Couples weekend part of worldwide renaissance of marriage. A weekend conference planned for late August in Perth by Catholic marriage educators aims to launch nothing less than a renaissance of marriage, not just for couples but all members of the Church. The Renaissance of Marriage mini-conference will take place at the Wollaston College Conference Centre in Mt Claremont throughout the a...

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, numerous other Religious Sisters and friends celebrated the 100th anniversary of Blessed Mary MacKillop’s death on August 7 at St Benedict’s Church, Applecross.   Josephite Sister Julia Della Franca looks at a picture of Blessed Mary MacKillop painted by her mother Lucia and displayed at the gathering on August 7. Pho...

Cardinal Pell hints historic canonisation is close as thousands around Australia mark centenary of Blessed Mary MacKillop’s death.   A worker hangs a portrait of Blessed Mary MacKillop inside St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney shortly before the commencement of World Youth Day last year. The Australian nun lived from 1842 to 1909 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in ...

Fr Anthony Paganoni, Scalabrinian, begins a series for The Record this week reflecting on what, if any, future the Church has in Europe and why this is important for us. This week: Is Europe on the sick list? By Fr Anthony Paganoni   For some years now the Vatican’s central office has been publishing an annual report, detailing the most minute components and ...

John Heard lauds 'the Marian Model.’ By John Heard   This year, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Saturday (August 15) - this Saturday. The Assumption is a holy day of obligation.  How Catholics speak about Mary tells other people much about our faith. There is, first, her simple name. In Catholic homes, “Mary&...

Q&A with Fr John Flader. This week: "Catholic" or "Roman Catholic"? Questionn: I taught in State primary schools for 40 years and on class rolls we had to write RC for Catholics, CE for Anglicans, etc. When I was in school myself the nuns told us that we were not Roman Catholics, but simply Catholics, and that the word “Catholic” itself made the &ldquo...

A young homeless victim of sexual and emotional abuse helping a woman who can't get the time of day from passers by gets The Record's Mark Reidy thinking. By Mark Reidy   Late one night I watched Clare hobble aimlessly up and down the city streets looking lost and alone. She stopped in the shadows and began to ask passer-bys for money, but the responses were not ve...

How I pray: Norma Woodcock speaks to The Record's Debbie Warrier. Many years ago I prayed, “Jesus, teach me to pray so that I can reach you. I feel like there is a gulf between you and me.” The next thing I knew I was in a seminar down in Bunbury led by Fr John Prendiville the Jesuit. It was on the Ignatian way of Contemplation on a Gospel scene. I found that was exactl...

Anti-Christian vandals target World Congress of Families meeting. AMSTERDAM Netherlands (CNA) - The Amsterdam offices of an organiser for the upcoming World Congress of Families were defaced with paint and vandalised with obscenities and anti-Christian slogans on July 30, prompting the pro-family conference’s leaders to pledge they will not be intimidated by “radical opposition...

Low confession numbers prompt creative outreach by dioceses, churches.   A priest listens to confession during the annual gathering and pilgrimage to the church dedicated to St Cayetano, the patron of work and food, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 7. Statistics show decreasing numbers of Catholics go to confession but rather than discouraging churches, the statistics ...