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.

 

Wellsprings for Women was honoured to attend Government House on 19 November to receive the Community Innovation Award from the Governor of Victoria, the Hon Linda Dessau AC, as part of Victoria’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence. This award recognised the achievements of Wellspring’s beloved program, Cooking: The Art of Belonging. View more photos on Wellsprings' Facebook page, here. 

VMCH will be at the Seniors and Disability Expo on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November, Booth G5 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, from 9am-3pm. As one of Victoria’s largest Home Care Packages providers, VMCH offer services to those who want to stay in their own home and remain connected to the community but require some extra support. They are also providers of help at home, allied health and therapy, carer support, respite services and day and overnight accommodation.

McAuley Community Services for Women has launched two reports from Deloitte Access Economics analysing the value of its work and longer-term benefits for women supported. Together the reports provide a rich and nuanced picture of the outcomes and effectiveness of McAuley’s interventions for women who have experienced homelessness, family violence and mental health issues. Read more from McAuley and access the reports, here.

Red Wednesday starts today, 20 November! Between 20-27 November, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne will be taking a stand for the millions of people around the world who are being persecuted for their peacefully-held religious beliefs. St Patrick's cathedral will be floodlit in red each night during this week.Join us today (20 November) at the 12 noon Mass at St Mary of the Cross Chapel, Australian Catholic University, 8 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Tonight at 8.30pm, there is the "Walk of Witness", starting at the birthplace of St Mary MacKillop, 7 Brunswill Street, Fitzroy, finishing at St Patrick's cathedral.

Jesuit Social Services has joined 17 other organisations spanning Northern Territory social and community services, environmental organisations and community groups to release a joint statement today welcoming the NT Government’s positive steps towards a comprehensive climate change response and calling on the Government to take bolder action to reduce emissions and map a clear path to a fair, equitable clean energy transition for all Territorians.

Read the statement here.