index

Position Vacant - Bathurst
The Diocese of Bathurst is looking for a Catholic Prison Chaplain for
Bathurst Correctional Centre. MORE.....

Position Vacant - Broome
The Diocese of Broome, WA, requires volunteers to assist with the work of the local Church on Aboriginal Missions. There are various important voluntary tasks.....MORE

DIOCESAN APPOINTMENTS

New Vicar General

Administrator for Oberon
Bishop McKenna has accepted with regret the resignation, for reasons of health, of the Rev Adrian Horgan, Parish Priest of Oberon, effective 31 December 2011. He has appointed the Rev Mark McGuigan as Administrator of Oberon, effective 1 January 2012. Father Mark will continue as Chancellor of the Diocese.

New CDF Chairman
Bishop McKenna has also appointed Father Mark McGuigan as Chairman of the Board of the Catholic Development Fund.

Parish changes
The Bishop has appointed the Rev Greg Kennedy, in addition to his duties as Parish Priest of Coonabarabran, Adminstrator of the Parish of Coonamble, effective 7th January 2012.

The former Administrator, Rev Martin O’Mahony, Parish Priest of Gilgandra, will continue to care for the Eucharistic Community of Gulargambone.

Rev Carl Mackander, Parish Priest of Dunedoo/Coolah, will take on the care of the Eucharistic Community of Binnaway from 7th January 2012.

The Bishop has apopinted Rev Ephrem Thadathil CMI as Assistant Priest in the Parish of Orange, effective 7th January 2012. Father Ephrem was previously Assistant Priest in the Gilgandra Parish.

Bishop Michael McKenna has appointed the Reverend Patrick O'Regan, Dean of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John, as his new Vicar General. This appointment follows on the retirement of Reverend A. F. (Hugh) Delaney. MORE....

New Bishop announced for Armidale Diocese
Wagga Wagga priest Fr Michael Kennedy, currently PP of Leeton in NSW, has been appointed Bishop of Armidale today following the resignation of Bishop Luc Matthys having reached the age limit. Announcement from Apostolic Nuncio.....Bishop Luc Matthys welcomes appointment......... Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Photo courtesy of The Irrigator Newspaper, Leeton, NSW

Advent - not easy to understand
"The season of Advent is not so easy for us to understand and celebrate. This is especially so in Australia, where it comes at the beginning of summer, as the working year concludes and the beaches and barbeques beckon"

"In the crowded days of December, it is easier to dance to the distractions of this world than to move with the rhythms of the Church’s year" writes Bishop McKenna in an Advent Reflection for 'Cath News Perspective'. MORE.....

Advent Novena
Bishop McKenna will observe the Advent Novena by offering Mass each day in the churches of the Cathedral Parish, from Saturday 17th December. MORE.....

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? With Global Gifts 2011, avoid the traffic, queues and stress by shopping online with Caritas Australia! There are nine gift ideas to choose from, including:

Go online and experience the true meaning of Christmas and give to those who have less. You really will be making a world of difference to people’s lives. And please remember that all Global Gifts are tax-deductible.

Cowra Ladies celebrate
St Raphael’s (Cowra) Ladies finished the year with a morning tea at the Breakout Brassiere.

Each lady brought a gift for the Vinnies Christmas Appeal.

Elves Len and Ken arrived to pick up the presents and take them to Santa Claus. A big ‘thank you’ ladies to all who contributed gifts. A special thanks to Carmel and her team for another job well done. MORE.....

Australian Bishops' Plenary wraps up
The Bishops of Australia have been meeting in Sydney this past week at thier Plenary Meeting which will finish today.

The topics they discussed were many and varied and they were addressed by several guest speakers. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda was one of these. Chair of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Bishop Christopher Prowse welcomed the Commissioner and affirmed that Commissioner Gooda presented an “agenda of hope.” MORE.....

At the meeting, the Bishops expressed solidarity with the Coptic Christian community in Egypt. In recent months, sectarian violence has plagued the country. MORE.....

The new English translation of the Roman Missal was also officially launched by the President of the Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, during the Plenary. MORE.....

Year of Grace Website Launched
The Year of Grace proclaimed by the Australian Catholic Bishops will take place from Pentecost 2012 to Pentecost 2013

A new website dedicated to the Year has been launched. In his introduction to it, Archbishop Mark Coleridge says "We warmly welcome you to this site and hope that it will be a space of prayer; a place to seek resources and a place of information for you as we go on this journey together in the Catholic Church in Australia. MORE.....

Bishop announces retirement of Vicar General

At the conclusion of the Diocese of Bathurst Priests Retreat this week,

I announced that Father Hugh Delaney would be stepping down from his post as Vicar General at the end of the year. Father Delaney has served the Diocese, under four of her eight Bishops, with great dedication and distinction,as Parish Priest, Inspector of Schools and, for the last two decades, as Vicar General. Father Delaney will continue his valuable pastoral work with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Christian Meditation Groups. He and I will keep under review his membership of various Diocesan Boards and Committees.

I hope that you will join me in prayers of thanks to God for Father Delaney and that the Lord will bless him richly in the days to come.

+ Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurs

Pope appoints Administrator to Brisbane
Pope Benedict has approved the retirement of Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane and appointed Lismore's Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett as Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese.

Bishop Jarrett, who turns 74 this year, will administer the Archdiocese until the Pope appoints a permanent replacement. He practised as an Anglican priest before moving to the Catholic Church in 1965. MORE..... ARCHBISHOP BATHERSBY'S STATEMENT.....

Year of Grace explained in Wellington

Father Peter Brock OAM has been appointed by the Australian Catholic Bishops as Project Officer for the Year of Grace.

Yesterday, he travelled to Wellington at the invitation of Bishop McKenna, to begin explaining to the people of our Diocese what this special Year is all about

60 Parish Priests, Pastoral Associates, Parish Secretaries, Pastoral Associates and Aspirant Deacons from around the Diocese were invited to attend the In-Service Day MORE..... SUMMARY OF THE YEAR OF GRACE..... NOVO MILLENNIO INEUNTE

Help 'Boat People' by Increasing Settlement Places
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office offered condolences to the victims of the
terrible tragedy off the coast of Indonesia. Director of ACMRO, Fr Pettená, said “This tragedy heightens the need to provide legal pathwaysand more space within our humanitarian program. Australia has been content to resettle around 13,500 refugees per a year for over a decade, while this is generous in comparison to many countries; it is simply not enough”.

“If Australia is serious about stopping the boats there needs to be an alternative which alleviates the suffering of those living in exile. By increasing our number of resettlement places it takes pressure off poor countries of first asylum and transit countries”. MORE.....

Pope Benedict opens Domus Australia in Rome
The Pope spoke fondly of his visit to Australia as he opened the new Australian Pilgrimage Centre - Domus Australia - in Rome.

"I recall with particular gratitude the warmth of the hospitality that was extended to me when I visited your country for World Youth Day in 2008 and now have the opportunity to reciprocate by welcoming all of you to Rome," he said "I pray that Saint Mary will continue to inspire many Australians".

The Australian Catholic Bishops, in Rome on their Ad Limina visit, were present as Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims at Domus Australia he hoped they would feel at home in the Eternal City. More..... RADIO VATICAN..... XT3 WEBCAST..... DOMUS AUSTRALIA .....

Pope Benedict XVI will officially open the new Australian pilgrim centre, Domus Australia, on Wednesday 19th October in Rome.This is Australia’s first religious and cultural pilgrim centre in Rome and guests from Australia will join those from Rome in welcoming the Holy Father.

Guests will include Australia’s first resident Ambassador to the Holy See, Tim Fischer, as well as Cardinals and Senior Clergy of the Vatican, the Australian bishops attending the ad limina in Rome, Australian religious and clergy living, working or studying in Rome. MORE.....

Continuing the long established Church tradition of providing accommodation for pilgrims to holy places, Domus Australia is much more than a place to rest, it is a religious and cultural centre for pilgrims to Rome. Read More about Domus Australia HERE.

The official opening will take place at 5.30pm Wednesday 19 October Rome time or 2.30am Thursday 20 October AEST. The opening will be streamed live on xt3 on the following link www.xt3.com/domus.

As this time will be in the early hours of the morning in Australia the webcast will be available on demand from later in the morning.

For a promo clip of the webcast go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk-lEUcaNJE.

Historic anniversary to be commemorated
When Bishop Michael returns from his Ad Limina visit to Rome, he will celebrate the 181st anniversary of the first Mass offered west of the Blue Mountains, in Kelso, on All Saints Day (Holy Family Kelso - 10.00am)

Bishop McKenna on Ad Limina Visit
Bishop Michael McKenna has left for meetings with Pope Benedict and his advisers in Rome this month.

He joins forty other Australian bishops who are making the Ad Limina visit. Every five years or so, each diocesan bishop reports on the condition of his local church and its mission.

The report is discussed during the ancient pilgrimage the bishop makes to pray at the shrines of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Major Basilica of St Mary and the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, St John Lateran.

Bishop Michael will return to celebrate the 181st anniversary of the first Mass offered west of the Blue Mountains, in Kelso, on All Saints Day (Holy Family Church, Kelso - 10.00am)

Please keep our Bishops in your prayers during their Ad Limina

New Executive Director of Schools announced

Episcopal Vicar for Education, Father Paul Devitt, has announced the appointment by Bishop McKenna of Mrs Jenny Allen as Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Bathurst.

Mrs Allen will take up her new position in early 2012. Until then, Mr Brian Morrissey will continue as Acting Director, a role he has undertaken since the departure of the previous EDS, Mr Peter Hill, in early September. MORE.....

SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY ~ 25th September 2011
Building Bridges, Not Walls ~ Prisons and the justice system
This is the theme of this year's Social Justice Sunday and the Social Justice Statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. The words of the Bishops urge us all to think about the conditions of our prisons and to ask 'who are most likely to find themselves there?'.

Read the Media Release from Bishop McKenna for Social Justice Sunday HERE

Between 1984 and 2008, the number of Australians in prison per 100,000 people almost doubled. Over that time however, rates of crime either remained steady or fell. The majority of Australian prisoners come from the most disadvantaged secions of the community. Given these facts, we must ask if the justice system is truly delivering justice to our community.

Read the Bishops' Social Justice Statement HERE. Read an article from our own Diocesan Prison Chaplains in the current CATHOLIC OBSERVER.

POSITION VACANT
A vacancy exists for an Admin Assistant in the Chancery Office in Bathurst. MORE.....

SPREADING GOOD NEWS - The Newsletter of Special Religious Educators in the Bathurst Diocese. Read the Term 4 - September 2011 issue HERE

Coonamble Principal to retire
Sue Hargans will soon retire as Principal of Saint Brigid’s School in Coonamble on Friday 14th October 2011. Sue took up the position in 1995 and during her many years at the School, she has been an innovative “hands on” leader to her staff and pupils.

The School Community will celebrate her stellar reign with a Mass in the Church at 6pm on that day, followed a supper in the school grounds. All ex-students, parents/carers, friends and interested community people are more than welcome to attend. MORE.....

Literary and Visual stars in Mudgee
Literary and visual arts are alive and well in St. Matthew’s Mudgee with two students recently making an impression in National and State competitions.

Congratulations to Jai Gunton (Yr 9) who recently participated in a prestigious national photography competition and Isabella Harris (Yr 6) who has achieved a bronze award in the WriteOn 2011 competition. MORE....

School Captains foster links with Parish in Bathurst
Holy Family School Kelso Year 6 School Captains recently attended the Cathedral Parish Anointing Mass.

Fathers Pat O'Regan, Mark McGuigan and Tony Mannix celebrated the Mass for local Bathurst parishioners and the students took the opportunity to foster their already close links with the Cathedral Parish. MORE.....

Kicking Cancer at Portland
The staff and students of St Joseph's School Portland joined in the fun on Friday 9th September for Footy Colours Day 2011 to help raise money to fight cancer.

Everyone in our community has been touched by cancer in some way. Sometimes by knowing someone or a family member or friend who has suffered from the disease or even lost someone they know through the disease. MORE.....

School Funding Facts
There has been a lot of information in the media lately about levels of Funding to Catholic Schools. The National Catholic Education Commission has established a special website dedicated to this important topic. MORE.....

Seeking Lost Palms
In 2011/12 Palms Australia will be celebrating its Jubilee Year and is seeking to renew contact with all those who have volunteered for mission service with Palms since 1961. MORE ....

Former Human Rights Commissioner to come to Bathurst
Dr Sev Ozdowski, former Human Rights Commissioner, will be the keynote speaker at a dinner hosted by the Bathurst Refugee Support Group. Some of the night's proceeds will go towards the Kath Knowles House of Welcome. MORE.....

Bishop Michael McKenna and Anglican Bishop Richard Hurford are Patrons of the Group. MORE.....

Bishops call for support for East Africa
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) calls on the Australian community to pledge support for Caritas Australia’s East Africa Crisis Appeal. “Our brothers and sisters in East Africa are in the grip of a grave humanitarian crisis. As prolonged drought and extreme food insecurity threaten the lives of millions, we must be steadfast in our compassionate support,” ACBC President Archbishop Philip Wilson said. MORE.....

Bishops unite to support local Refugee Support Group
Bishop Michael McKenna and Anglican Bishop of Bathurst, Bishop Richard Hurford, visited Rahamim (Ecological Learning Centre) in solidarity with the Bathurst Refugee Support Group to welcome a group of 20 Chaldean Christian women who came for a retreat weekend with STARTTS (Service for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Trauma Survivors). MORE.....

Vocations Awareness Week 2011 runs from Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th August
Vocations Awareness Week fruns from Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th August 2011. The first Sunday focuses on the vocations of marriage, family and committed single life; the second on the diaconate, priesthood and religious life.

The week provides an opportunity for all Australian dioceses, parishes, schools, religious communities, youth and campus ministers, and other Catholic organisations, to focus at the same time on the 'call to holiness' (i.e. the Christian Vocation) that arises from our Baptism, and thus to further foster a Vocations Culture across Australia. Information and resources are available at our Diocesan Vocations Website www.bathurstvocations.org.au

Feast Day of St. Mary MacKillop
Each year on 8th August, the 'feast day' of Mary MacKillop has traditionally been marked in parishes and a special Mass is often said, particularly in places where the Sisters of St. Joseph have a presence.

Today is special. It marks the firs time the day will be celebrated as a Solemnity, following approval from the Congregation for Divine Worship. MORE.....

New Vocations Resource available
Vocations Directors, Father Pat O’Regan (Bathurst) and Father Greg Bellamy (Mudgee) have produced some great Vocations material for schools and parishes, to coinside with next month's Vocation's Awareness Week - www.bathurstvocations.org.au. "A healthy local church welcomes seminarians and priests from other places, but also produces its own" (Bp Michael McKenna).

WYD Countdown is on!
Next week, 22 pilgrims from the Diocese of Bathurst, joined by 3 from the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, head to Spain for WYD 2011. Bishop McKenna will also be among around 4,000 Australian pilgrims headed for a spiritual experience they will never forget.

A word from Gabrielle Sinclair
Pilgrim Profile - Lucy Bryan
Ancient Pilgram Prayer

Welfare of human beings must outweigh policy decisions
The welfare of all migrants is paramount and outweighs any policy which punishes 800 asylum seekers who in desperation turn to people smugglers for help, said Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) Director Fr Maurizio Pettenà. MORE....

ACMRO was established by the Australian Catholic's Bishops' Conference in 1995 and is responsible to the ACBC through the Bishops' Commission for Pastoral Life. MORE.....

Lectio Divina
"Lectio Divina", a Latin term, means "divine reading" and describes a way of reading the Scriptures whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves to what God wants to say to us. It is intended to promote communion with God and to provide special spiritual insights.

In his recent message on the Word of God, Pope Benedict outlined this simple method of prayerfully reading Scripture. MORE....

Winning Ways at St. Raphaels
At the conclusion of each semester at St Raphael’s School in Cowra, excellence in various areas of school life is rewarded. In a school population of almost 500 students, there are many High Achievers, and competition for awards is stiff.

Semester One awards for 2011 focused on Academic Achievement. MORE.....

Acting Director of Schools Appointed
Bishop Michael McKenna has appointed Mr Brian Morrissey as Acting Director following the resignation of Executive Director of Schools, Mr Peter Hill. Mr Morrissey was once Principal of De La Salle Academy in Lithgow and is currently Team Leader, Administrative Services, with the Catholic Education Office Bathurst. MORE.....

Bishop appoints Director of Catholic Mission
Bishop McKenna has announced the appointment of Mr Michael Deasy as Director of Catholic Mission for the Diocese of Bathurst.

Mr Deasy will take over the role from Mr Glenn Smith. He is well known in the Diocese from his affiliation with the Catholic Development Fund in the early 1980s. MORE.....

Violence continues in Sudan
As South Sudan prepares to become the world’s newest country on 9th July, humanitarian organisations are deeply concerned about heavy fighting in the disputed border areas between North and South Sudan. Between January and mid-May 2011, over 117,000 people were displaced and almost 1,400 killed in South Sudan alone, more deaths than in all of 2010. MORE.....

Playing in Bathurst
The Cathedral Playgroup meets fortnightly at the Cathedral Parish Centre .

Parents of young children are always welcome to come along with their children and join in. MORE.....

Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Weekend for married couples ~ 15th to 17th July 2011
St. Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre, Douglas Park, NSW
Bookings: 02 4283 3435 or www.wwme.org.au

Busy at St. Brigid's
Teachers and students from the schools in our Diocese are now all enjoying a well-earned break. Before the holidays however, St. Brigid's School in Coonamble was busy with visits to their local aged care facility and celebrating NAIDOC week. MORE.....

Father Brian Lucas presents Seminar in Bathurst
Father Brian Lucas, General Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference recently facilitated a seminar at Merrick Hall in Kelso on 'The Catholic Church in Australia - Structure, Organisation and Governance'. Fr Lucas spoke to our Catholic Education Council, members of Diocesan and Parish Finance committees and others. MORE.....

Bishop commissions new Committee
Bishop Michael McKenna commissioned members of the newly established Cathedral Restoration Fund Committee at the Cathedral of St Michael and St. John on 29^th June 2011. The day was also the Feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral.
Committee members and co-patrons, Mr Paul Toole and Mrs Maureen Pike, attended the 5.45pm Mass on the Solemnity of St. Peter and Paul. MORE....

Bishop writes Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist
Sunday 26th June 2011 is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi. Bishop McKenna has written a Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist to God's People of the Diocese of Bathurst. "The great feast of Corpus Christi is about more than the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is about more than the Eucharist..." MORE.....

Catholic Observer in parishes this weekend
The second issue of the 'new-look' Catholic Observer magazine will be in Churches this weekend.

The Observer features Bishop McKenna's Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist, highlights from the recent Catholic Schools Week, an article by our most recent candidate for ordination, information about the Diocese's World Youth Day pilgrimage and stories and photos from around the Diocese. MORE.....

Restoration Fund Committee to be Commissioned
Bishop McKenna will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John in Bathurst on Wednesday 29th June 2011, the Feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral. Bishop will Commission members of a newly formed Cathedral Restoration Fund Committee who will shortly begin work to raise funds that will allow the restoration of our beloved Cathedral. Everyone is welcome to the Mass on Wednesday. at 5.45pm. MORE.....

Historic Ordination of our first Asian-born Bishop
Bishop McKenna was among the Australian Bishops who travelled to Melbourne for the Ordination of Bishop Vincent Long in St. Patrick's Cathedral on 23rd June 2011. The historic ordination was witnessed by thousands, including many people from Australia's proud Vietnamese community.
The Bishop escaped from Vietnam as a 'boat person' in 1980 and says that he is proud to be Australian - "..... The way I, a former refugee, stand before, you is a testament to the fair go mentality that has shaped this great nation of ours," he said. MORE.....

Refugee Week 2011
Refugee Week 2011 will be celebrated from Sunday, June 19 to Saturday, June 25, to coincide with World Refugee Day (June 20). Refugee Week aims to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. MORE....

New Appointments for Greek-Melkite Eparchy
The Apostolic Nunciature in Australia has advised that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed the election if the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Church of the Most Rev Issam Darwish as Greek-Melkite Archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol (Lebanon) and has appointed Rt. Rev Archimandrite Robert Rabbat as Bishop of the Greek-Melkite Eparchy of St. Michael the Archangel of Sydney. MORE.....

New Candidate for the Priesthood
Bishop McKenna celebrated the 12.30pm Mass on Tuesday,14th June, at St. Patrick’s Church in Lithgow where he admitted Reynold Jaboneta as a Candidate for Ordination to the Priesthood. Reynold has become a familiar face in the Lithgow parish, spllitting his time working there and studying.

Since his arrival in Bathurst last year, the Bishop and Reynold have been discerning his future. The Bishop asks that you pray for Reynold "as he and we enter the final phase of discernment and formation before a decision and commitment to Ordination is made". All are welcome at the Rite of Admission Mass.

Week of Prayer to be celebrated this week
The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated from 5th to 12th June 2011 with the theme of "One in the Apostles' Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread and Prayer"

This year's theme, offered for our meditation by the Churches in Jerusalem, invites Christians everywhere to pause and reflect on their relation to the mother Church of Jerusalem, so as to look afresh at our own situations. It is from this Jerusalem community that all other communities are born. MORE....

Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations
Recently, the Serra Club of Bathurst, with the support and blessings of Bishop Michael McKenna, held a period of extended Eucharistic Adoration for the support of the clergy and to pray for an increase in all vocations – priestly, religious and secular – in the Diocese. MORE.....

Final Statement from Christian-Islamic Summit
Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand, the Most Rev Issam John Darwish, has released the final statement from the Christian-Islamic Summit held in May.

The Summit was initiated by the Australian Christian-Islamic Friendship Society. MORE.....

45th World Communications Day on Sunday 5th June
The Catholic church will celebrate the 45th World Communications Day, a day which recognises the immense gift of the media and communication at service of the Word. MORE....

Click here for an edited version of Pope Benedict XVI message. MORE....

Years 5 and 6 Gold Excursion, St Joseph's Blayney
Years 5 and 6 from St Joseph’s Blayney recently braved the cold weather conditions and went on an adventurous excursion to the Bathurst Goldfields. Students were very excited and couldn’t wait to see how people lived during the Gold rush era. MORE....

CCRESS Bi-Annual Conference
The Archdiocese of Sydney’s CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) hosted the bi-annual conference for CCRESS (Catholic Conference of Religious Educators in State Schools) recently and our Diocesan Director of CCD, Helen Ryan, attended. MORE.....

Biggest Morning Tea
Several groups within the Diocese came together at Biggest Morning Tea events in May to raise money for the Cancer Council. MORE ....

Catholic Mission
In 2010, Bathurst Diocese contributed $97,253 to Catholic Mission, up $7,000 on 2009 figures. Catholic schools also showed great support by raising an additional $10,644 for Mission Month. MORE ....

Rahamim
Awakening Your Spirit Within, Saturday 25 — Sunday 26 June 2011 with Tarnie Fulloon. In this deeply nourishing two-day workshop you will learn ways to find your aliveness, connection and joy within. MORE ... information and a registration form.

e-Conference opportunity appreciated
The recent e-Conference - Holy Spirit, Giver of Life - was greatly appreciated by those who attended the sessions in Dubbo and Orange. A joint initiative of the Broken Bay Institute and the Australian Catholic Bishops, this was the 5th such e-Conference, with another planned for later this year. MORE.....

Launch of bathurstvocations.org.au
A new vocations website for the Diocese of Bathurst has been launched. The aim of this website is to allow our young people access to resources, ideas and personal stories to

Bishop McKenna's Easter Message
Christ is risen! Forgiveness and new life can be found in him! Alleluia

In his Easter Message for 2011, Bishop McKenna asks us to renew your willingness to share the good news with our neighbours: and to be ready to explore practical ways to do it. MORE.....

Read Bishop Michael's Good Friday Reflection

Message to the Diocese of Toowoomba
Archbishop Philip Wilson, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference writes to Bishop Brian Finnigan, Apostolic Administrator, on
behalf of the Australian Bishops, regarding the retirement of Bishop Bill Morris. MORE ....

Diocese to participate in e-conference
For the third consecutive year, The Broken Bay Institute, in conjunction with the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, is facilitating an e-conference on 19th May 2011.

There will be two venues in the Diocese where you can participate. MORE....

Good Shepherd Sunday
Bishop Michael McKenna, Fr Pat O’Regan, Dean of the Cathedral, and the Serra Club of Bathurst wish to invite you to . . . Pray for vocations, Pray for priests, Pray for more priests from our diocese. Please join in communion with the whole parish for an Extended Period of Eucharistic Adoration for Good Shepherd Sunday (4^th Sunday of Easter, 13-14 May). MORE . . .

Pray for Priests
On Good Shepherd Sunday, I ask you to join me in praying for priests. Let us pray in gratitude and intercession for the priests that God has given us. Let us pray that God will send us more. MORE . . . .

Indigenous employment: the most basic form of social justice
In his message for the Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker (1st May), Bishop Christopher Saunders, Chairman of Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders past and present.

Each day, Bishop Saunders said, Indigenous leaders witness how high unemployment undermines living conditions, drains communities of basic services and robs future generations of opportunities the majority of us take for granted.. MORE.....

Cowra girl's best foot forward for Caritas
When Jessica Meyers, a Y8 student at St Raphael’s in Cowra, was discussing how to make the world a better place in her Religion class, she knew she wanted to do something. Jess decided on a 20 km walk to raise money for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion and after a four hour walk, had raised $2,310.25 to help those less fortunate than herself. MORE.....

Beatification of John Paul II this Sunday
Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) will be beatified by His Holiness Pope Benedict on the Feast of Divine Mercy, 1st May 2011.

The late Pontiff had a deep devotion to his fellow Pole Sr. Faustina Kowalska and to the Divine Mercy devotion identified with her.

Local woman Jane Chifley recorded a song for the death of JPII - Hey John Paul - and has re-posted it on u-tube for the occasion of his Beatification. MORE.....

Bishop McKenna's Easter Message
Christ is risen! Forgiveness and new life can be found in him! Alleluia

In his Easter Message for 2011, Bishop McKenna asks us to renew your willingness to share the good news with our neighbours: and to be ready to explore practical ways to do it. MORE.....

New Auxiliary Bishop appointed for Sydney Archdiocese
The Apostolic Nunciature has announced the appointment of Rev Peter A Comensoli as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Sydney.

A priest of the Wollongong Diocese, Fr Comensoli is 47 years old and is currently a lecturer at the Catholic Institute Sydney as well as having a parish ministry at Holy Cross Parish, Helensburg. MORE.....

Archibishop Wilson welcomes new appointment. MORE.....

Celebrating Families and Church
Josh, Anna and Lucy Clayton from the Cathedral Parish in Bathurst were lucky enough to attend the recent National Family Gathering in Melbourne. The thrid event of its kind, 'Share the Dream' was a wonderful affirmation of marriage and family and their pivotal role in our Church. MORE.....

More information at 'Share the Dream' website

Solemnity for Australia's First Saint
Australia’s first Saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, has been honoured like no other Australian with her feast day now named as a solemnity, in recognition that devotion to the Saint has a prominent place in the Australian Catholic community.

Each year on the 8^th of August the “feast day” of Mary MacKillop has traditionally been marked in parishes and a special Mass is often said, particularly in places where the Sisters of Saint Joseph have a presence. A solemnity will mean that the Mass of the day will include a first reading as well as the second reading. It will also include the Gospel, the Gloria and the recitation of the Creed. MORE.....

Priests of Diocese celebrate Chrism Mass
The priests of the Diocese of Bathurst concelebrated the annual Chrism Mass with Bishop Michael McKenna in the Cathedral on the evening of 11th April.

During the Mass, the Holy Oils which the priests will use in their ministry during the coming year were blessed and consecrated. Bishop McKenna reminded the congregation of the ancient practice of anointing and its 'connection between the earthly and the Divine'. PHOTOS.....

The day was also the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cathedral. BISHOP'S HOMILY.....

Josephites meet in Bathurst
The Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph held their annual conference in Bathurst last week.

During the conference, Perthville Congregation Leader, Sr Therese McGarry, was elected vice-president of the Australian-Aotearoa/New Zealand Federation. MORE.....

New-look Catholic Observer being well received
Feedback from the new-look Catholic Observer has been very positive.

The Observer has been our Diocesan newspaper since the 1960s. Now the it has undergone a face-lift and its format has been changed to a quarto magazine, printed quarterly, with more news being posted on a daily basis on this website.

The Easter issue should be in your Churches now, and you can also view the magazine electronically HERE.....

Vatican sends greetings to Buddists for feast of Vesakh
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has sent a message to Buddhist Communities for the Feast of Vesakh (also called Buddha Day) - the most important day in the Buddist calendar. The day honouring the birth of Buddha will be celebrated in Australia on either 10th or 17th May. MORE.....

NCEC contributes to Review of Funding for Schooling
Catholic schools educate over 704,000 children - 1 in 5 Australian children - in 1700 schools across the country. The Catholic school sector is the second largest provider of school education in Australia and has played a vital role in educating Australia’s children within our faith tradition for 170 years. The National Catholic Education Commission has now released its Submission to the Review of Funding for Schooling. MORE....

New buildings a boon to Blayney
St Joseph’s Catholic School in Blayney has a new $1.1 million school library and multi-purpose hall building. It was official opened for learning on 31^st March 2011 with staff, students and members of the community gathered to inspect the new learning facility.

The Sisters of St. Joseph were special guests at the opening. MORE.....

Strengthening Parish and School links
Holy Family School Year 5 students recently took up an invitation from Dean of the Cathedral, Fr Pat O'Regan, to participate in the recent Cathedral Parish Anointing Mass, giving them a great sense of the bond between Parish and School. MORE.....

Journey towards Easter continues with The Reflection
It's not too late to take part in this Lenten Reflection with our Australian Catholic Bishops.

This week, in this enormously popular on-line reflection on the Scriptures, you can listen to our own Bishop Michael McKenna's talking about the readings tor week five of Lent. MORE.......

New Bishop appointed to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, has announced the appointment of a new Bishop to the Diocese
of Maitland-Newcastle. MORE.....

Bishop Michael McKenna also welcomed the appointment. MORE.....

Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. MORE.....

Photo courtesy of Kerry Myers - Catholic Weekly

Discrepancies in education funding highlighted
A primary school student enrolled in a local public school in Bathurst receives up to twice the government funding allocated to a student in a similar size Catholic school according to a report by Western Advocate Editor Murray Nicholls. MORE.....

Mudgee hosts WYD fund-raiser
St. Mary's Parish in Mudgee recently hosted its annual fund raising dinner - to support Mudgee's World Youth Day Pilgrims travelling to Madrid in August this year. Special guest speaker was Mrs Kath Evans, the reciepant of the second miracle leading to the canonisation of Mary MacKillop. MORE.....

Pope to make Peace Pilgrimage to Assisi
Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he wished to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic meeting that took place in Assisi on 27 October 1986. On the day of the anniversary, 27th October this year, the Holy Father intends to hold a Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world, making a pilgrimage to the home of Saint Francis and inviting fellow Christians from different denominations, representatives of the world’s religious traditions and, in some sense, all men and women of good will, to join him once again on this journey. MORE.....

Just a cuppa - or a just cuppa?
The Fairfrade Coffee Company supplies Certified Fairtrade and Organic coffee and drinking chocolate, guaranteeing a fair wage to producers and reducing their environmental impact. MORE.....

All proceeds from sales go towards the global poverty reduction work of Palms Australia. MORE.....

New-look Catholic Observer ready to launch
The Catholic Observer newspaper has been the Diocesan publication of the Diocese of Bathurst since the 1960s.

Now the Observer has undergone a face-lift! In keeping with the times, a lot more of our news is now being uploaded to this website and the Observer is being published as a quarterly magazine.

The 'new' Observer will be available in your Church on Sunday 10th April 2011. MORE.....

Diocese to participate in e-conference in next month
For the third consecutive year, The Broken Bay Institute, in conjunction with the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, is facilitating an e-conference on 19th May 2011.

The Holy Spirit - Giver of Life is the subject of this next e-conference.

Over 60,000 people participated in the last e-Conference.

There will be an opportunity for the people of our Diocese to participate with the e-Conference being facilitated at two venues in the Diocese. MORE.....

Parish Seminars on new translation have begun
The first of 20 seminars being held in the parishes of the Diocese, to explain the new translation of the Roman Missal, was held in Dubbo this recently. The Diocesan Liturgy Commission is conducting the seminars to inform, teach and discuss the words that will change from the Feast of Pentecost, 12th June 2011 and the First Sunday of Advent 27 November 2011. MORE.....

Find out when your Parish seminar is being held MORE.....

A couple of invitations from Rahamim Ecological Learning Community
Come for “Green Drinks” at Rahamim. Russell Meadley will outline how an energy assessment is used to save energy and what rebates are available John Fry will outline the solar bulk buy project and the advantages of installing solar electricity panels. MORE.....

Join the Rahamim Community for EARTH HOUR this Saturday. MORE....

Dedication of Bunbury's new Cathedral
Bunbury's St Patrick's Cathedral was consecrated last week during a three hour ceremony steeped in tradition. Bishop McKenna was among the Australian Bishops who joined Bishop Gerard Holohan, priests of the Diocese, Gerard J. Holohan, Cardinal George Pell, the Apostolic Nuncio and around 800 guests for the historic event. MORE.....

The history of the Cathedral and its re-development make interesting reading. MORE.....and the ABC has made a video of its redevelopment. MORE.....
Asylum situation calls for compassion
The recent protests on Christmas Island are an understandable reflection of the conditions of detention and the frustration involved with being locked up for the duration of the application process, says the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office. People of good will are called on to show their compassion towards asylum seekers so painfully affected by tragic situations, to voice their support to parliament to end mandatory detention in
favour of more humane alternatives. MORE.....

Australian Bishops send letter of Condolence to Japan
President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Phillip Wilson, has sent condolences to the Japanese Bishops. MORE....

On behalf of millions of Catholics across the world, Pope Benedict sent over $100,000 to the Japanese bishops as a token gesture of solidarity. MORE......

World Day of Prayer celebrated in Canowindra
St Edward’s Parish in Canowindra was asked to host this year’s
World Day of Prayer in the community. MORE.....

St. John's Primary School in Dubbo holds Flood Fundraising Day
Recently, Saint John’s Primary School in Dubbo organised a 'free dress day' to raise money for Saint Mary’s Laidley, a school in Queensland that was badly affected by the recent floods. MORE.....

Mary MacKillop’s Sisters share Kimberley flood devastation
Three Sisters of St Joseph are amongst 500 residents of the remote Kimberley community of Warmun which has been evacuated after being devastated by floods last weekend, leading to the loss of one of Australia’s most significant indigenous art collections. MORE.....
Parish welcomes renowned songwriter
On 7^th February, the Parish of St. Mary and St. Joseph in Orange was treated to a concert by renowned musician Peter Kearney. About 70 people were able to attend St. Joseph’s for the show which was enjoyed immensely by everyone present. PHOTO.... PHOTO.....

Catholic Mission calls for prayer and messages of support
Catholic Mission has launched a prayer campaign around the world to pray for the people of Christchurch - Email prayers to prayers@catholicmission.org.au. Archbishop Wilson has sent a letter of condolence to the people of
Christchurch on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
(hear the audio version). Keep the Christchurch Earthquake Victims in your Prayer. Read the latest update from Catholic Mission National Director in NZ - Father Paul Shannahan

YouCat: A catechism for young people - but not an easy solution
“The youth of today ... are not as superficial as they are accused of being; young people want to know what life really is about.” These words are taken from Pope Benedict's preface to the new Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, or YouCat for short. The book will appear during 2011 in different languages. In what is something of a PR masterstroke, some 700,000 copies of the book will be distributed free at the World Youth Day in Madrid in August 2011 to every one of the officially registered participants, as a gift from the Holy Father. MORE (Aid to the Church in Need)

Can you help? Looking for a new Diocesan Director.....
Catholic Mission, the official global mission aid agency of the Catholic Church is seeking a proactive person for the office of Diocesan Director (Part Time) within the Diocese of Bathurst. If you feel you could make a difference to the lives of children and adults in Australia and overseas contact – Peter Gates on 1800 257 296, petergates@catholicmission.org.au, for a position description or more information. Applications close 21st March 2011

Gilgandra celebrates new School Leaders
There was a wonderful celebration at Mass recently when the School Community of St. Joseph’s Gilgandra joined with their Year 6 leaders as they received their leaders' badges. Ex-Joey’s student - and Gilgandra’s Young Citizen of the Year - Emma McCutcheon, gave a wonderful address regarding what’s needed to be a successful leader.

New Acting Schools Consultant announced
Executive Director of the Catholic Education Office, Bathurst - Mr Peter Hill - has announced the appointment of Mr Warren Frew to the position of Acting Schools Consultant with the Catholic Education Office. This position became available due to the secondment of Mr Vince Connor to the Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes as Director of Schools. MORE....

Spain prepares to welcome Youth
From August 11-15, 2011, 63 Spanish dioceses are offering young people coming to WYD from outside of Spain (including our own Bishop and young pilgrims) the opportunity to experience a time of fellowship with other youth, in preparation for World Youth Day. "It's a great opportunity to prepare for World Youth Day, while multiplying the impact of WYD all over Spain," says Javier Igea, Director of the program. MORE.....

New website for Deacons
The National Association of Deacons, which represents the Catholic Deacons of Australia, and is associated with the National Council of Priests, has launched its new website.

The site aims to provide information about and for Deacons; provide formation and to be a forum for Deacons in Australia to discuss issues and share information. MORE...

School Hall to be named after former Pastor
The new School Hall at All Hllows School in Gulgong was used for the School's first Assembly this week. Special guest was Mons John Frawley, former Parish Priest of Gulgong, who now resides in Bathurst. The School plans on acknowledging Mons Frawley's great contribution to the Gulgong community by naming the hall the Monsignor Frawley Hall. PHOTO.....

New Captains for Assumption School in Bathurst
Assumption School Bathurst's new Captains for 2011 are Dominic McCrossin, Kamania Reid (centre) Vice Captains: Nicholas Marwood, Emily Schembri. PHOTO.....

2011 National Church Life Survey
The National Church Life Survey is a five-yearly co-operative venture across all churches. Around 400,000 attenders in 7000 churches in 22 Christian denominations have taken part in previous National Church Life Surveys in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006.

20 minutes once every five years - June to November 2011

Each church will be given a ‘Survey Month’ to complete the survey. Supportive worship resources and children's activities will be provided to help integrate this activity into local church life. MORE....