“We are instruments of hope,” proclaimed Bishop Patrick O’Regan of Sale, at the commencement of the Commissioning and Blessing Mass for Catholic Social Services Victoria.

 

About 60 representatives from member organisations of Catholic Social Services Victoria gathered at MacKillop Family Services in South Melbourne today, to attend the annual gathering.

 

 

Better outcomes for people who are disadvantaged; a resilient Catholic Social Services sector that responds effectively to its changing environment; Catholic Social Teaching making a difference; prevention and response to child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and organisations; and effective communication and engagement with Church and communities are among the priorities laid out in the Catholic Social Services Victoria's Council strategic plan for 2017-2019, which was recently finalised.

All are invited and welcome to attend the Canberra launch of Catholic Social Services Victoria's book, Review, Reimagine, Renew: Mission making a difference in a changing world. Chief executive officer of Catholic Social Services Australia, Fr Frank Brennan SJ, will launch the book with colleagues on Monday 27 February 2017.

 

"I think you are familiar with the book, which investigates how faith-based service providers can flourish in an increasingly competitive ‘market’ while navigating the changes in the faith communities from which they have emerged," Fr Brennan said. 

The counter-cultural call of the Gospel, the affordable housing crisis, the Australia Day Honours - read about these issues and more in the CSSV February newsletter.

 

 

 

Christmas greetings to members and friends of Catholic Social Services Victoria!

 

Thanks to Fr Andy Hamilton sj of Eurkea Street / Jesuit Social Services for his recent Christmas reflection on the challenges faced by people around the world: “We may give up our hopes for a just and peaceful world, retire from it as gracefully as we can, accept the victory of power, wealth and brutality, and allow hope to die within us. Or we can return to the Christmas story and to the hope that is central to it, and work and pray for the death of the new political order. This is the path of constancy, of faithfulness to little people in small things, of being a midwife in the hard labours of a Birth like Death.”