The Archdiocese of Sydney has held its annual Mass for Consecrated Life, celebrating those who have decided to dedicate their lives to the Church as a religious, reports The Catholic Weekly.

As the holiest of weeks approaches, we are drawn into a meta story of passion and suffering. There will be the annual playing of films depicting the passion of Jesus. Such interpretations can lead to a skewed and superficial understanding of these final days in the life of the Nazarean. How can such a story shed light on and offer insight into our own experience of suffering?  asks CRA President, Br Gerard Brady CFC.

Ahead of Palm Sunday, the day on which attention is drawn to the difficult situation for many refugees and people seeking asylum, the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) calls for urgent intervention from the Federal Government to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all people seeking refuge and asylum in Australia.

Catholic Religious Australia (CRA), in an Open Letter to the Prime Minister, has expressed deep concern at the federal government’s amendment to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity (EPBC) Act, which removes the right for third parties to request a review of project approvals when new information about environmental harm emerges.

Brigidine Sister Jacinta Rice from Horsham in Victoria says her journey as a consecrated religious has been “challenging and faith-filled” – a journey that has included a range of ministries, always underpinned by a commitment to social justice, especially for women, refugees and people living in regional areas.