaincy as ‘loitering with intent’.

Santa ditched his reindeer in favour of completing a very special delivery in Victoria’s first locally built, fully electric bus with the Minister for Public Transport, Melissa Horne. Together with Transdev, they collected and delivered donated Christmas gifts for kids in foster care and residential care, as part of MacKillop Family Services Annual Christmas Drive. The gifts generously donated by local schools and businesses to ensure kids in care can have a present to open on Christmas Day.

VincentCare's redeveloped Ozanam House opened in July 2019. Supported with a grant from Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, this project has increased the supply of affordable housing at Ozanam House to include crisis accommodation, transitional accommodation for men and women who are recovering from a period of homelessness and long-term independent living units for men and women aged over 50 who have experienced homelessness.

On 1 December 2019 the Catholic community hosted the annual Holding The Light Ecumenical Prayer Service at St Francis’ Church in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. This service commemorates, honours and prays for all women who have died during 2019 as a result of Domestic Violence.

Sixteen people gathered on Thursday 28 November 2019 at St Joseph’s By The Sea Spirituality Centre for the Catholic Social Services Victoria workshop entitled Walking The Land with Catholic Social Teaching. This third workshop for the year is the ‘coastal walk’ with the key principles of Catholic Social Teaching seen through the lens of Integral Ecology which is so richly presented throughout Pope Francis’ Laudato Si – On Care for Our Common Home. 

"Occasionally an article comes across my desk that provokes me to stop and contemplate the important messages in it. Biong Biong, Executive Officer of Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services has written one of those punching articles that has impacted me professionally and personally." - Mark Monahan, Executive Officer of Edmund Rice Services - Mt Atkinson

It is with pleasure that we formally announce the appointment of Mr Joshua Lourensz as the new Executive Director of Catholic Social Services Victoria.