Vinnies WA CEO Ann Curran recently swapped her office for the hustle, bustle and heat of the Kelmscott Community Kitchen where she joined the dedicated team of members and volunteers to serve meals. For the past four years, the food relief initiative has offered more than just a hearty meal; it has created a place of safety, hope and warmth where people can connect with others in their comm...

By Carol Glatz The Catholic vision and culture of love and mercy must overcome the false narratives that create enemies and convince people and nations to "re-arm" in a "culture of power," Pope Leo XIV has said. "Let us, then, together free our lives from suspicion, culture from arrogance, education from ideology, work from the idolatry of profit, and technology and finance from the busi...

Students in Tigray, Ethiopia enjoy a Mary’s Meal school meal. Students reportedly feeling hungry at school dropped from 72 per cent to zero per cent following the introduction of the program. Photo: Mary’s Meals. As conflict, rising food prices, and climate shocks continue to drive hunger in the countries where Mary’s Meals works, the global school feeding charity’s recently released 2025 I...

Compassion means allowing another person's suffering to enter our own heart, Bunbury Bishop George Kolodziej SDS has said. Delivering the homily at the 160th Anniversary Regional Mass of the St Vincent de Paul Society WA held at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic Church, Busselton, Bishop George reflected on the compassion of Christ and the vital role that compassion continues to play in the Soci...

Following their call earlier in the year for a five per cent rise in the national minimum wage, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has welcomed the decision from the Fair Work Commission to provide a 4.75 per cent pay rise to almost three million workers. The commission has announced the national minimum wage will increase to $1004.90 per week, or $26.44 per hour, from 1 July. This ...

End Child Poverty chair, Tony Pietropiccolo AM, said child poverty is one of Australia’s most serious and persistent economic challenges. Image: Supplied. New government economic advice has revealed that child poverty in Australia is not rare with almost one in two children (45 per cent) living in income poverty at some point during childhood. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee’s ...

The Federal Budget has drawn a measured but hopeful response from both the St Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Health Australia who have welcomed reforms they believe could improve the lives of Australians facing housing stress, poverty, illness and ageing. However, both organisations have also warned that much more needs to be done to ensure vulnerable people are not left behind. In a ...

As Project Compassion 2026 draws to a close, Caritas Australia has extended heartfelt thanks to communities across the country for once again uniting against poverty, with schools, parishes and supporters taking up this year’s powerful call to justice, solidarity, and hope.  Inspired by the theme Unite Against Poverty, Project Compassion 2026 drew on a poignant moment from John’s Gospe...

Listening and responding to the cries of the poor and the earth is central to the mission of the Church. That is the conclusion of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service in welcoming the release of a major new international report. Australian Catholic University senior lecturer in theology Dr Sandie Cornish coordinated one of ten study groups arising out of the XVI G...

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has argued for a five percent rise in the national minimum wage. The Conference recently lodged a submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review through the Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations, in partnership with Australian Catholic University. Such a move would provide for an increase in the national minimum wage ...