Preaching of St John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio, between 1486 and 1490. Photo: Wikimedia Commons During the week before Christmas, as we celebrate with the Christmas at the Cathedral each night in Sydney, the Church sings a series of ancient Advent acclamations known as “The O antiphons.” At Vespers each night the Church prays to Christ […]
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL FORECOURT, SYDNEY, 17 DECEMBER 2025 Dear friends, we gather this evening in what should be a season of joy, feeling a great weight of sadness; our celebration of peace, now marred by violence; the festival of light for Jews and Christians, now overshadowed by darkness and death. An unspeakable evil has visited […]
More than 200 people took part in a torchlight procession from Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Earlwood, to the Grotto of the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes. Photo: Supplied On the evening of 8 December, the Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, more than 200 people took part in a torchlight procession […]
Holy Family Maroubra’s 22nd annual Christmas Carols with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP on 14 December. Photo: Giovanni Portelli Portelli In the lead up to the Nativity of the Lord, parishes across Sydney got into the Christmas spirit by hosting carols for their community. Crowds packed Holy Family Catholic Church in Maroubra for the parish’s 22nd […]
A Statement from the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP Monday, 15 December 2025 We all share in profound grief and righteous anger following last night’s terrorist attack on Bondi Beach. That a celebration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah could end in at least 16 dead, including a young child, and many […]
Founder of Lumen Verum Apologetics Arlette Bowen receives her Dempsey Medal in July 2018. PHOTO: PATRICK J LEE The parish of St Michael the Archangel, Belfield, formally farewells Mrs Arlette Bowen, the founder of ‘Lumen Verum Apologetics’, this December following her 30 years of voluntary service as its chair and host. “Lumen Verum” began on Friday 16 February, […]
Police officers arrive at St. Vincent’s Hospital following a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney Dec. 14, 2025. Two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah, leaving 12 dead, including a gunman, and 29 wounded, New South Wales police said. (OSV News photo/Izhar Khan, Reuters) Archbishop Anthony Fisher […]
Police officers arrive at St. Vincent’s Hospital following a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney Dec. 14, 2025. Two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah, leaving 12 dead, including a gunman, and 29 wounded, New South Wales police said. (OSV News photo/Izhar Khan, Reuters) A Statement from […]
Danial at the Rite of Election Mass. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 In 2025, the Life, Marriage and Family (LMF) team witnessed a vibrant renewal of faith and commitment, as unprecedented numbers participated in initiatives for families, women, men, and new Catholics. At the Rite of Election at St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP welcomed a […]
Fr Paul Van Chi, Parish administrator of St Therese’s parish in Lakemba, with his parishioners. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. In this season of Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ, we are drawn to reflect on the beautiful fraternity of the Holy Family. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived in […]
Participants of an Alpha coaching day held in February 2025 in Sydney. Tania Rimac is pictured third from left. Photo: Supplied In 2025 the Parish Renewal Team (PRT) of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation continued to support parishes to live the evangelising mission of the church locally. With a strengthened focus on equipping parish leaders, supporting parish priests, fostering […]
Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney director of public affairs and engagement Monica Doumit. Photo: Supplied. Religious freedoms and threats to the Christian faith are at the forefront of a new podcast which assesses upcoming or already implemented laws and legislature. The Freedom Matters podcast, launched on 18 November, bills itself as a “quarterly update on current and emerging threats to religious […]
Across Sydney, something remarkable is happening. In the midst of Advent and as the year draws to a close, the archdiocese is experiencing a revival of faith, community, and mission. A Second Spring – A New Dawn of Faith in Sydney, the new documentary from the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation, delves into the people, stories, and […]
Choir Procession in the Town Hall. Photo: Supplied. A brand new Catholic Christmas Festival will bring together thousands of people this December at Sydney’s iconic Town Hall with two days of major events to mark the Christmas season. From Friday 19 to Saturday 20 December, the Town Hall will come alive with the annual Carols For Peace on […]
Purpose Fest was held on 2 July 2025 at Rosebank College in Sydney’s Five Dock. Photo: Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 By Julian Vieira “The church is not dead, it is not even tired!” (Benedict XVI). During the Jubilee Year of Hope, Sydney Catholic Youth (SCY) witnessed first-hand the joy and faith of young people from all across Sydney. In April, the SCY team organised a sell-out camp for students in Years […]
