Jackie Chan takes a sharp turn from his typically genial screen personality to become the vengeful father of a London terrorist victim in The Foreigner. In this efficiently suspenseful adaptation of Stephen Leather’s pulp thriller, director Martin Campbell and screenwriter David Marconi have produced a drama about Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence and bureaucratic treachery. By Kurt Jensen.

There is no sense in lamenting hunger and forced migration if one is unwilling to address the root causes, which are conflict and climate change, Pope Francis said. “War and climate change lead to hunger; so lets avoid presenting it as if it were a disease,” and instead implement laws, economic policies, and lifestyle changes that prevent the problems in the first place, he told world leaders. By Carol Glatz.

The Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) has this week announced that the two young men behind charity Orange Sky Australia, will be among the keynote speakers at the event in December. Lucas Patchett and Nicholas Marchesi will join a stellar line-up, including Canadian Christian singer Matt Maher, and singer songwriter Steve Angrisano along with local artists and Church leaders.

Mercy College was pleased to see their Soccer Academy Director Mr Trim Morgan acknowledged for his dedication to the sport with a state award.

Students from several Catholic schools have once again outdone themselves at the State Tournament of Minds held on 10 September. By Natashya Fernandez.

“The Church today is a communion of people who teach the truth,” said Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton on the occasion of the annual Mass for the Commissioning of Catechists at St Michael the Archangel Chapel. “They propose the truth rather than impose it and this, I think, would be the key principal in our teaching, our preaching, our guidance of people in their lives,” Bishop Sproxton said. The Mass, held on 11 October, was celebrated by Bishop Sproxton and concelebrated with 18 priests and two Deacons. It was attended by more than 200 people and celebrated the commissioning and blessing of 50 Catechists from three groups, including the Catechist Service, Personal Advocacy Service (PAS) and Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Team Leader Catechist Service, Dr Pina Ford, who was involved in the organising and training for the Catechists, said the event is an occasion for these groups to celebrate the achievements of those who had attained important milestones in their formation. By Natashya Fernandez.

In his mission to reach the disengaged Catholic, Bruce Downes, also known as The Catholic Guy, is Australia’s first lay television presenter who has now started presenting with the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the largest Christian television network in the world. In an interview with The eRecord via Skype from the US, Mr Downes discussed The Catholic Guy, life on international television, and why he is grateful to the Archdiocese of Perth, in particular to Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey and the priests for doing what they did to make the ministry work. He said it all began with Impact Catholic Ministry that raised questions on how the ministry would go about proclaiming the Gospel and reach the 90 per cent of Catholics who don’t attend Church. “I was the Youth and Young Adults Ministry Director from 1990 to 1998 and one of the things we noticed was that there were so many youth and young families that were dropping out of Church,” Mr Downes said. By Natashya Fernandez.

Misogyny hangs over Blade Runner 2049 as blithely as the fog of the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles it portrays. While that’s not unusual for science-fiction epics with a substantially male audience, director Denis Villeneuve has made a two-and-a-half-hour film that, in its eagerness to have the audience linger over every point about artificial life developing authentic human emotions, feels more like four hours. By Kurt Jensen.

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan have elected a new leadership team and discerned a new Statement of Directions for the next six years at their 26th Chapter Gathering in Sydney earlier this month. Of the 208 Good Samaritan Sisters who live and minister throughout Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Kiribati, 115 were present for the Chapter Gathering which explored issues of global and local importance.

A WA first, virtual reality goggles are helping ease children’s anxiety when undergoing small procedures at St John of God hospitals.