ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL, SYDNEY, 1 MARCH 2026 A few weeks ago, a 15 second video clip went viral showing Hollywood action stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise locked in an elaborate fight on a crumbling rooftop. There were sweeping camera angles, stunt choreography, crisp sound effects, everything we’d expect of a multi-million-dollar blockbuster. Except that […]
FERVORINO FOR HOLY HOUR, LAUNCH OF YEAR OF PRAYER FOR EUCHARIST28ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL, 1 MARCH 2026 On His last night, after finding them asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asks His disciples: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Mt 26:40). It’s a relatable moment. On the one hand we sympathise with the […]
Annual dinner dance hosted by Somascan Missions. Photo: Supplied. A record-breaking fundraising tally was just one highlight at an annual dinner dance hosted by Sydney-based charity Somascan Missions. The evening for more than 650 guests held in Condell Park on 14 February showcased many life-changing successes since the last annual fundraiser. It raised almost $400,000 for the charity’s local and global projects which assist orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children in […]
Women’s Lenten retreat 2025. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Each year, more and more women are choosing to step away from the noise of everyday life and treat the annual Women’s Lenten Retreat as a kind of pilgrimage. What began as a single retreat day has now grown so significantly that in 2026, organisers have had to open two […]
Year of Prayer promotional poster for the International Eucharistic Congress 2028. Photo: Supplied. In the lead up to the launch of Eucharist28 on 1 March, St Peter Chanel & St Joseph Parish in Berala will host Eucharist 28: Deanery Mission, a three–day spiritual gathering designed to renew faith through prayer, reflection, and encounter with Christ. […]
It was a stiflingly hot day on 22 February, but St Mary’s Cathedral was standing room only at this year’s Rite of Election. A record number of nearly 460 candidates and catechumens – a 20 per cent increase on last year’s numbers – affirmed their desire to enter fully into the life of Christ and his […]
St Mary’s Cathedral hosted its first dedicated Lunar New Year celebration. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Sydney’s Chinese Catholic community has grown significantly in recent years, with increasing numbers attending Mass and joining parish life. The boom was marked this month when St Mary’s Cathedral hosted its first dedicated Lunar New Year celebration. People attended from parishes […]
Pablo Parajo, current senior seminarian at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd. Photo: Supplied. At an age when most young boys were still deciding what their favourite colour was Pablo Parajo knew he wanted to be a priest. “There was a particular Mass at the Filipino church, and I noticed how extremely happy the priest […]
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL, SYDNEY, 22 FEBRUARY 2026 “Always check the terms and conditions.” It’s sage advice that hardly anyone follows. Our world is riddled with fine print, endless scrolls of legalese that, if you are anything like me, get accepted without a second glance every time we download an app, sign up for a streaming […]
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL, SYDNEY, 21 FEBRUARY 2026 WYan foo, cup jee, cup sing sun jee ming (In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) Juk lay ping mon (Peace be with you) [Cantonese] Chan-oy dik hing-dai jeh-mooy moon, foon-ying daai-gah loy chahm-gah gum-mahn hing-jook noong-lik sun-neen dik may-saht. […]
Entrance for the Rite of Election 2025. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 There are moments in the life of the church that pass almost unnoticed by the world yet speak with unmistakable clarity to those who have learned how to listen. The Rite of Election is such a moment. As the church gathers this […]
The Catholic Weekly’s 2026 series of Disciple Diaries opens with Brendan Schneider’s remarkable journey from the disorienting lights of Sydney’s early‑2000s rave scene and the rise of Pentecostalism, to the fresh spring of Catholic renewal now stirring in Sydney. Raised Catholic in the Shire and educated at St Patrick’s, Sutherland, Brendan turned away from the faith as a teen. […]
Bishop Daniel Meagher. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. As Lent begins on 18 February, the church once again invites Catholics to return to the sacrament of reconciliation, a deeply meaningful encounter with Jesus Christ that for some who have been away, or new Catholics who haven’t gone very often, can feel daunting. Some may feel awkward about confessing their sins, feel unsure about what to […]
Dr Michael Walker, a Social Justice Facilitator for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney at the local launch event in Lewisham. Photo: Supplied. Vinnies Lewisham has hosted the local launch of the first of two social justice statements released by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in 2026. Co-hosted by the Justice and Peace Office and attended […]
Year of Prayer promotional poster for the International Eucharistic Congress 2028. Photo: Supplied. Catholics across Australia are invited to remain in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday 1 March, as the church begins a new phase of spiritual preparation for the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney. The national hour of Eucharistic adoration, promoted by […]
