Navigating streaming services
A generation ago, if you wanted to watch a movie or a television series, you had several options – go to the cinema, rent it from the local video store, watch it on television or record it on your VCR machine.
A generation ago, if you wanted to watch a movie or a television series, you had several options – go to the cinema, rent it from the local video store, watch it on television or record it on your VCR machine.
“All young people must feel that they are cared for by the Church. Therefore, may the entire Church on a worldwide level, in union with the Successor of Peter, be more and more committed to young people, to their concerns and worries and to their aspirations and hopes, so as to meet their expectations by communicating the certainty that is Christ, the Truth that is Christ, the love that is Christ...” (John Paul II, to the College of Cardinals and Members of the Roman Curia for Christmas, 20 December 1985).
In September, the National Centre for Evangelisation interviewed Terry Lees from Mount Isa. Terry is well known in his local community and has been described by Bishop Timothy Harris in the following way:
“Terry in my view is an extraordinary individual and a person whose faith underpins his every word and work. His writings and reflections are a testimony to a man driven by the Holy Spirit. Terry is a delight to speak with and one who is ever ready to share his smile and warmth with everyone.”
In mid-August, 10 young women from across Australia were “Zoomed” into their virtual classroom with Australian Catholic University (ACU) lecturer Dr Maeve Louise Heaney VDMF. For four days, the participants of the Leadership for Mission program engaged in the topic of “Theology for the future: Reimagining leadership”.
On the last weekend in July, grandparents and the elderly were honoured in parishes across the world. This celebration came because of Pope Francis’ strong desire to acknowledge everything that older people offer to their families and, indeed, all of society.
In his 1988 Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, Pope St John Paul II wrote of the Gospel’s call to be labourers in the vineyard and to transform the world according to God’s plan. This document also offered guidance for groups of lay faithful who wanted to “labour in the vineyard”, while remaining in communion with the Church and drawing upon the charisms gifted to them by the Holy Spirit.
The amalgamation of three parishes to form Sydney City South Parish is proving to be a positive story, resulting from careful pastoral planning, the goodwill of all involved and the fortuitous arrival of the Sydney Archdiocese’s new mission plan, “Go Make Disciples”.
For many Catholic parish communities around the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted regular parish gatherings and the celebration of Mass at various times over the past 18 months.
But in the regional Victorian town of Echuca, located in the Diocese of Sandhurst, the limitations imposed by lockdowns have spurred on a local parish men’s group to grow in number and to become a source of inspiration and hope for many.
Faith Journey, a resource from the National Centre for Evangelisation (NCE), offers a spiritual reflection on current topics and human experiences, encouraging the reader to make sense of these in light of their own journey of faith.
Along with comic books, what was termed as “geek culture” in the 1990s has become more mainstream and accepted in Western culture. With thousands of video games being released on a yearly basis, the industry has generated higher annual revenue than any other form of entertainment. In a 2018 study by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), it was found that 97 per cent of households with children have computer games, and 80 per cent of those own more than one game device. Is this a good thing?