Synod Member Renee Kohler-Ryan, Dean of the School of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame has this week said that “there is a sense that things are tightening up, emerging, but through that process of hopeful patience.”

The centenary Mass marked the anniversary of the first chapel in Australia to be dedicated to St Therese of Lisieux and part of the Convent for the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, now known as the Catholic Pastoral Centre.

Restoration work on the stonework began when the structure’s stability was threatened by overgrown plants, causing the grotto to be cordoned off for safety while repairs were completed.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, told reporters during an online meeting on Tuesday 16 October that he is willing to do “anything” to “bring to freedom and bring home the children” taken into Gaza during Hamas’ on 7 October attack on Israel, in which more than 1,300 Israelis were killed.

Ordained in 1998, Fr Paul has this month celebrated his 25th anniversary to the priesthood, following four years of study in Rome, having also built two Churches in the parish of Gingin-Chittering.

Download the PDF Friday 13 October, 2023 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, As I write this third “Letter from Rome” on a warm Thursday afternoon, here in the Vatican we are approaching the end of our first full week of work in the Synod. Last week, following the Opening Mass in Saint Peter’s Square, the Synod members began to explore the deeper understanding of synodality, t...

In opening the work of the Synod of Bishops at the First Assembly, Pope Francis has repeated what he has said many times that “the synod is not a parliament” where the ideas of opposing parties will be debated and voted up or down along party lines.

The Holy Father acknowledged that some people have fears about the Synod, but he asked them to remember that it is “not a political gathering, but a convocation in the Spirit; not a polarised parliament, but a place of grace and communion.”

Reports on the discussions, voted on in each working group to ensure they accurately reflected the work of the group, were shared with the entire Assembly on 6 October followed by individual remarks made to the assembly, each expected to last about three minutes.

Catherine McAuley, the visionary founder of the Sisters of Mercy, dedicated her life to serving the less fortunate, and her legacy of compassion lives on through the work of MercyCare.