Catholic Weekly - Archdiocese News

Staff attending Reconciliation Action launch. Photo: Sydney Catholic Schools.  On Thursday 5 November, the Archdiocese of Sydney launched its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) at St Martha’s, marking the second stage of its commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Australians.   The event was headed by Fr Peter Smith, Promoter of Justice and Peace in the Archdiocese, […]

Bill Donaghy in Sydney in 2025. He will be returning next January to lead Theology of the Body and Art: The Way of Beauty. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 When did you last really stop in front of something beautiful? Not scroll past it, but let it hold you? A painting, a piece […]

Students, parishioners, and local community members in attendance at centenary celebrations. Photo: Supplied. The Archdiocese of Sydney has seen one parish and one school celebrate their centenaries in recent weeks: St Finbar’s Catholic Primary School in Sans Souci, and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Kensington.   On Friday 25 September, festivities overtook St Finbar’s […]

Teachers from St John Bosco College during Alpha. Photo: Supplied. When Moira Loader floated the idea of running Alpha for staff at St John Bosco College, Engadine, she wasn’t entirely sure why she was doing it.  The college’s religious education coordinator had just helped lead a second round of Alpha at her parish and felt […]

Kellie Bryce knows what it feels like to belong somewhere. For most of her adult life, that place was the gym.  “I guess the gym is like church,” she says. “You get the same kind of feeling. It’s a place you go for that community feeling.”  The Albury-born mother of two grew up in an […]

Damage caused by the attack on St Joseph’s Primary School, Rockdale. Photo: Supplied. Despite the shock of a vandalism attack on Monday 2 November, the church and school community at St Joseph’s Primary School in Rockdale is drawing strength from an outpouring of prayers and support.   The school on Watkin Street was locked down as […]

Parents and children of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Villawood at the procession last year. Photo: Supplied. From a primary school in Villawood to a college that bears the name of the Body of Christ, Sydney’s young Catholics are getting ready to carry the Eucharist into the heart of the city on the Feast of […]

Hospitality was a priority raised through the archdiocese’s Sydney Synod 2026, with many submissions calling for parishes to become more welcoming, both in their own community life and in how they present to those who come to them. Photo: Supplied. More people are finding their way to the doors of Sydney’s Catholic churches, some returning after […]

more than 360 student ambassadors gathered in Marrickville to begin a mission – bringing their school communities closer to Christ ahead of the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 A joyful and bright-eyed congregation filled St Brigid’s Church in Marrickville for a commissioning Mass for more than 360 student ambassadors […]

25 students gathered at St Kevin’s Church, Eastwood, on 20 August to receive the sacraments of Christian initiation, supported by families, teachers and parishioners. Photo: Patrick J Lee. For Holy Cross College Ryde student Hugo Welfare, baptism brought a sense of new life he could feel.  “When I got baptised I felt weight being lifted off […]

This year, for the first time, the archdiocese of Sydney’s LMF Sunday, was celebrated in local parishes, bringing the annual day honouring marriage and family life to the communities where couples live, worship and raise their children. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 For the first time, Life, Marriage and Family Sunday was celebrated […]

The relic of St Carlo Acutis. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. A four-month mission taking the major pilgrim relic of St Carlo Acutis across Australia ended with families and young Catholics filling St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney for a farewell Mass on 25 October.  Children and teenagers stayed back to learn about the first saint with an […]

The Walk with Christ festival will again open the day with music, teaching and fellowship before the Eucharistic procession moves toward St Mary’s Cathedral. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Martin Place will host a festival of music, catechesis and community ahead of the Walk with Christ procession on Sunday 22 November  Each year, Martin […]

Children’s liturgy ministers, (L-R) Luke, Jacqueline, Mary-rose and Fr John Knight. Photo: Supplied. On different weekends, a few volunteers lead the youngest members of their parish out of Mass with a lectionary in hand. Their job is to turn the Gospel into something a five-year-old can hold onto.  On 20 October, for the first time, […]

Ordained by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at St Mary’s Cathedral on 19 November 2025, they were Sydney’s first new permanent deacons since 2020. Photo: Patrick J Lee. From baptising a granddaughter to accompanying grieving parishioners, Deacons Robert Tonkli and Philip Pham have found fresh meaning in familiar acts of faith and service during their first […]

Bishop Tony Percy with Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, addressing the Tongan Catholic community. Photo: Malakai Sinisa/Courtesy of the Tongan Catholic Chaplaincy/ Giovanni Portelli. Tongan Catholic communities from across Australia gathered in Sydney from 1–4 October to celebrate 50 years of organised pastoral ministry, giving thanks for five decades of faith, service and community life.  […]

RCIA and Sacramental Coordinators gather for retreat. Photo: Supplied. With Eucharist 2028 approaching, interest in becoming Catholic is steadily rising across the Archdiocese of Sydney. At All Saints parish in Liverpool, RCIA leader Christine Solomon has watched numbers grow from six inquirers to 18 in just three years. “We’ve seen a lot of bigger numbers curious […]

Walk with Christ will be held on Sunday 22 November, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. When Fr Bijoy Joseph was growing up, Eucharistic processions simply weren’t part of parish life. “It was something that wasn’t exactly in fashion in our parishes,” he said.  That changed when […]

Children from the Little Saints Ministry at All Saints parish in Liverpool, filled the church hall with song, prayer and dance. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 They are some of the youngest evangelists in the Archdiocese of Sydney, and on 5 October they stole the show.  Children from the Little Saints Ministry at […]

Members of St Joan’s Guild at the Walk with Christ. Photo: Alphonsus Fok With six weeks to go until Walk with Christ, parishes across the Archdiocese of Sydney are preparing for the procession with growing anticipation.  On Sunday 22 November, the feast of Christ the King, Catholics from every corner of the city will gather […]

The relic of St. Carlo Acutis’ pericardium on display at St Benedict’s Catholic Church in Chippendale. Photo: Natalie Cox. More than a hundred parishioners, university students and Sydneysiders crowded into St Benedict’s Catholic Church in at the University of Notre Dame Australia’s Chippendale campus to venerate and pray before the relics of St Carlo Acutis.   […]

A new video from the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation (SCE) captures the night five south-west Sydney parishes decided to stop going it alone and launched a young adults network of their own.  Stronger Together: A New Young Adults Leaders Network in the South-Western Suburbs is the sixth in the Parish Renewal Team’s video series exploring […]

Catechists honoured at the annual Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Just over four decades ago Marianne Barbara was on her way to hospital to have a baby when a drunk driver ploughed into her car door. “I landed underneath the car,” she […]

Fr Dave Callaghan, the new Moderator for the next four years. Photo: Supplied. The Missionaries of God’s Love priests and brothers have elected Fr David Callaghan MGL as their new Moderator, or leader, for the next four years.   Originally from Perth, Fr Callaghan has been a member of the MGL for 26 years. He is […]

Married couples are invited to a Knot So Ordinary Date at Good Shepherd Parish, Hoxton Park, on Sunday 18 October from 12.30pm. Photo: Supplied. The wedding day is only the beginning. At Good Shepherd Parish in Hoxton Park, a grassroots initiative called the Knot So Ordinary Date has been giving married couples what many say […]

Participants of the “Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life” course at St Anne’s Church, Bondi. Photo: Supplied by Giulia Mezzapica. Around 20 women from across the generations gathered at St Anne’s Church in Bondi to explore how their feminine gifts can draw them closer to Christ and bring his grace to the world.  […]

South West Sydney Rosary at Bigge Park, Liverpool. Photo: Supplied. For its fourth year, Australia has joined tens of thousands of men from around the world in reciting the Rosary at Worldwide Men’s Rosary Crusade on the first Saturday of October.  Before hundreds of men gathered at the steps of St Mary’s Cathedral to publicly […]

Our Lady of the Rosary Church in St Mary’s is preparing to launch the St John Paul Life Alliance Inc., their parish-led pro-life group, with a fundraising dinner on Saturday 24 October. Photo: Supplied. Amidst the darkness of an aggressively pro-choice political climate, shines a beacon of light in the form of a new pro-life initiative.   […]

Parish priest Fr Dariusz Basiaga SDS with the relic. Photo: Supplied. A rare piece of cloth connected to one of St Padre Pio’s wounds has found a new home at St Luke’s Parish in Revesby.  Used by Padre Pio to wipe a wound in his side which he bore for 50 years, the relic was […]

St George will be staged at St Peter’s Parish, Surry Hills, from 8–11 October. Photo: Supplied. An original musical exploring the life and modern-day relevance of St George will be staged at St Peter’s Parish, Surry Hills, from 8–11 October.  Courage: The Legend of St George and the Dragon, a collaboration between the parish and […]

The Mauritian Catholic community gathered to celebrate the annual Père Laval Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic parish in Moorebank on 13 September. Photo: Supplied. In a month full of feast days, the Mauritian Catholic community gathered to celebrate the annual Père Laval Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic parish in Moorebank on 13 September.  The Mass in […]

Hundreds gathered for a solemn procession carrying the relic into the cathedral. Photo: www.snapix.com.au The Maronite Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania marked a historic moment on 25 September, when the major relic of St Carlo Acutis was welcomed at Our Lady of Lebanon Co‑Cathedral, in Harris Park.   Hundreds gathered for a solemn procession […]

Fr Bijoy Joseph and the Vatican Cricket Team meeting Pope Francis in 2019. Photo: Supplied. Former Vatican cricket captain Fr Bijoy Joseph will lead a new Sri Lankan/Indian Churches team in a short-form competition launching across Sydney this summer. The priest, who has Syro-Malabar heritage, will captain one of three new teams joining the four-team […]

Catechumen receiving baptism at the Easter vigil 2026. Photo: GIOVANNI PORTELLI 2026 Two online gatherings this spring brought RCIA and sacramental coordinators together with a vital reminder: the church’s mission to evangelise begins with relationships, not programs.  Held on 26 August for RCIA teams and 23 September for Sacramental teams, the gatherings drew approximately over […]

“I’m pumped. I’m so pumped.”  Young leader, Patrick Bouchahine isn’t holding back. The parish ambassador from St Michael’s, Belfield, has watched his community grow “massively” over just a few months, and he has big hopes for what is still to come.  “RCIA lessons are booming,” he said. “I’ll be expecting a massive event in 2028. […]

Fr Noel Custodio, Fr Roberto Keryakos and Fr Gerard Woo Ling attended the 24 September Mass at The Dome at America’s Center, along with Fr Jack Green of the Diocese of Parramatta and Australian priest Fr Jason Rushton SJM, who is serving in Kazakhstan. Photo: Supplied. Three priests from the Archdiocese of Sydney were among an […]

Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay leading the procession. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 About 130 students and staff joined a Mass and Eucharistic procession at the University of Sydney on Thursday 24 September, launching the archdiocesan chaplaincies’ preparations for the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress.  Bishop Tony Percy and Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay led the procession, taking […]

Ask a first-timer what set the Be Not Afraid Men’s Conference apart and the answer may surprise you. Not the speakers or the program, but the sound of 400 men singing the Ave Maria.  “Because of the depth of a man’s voice, there’s a beauty in that,” he said. “You feel strength and unity here […]

Bishop Richard Umbers leading Eucharistic procession with Shire schools. Photo: Courtesy of Sydney Catholic Schools. More than 350 students from four Sydney Catholic Schools walked with parishioners through Cronulla on Friday 18 September for an inaugural Eucharistic Procession.  The event brought together school and parish communities from the Sutherland Shire as they began their local […]

Archbishop Fisher preaches for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on 2 April 2026 at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: The Catholic Weekly/Giovanni Portelli EXCLUSIVE-Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has called on the NSW Government to withdraw public funding from Divine Playhouse organisers after the controversial arts venture announced three events at the Museum of Contemporary […]

The Archdiocese of Sydney officially launched its pilgrimage to World Youth Day Seoul on 20 September. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. The Archdiocese of Sydney officially launched its pilgrimage to World Youth Day Seoul on 20 September, bringing young Catholics together in the heart of the city to begin their journey towards the global gathering.  The launch […]

Fr de Sousa blessed the community and entrusted the shrine to God. Photo: Mat De Sousa/Somascan Movement Australia Facebook page Hundreds of families from Sydney’s south-west made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, Penrose Park, for a retreat day centred on the importance of community life.  Held on the Feast of the […]

Fr Rob Galea performing for the inaugural Empower Night: Towards Eucharist28. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 More than 400 Sydney Catholic Schools staff, parents and community members gathered at Canterbury Leagues Club for an evening of prayer, formation and fellowship inspired by Jesus Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.  Held on 9 September, […]

Peter Enriquez, Janet Rahme, Catherine Ong and Marelene Whitton were honoured for dedicated service during the annual ‘MooreWorthy’ parish dinner held at Liverpool Catholic Club on 5 September. Photo: Mat De Sousa. For over 47 years, Marelene Whitton has dedicated her time and energy towards her parish community of St Joseph’s Moorebank.  Whether it is […]

Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Mulgoa. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. A thousand Catholics from across Sydney celebrated the hundredth birthday of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Mulgoa on 13 September.   The Schoenstatt movement was founded by Fr Joseph Kentenich in Germany in 1914, and the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters was established in October […]

Macquarie and UNDA students pose with the Archbishop after the Archbishop Debating Cup Final. Photo: Alex Woolnough. The University of Notre Dame Australia triumphed over Macquarie University in the 2026 Archbishop Debating Cup Final, held at St Mary’s Cathedral Chapter Hall on 10 September.   Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP adjudicated the student debate, which centered on […]

rchbishop Anthony Fisher OP presents the Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence to students from Sydney Catholic secondary schools at St Mary’s Cathedral. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Fifty-two students from across Sydney’s Catholic secondary schools have been presented with the Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence, recognising their contributions to faith, leadership and service in […]

A former convent in Annandale is now a presbytery, parish office and gathering place for the amalgamated parish of St Brendan Annandale and St Michael the Archangel Stanmore and, for the people who worked for it, the clearest sign yet of what happens when two communities decide to become one.  The building tells the story.  Once an […]

The new Healing and Support Service offers ongoing care to people who have experienced harm within a church context, as well as to family members and others indirectly affected. Photo: Supplied/GIOVANNI PORTELLI 2023 The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the Diocese of Parramatta have joined together to collaborate and provide a healing and support service […]

Called and gifted participants for 2025 Autumn intake. Photo: Supplied. Applications for the Archdiocese’s next Called and Gifted intake close this week.  Every baptised Catholic has been given a gift by the Holy Spirit and it was never meant for them alone.  That conviction has shaped nearly three decades of work for Sherry Weddell, co-founder of the Catherine […]

 Fr Matthew Timonera OFM Cap, Sr Mary Immanuel and seminarian Harrison Brady shared their vocation stories with young adults at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Moorebank. Photo: Supplied. After six years of formation with the Capuchin Friars, the then-Brother Matthew Timonera sat with his provincial minister, holding a letter that would change the course of his vocation.  Written during one of […]

Learning about the Ukrainian Eastern Catholic Church. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Year 6 students from five western Sydney Catholic schools have explored the traditions, spirituality and history of three Eastern Catholic churches during a pilgrimage through Lidcombe and Auburn.  Students from St Joseph the Worker Primary School, Auburn South; St John’s Catholic Primary School, […]

PPC session at Our Lady of Fatima Kingsgrove. Photo: Supplied. Nearly 100 parish pastoral council members from across the Archdiocese of Sydney have spent recent weeks wrestling with a question that kept surfacing in every room: what are we doing for our young people?  The three workshops, held at Kingsgrove, Leichhardt and Mount Pritchard so that parishes from the […]

Varun (top left) Tania (top right) Christine Solomon (bottom centre). Photo: Supplied. For the growing number of Sydneysiders knocking on the door of the Catholic church, the RCIA coordinator is the first human face they meet and can also be the reason they stay.  That conviction was at the heart of an online gathering hosted via Zoom on Wednesday […]

The 2026 gathering will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral Hall on Saturday 19 September, from 7.30am to 4pm. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 There is a fair chance the socks you buy your father this Sunday will be at the bottom of a drawer by Christmas. Michael Jaksic has a suggestion that might […]

There is a photograph of David Stevens from years ago that he barely recognises as being him. Bearded, a bit wild about the edges, a man who could hold his own at a party and often did. “I used to be a massive drinker,” he says. “Oh God, I could drink. I’d go out and […]

The Catholic Weekly managing editor Marilyn Rodrigues accepts the award for Best Column on behalf of Archdiocese of Sydney chancellor Monica Doumit at the 2026 Australasian Catholic Press Association Awards. PHOTO: Jeremy Yuen/Australasian Catholic Press Association The Catholic Weekly has won Best Column at the 2026 Australasian Catholic Press Association Awards for a selection of work by former […]

Msgr Anthony Figueiredo with Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Supplied. A major relic of St Carlo Acutis is travelling from bustling cities to country towns on a four-month mission intended to draw Australians closer to Christ in the Eucharist.  Australia is the 25th nation to receive the first-class major pilgrim relic, which contains a section of the saint’s […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP. Photo: Giovanni Portelli Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has called for NSW lawmakers to reconsider whether repeated political protests should be allowed to repeatedly disrupt religious worship, arguing freedom of political communication should not become a “super right” overriding other fundamental freedoms.  Addressing the Samuel Griffith Society conference in Sydney on 22 August, the […]

On any given Friday night, the streets of inner Sydney belong to the revellers, the nightclub queues, the neon and the noise.   But in the early hours of Saturday 22 August, the city awoke to a different sound: the deep murmur of the rosary and the steady tread of more than 1,500 men walking through the dark behind a statue of […]

Feast day celebrations in 2025. PHOTO: Supplied. Our Lady of Victories Parish at Horsley Park will celebrate its annual feast day on Sunday 13 September with prayer, a procession and festivities for the whole family.  Celebrations will begin with Mass at 1pm, followed by a rosary procession through the parish grounds with the statue of Our Lady of Victories.  […]

Archbishop John Wilson has been Archbishop of Southwark, south London and Kent. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 He leads one of the most closely watched local churches in the English-speaking world. Archbishop John Wilson has been Archbishop of Southwark, south London and Kent, since 2019, and before that spent seven years as Episcopal Vicar for Evangelisation […]

Photo: Supplied. A small book arriving in Sydney parishes this week carries a rather large ambition: to help every Catholic in the Archdiocese fall in love again with the Eucharist. The Walk with Christ Parish Companion, prepared by the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation (SCE) is being delivered in hardcopy to parishes from this week. Drawing […]

Liana Moric. Photo: Supplied. There is an unwritten rule about pubs: don’t talk about politics, and most definitely do not talk about religion.  Liana Moric had lived by it for years. But when the 25-year-old primary school teacher found herself at a friend’s birthday party, chatting to her own friends about her parish, she wasn’t expecting anyone else to be listening.  Someone was. A man […]

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun and Bishop Tony Percy unveiled a plaque bearing a prayer to Our Lady. Photo: Seth McMurray/Verso Media. By Alex Woolnough and Marilyn Rodrigues From candlelit streets in Fairfield to a rain-soaked Croatian celebration and the unveiling of a Marian statue in the heart of Liverpool, Sydney Catholics proudly took their devotion to Our […]

Fr Chris Ryan MGL. Photo: Supplied. This year, for the first time, three priests are undertaking the Areté Centre for Missionary Leadership’s Foundations of Missionary Leadership Program alongside lay participants, in a development that points toward a new model of collaborative formation for parishes.  That model is already being supported within the Archdiocese of Sydney, with the Sydney Centre […]

Walk with Christ 2025. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. This year Sydney’s annual Walk with Christ Eucharistic procession will be celebrated on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning Sunday of the liturgical year.  It places the city’s most popular and most public act of Eucharistic faith at the very summit of the Church’s year […]

Norm Bejanni with his sons Joseph (L) and Elias (R) who are preparing to walk the Camino this year. Photo: Supplied. The phone call came at one o’clock on an ordinary Thursday afternoon.   Charbel El Khoury* and his wife were working from home when a voice on the line asked a question that would change […]

Three new priests for the Archdiocese of Sydney at St Mary’s Cathedral. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Priestly ordinations not only reflect the diversity of the global clergy, but also stand as reminders of how everyday persons are called to holiness.   This message was the core of Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP’s homily on 8 August for the celebrations of the ordination of three new priests for the Archdiocese of Sydney at St Mary’s Cathedral.   […]

Young adults from five south-west Sydney parishes gathered at St Mary Queen of Heaven, Georges Hall, for the inaugural Ignite collaboration, bringing together young Catholics for Mass, fellowship and formation. Photo: Supplied. There was no diocesan launch, no glossy campaign, no strategy document handed down from above. There was a barbecue, a church full of […]

St Luke the Evangelist Parish in Revesby has welcomed a first-class relic of the Ulma family, beatified in 2023 for their heroic Christian witness during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Photo: Supplied An ordinary Polish farming family who risked everything to protect their Jewish neighbours during World War II is now remembered at St Luke’s Parish […]

: Elizabeth Brooks is commissioned as principal of Santa Sabina College during the school’s Feast of St Dominic celebrations. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Santa Sabina College has formally commissioned Elizabeth Brooks as its new principal during the school’s annual Feast of St Dominic celebrations, marking a new chapter in the leadership of […]

Ask the women from all over Sydney who filled St Jerome’s church, Punchbowl on 1 August what they had been taught about their own bodies, and the answer came back the same from teenagers, mothers and grandmothers alike. Almost nothing.  “When I was a young lady getting married, I never knew any of this,” said Joanne Webb, a mother of four. “It was something you […]

Three evening workshops across the Archdiocese of Sydney this August will help parish pastoral councils make the most of what they have and reach the people who aren’t yet in the pews.   Parish pastoral councils meet on weeknights after work, often in a parish hall carrying a responsibility that shapes the life of a whole community.   They are among the quietest and most consequential […]

Members Tony Agostino and Frank Rando were awarded life memberships on the day recognition of their years of dedicated service to the association. Photo: Patrick J Lee. Long before multiculturalism formed part of Australia’s identity, Italian Catholic migrants in Sydney were finding ways to preserve the faith and traditions they had brought with them. One of them was Giuseppina Palise from Salina in Italy’s Aeolian […]

A man praying the rosary during the St Joseph Camino 2025. Photo: GIOVANNI PORTELLI 2025 Two schoolmates will shoulder the statue of St Joseph across Sydney next month. Their friendship is the reason they are walking. Cam McAuley was the new boy at Redfield College, Dural, when he met Michael Badaoui in Year 5.  Twenty years on, there’s not much […]

Georgio and Luigi. Photo: Callum Hussein Around 100 men of different ages and backgrounds gathered at St Michael the Archangel, Belfield, in Sydney as a new Catholic men’s association seeks to respond to what its founders see as a growing hunger for friendship, purpose and faith.  The Italian Knights of the Sacred Heart Australia joined with Catholic men’s group […]

Two Sydney Catholics received a papal award in St Mary’s Cathedral House on 29 July for service to the church. Photo: Alphonsus Fok Two Sydney Catholics received a papal award in St Mary’s Cathedral House on 29 July for service to the church. Michael King supports retired priests as the Priest’s Retirement Care Coordinator under the Priests’ Retirement Foundation, […]

St Joachim’s Catholic Church celebrated 100 years of faith and community. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 St Joachim’s Catholic Church, Lidcombe, celebrated 100 years of faith and community on 26 July, marking both the parish’s centenary and the feast day of its patron with a day of prayer, thanksgiving and festivities.  The celebrations began with […]

Deacons Lukasz Golab, Peter Van Khuơng Tran. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Three men preparing to be ordained priests for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney on 8 August at St Mary’s Cathedral have reflected on the faith, formation and moments of grace that led them to answer God’s call.  For Deacons Lukasz Golab, Peter Van […]

Jubilarian Group with Mother Anna Grace. Photo: Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia Congregation. The principal of St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School in Sydney has celebrated 25 years of religious profession as a Dominican Sister of St Cecilia, with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP telling jubilarians their lives are “living proof of what the divine Sower […]

Families gather in the parish hall for enjoy a day of celebration. Photo: Supplied. All Saints Parish in Liverpool put its grandparents and elderly parishioners front and centre this past weekend, marking World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly with a full program of celebration, music and connection.  Parish priest Fr Paul Monkerud said the day gave the parish […]

For Catholics it’s a unique experience: Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP carries the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Sydney. Photo: Giovanni Portelli Should those who advocate freedom of speech and oppose cancel culture defend freedom of artistic expression, no matter how offensive?   Support for freedom of speech does not mean that every form of expression is […]

Fr Eduardo Orilla is running this year’s City2Surf to raise funds for a perpetual Eucharistic adoration chapel at St Patrick’s parish, Kogarah. Photo: Supplied. When thousands of runners set off from Hyde Park for this year’s City2Surf on 9 August, Fr Eduardo Orilla will be running with a purpose that stretches far beyond the finish line […]

Nearly 400 faithful from parishes across Australia packed the Liverpool Catholic Club on 18 July for the Parish Renewal Conference, a day that organisers hope will be remembered less as a one-off event and more as the moment a new wave of evangelisation took hold in the Archdiocese of Sydney. Organised by the Parish Renewal […]

Bishop Richard Umbers celebrating Mass. PHOTOS: St Luke’s Parish, Revesby. About 400 parishioners and visitors gathered at St Luke’s Parish, Revesby, on 19 July to celebrate the feast of St Charbel, marking the third consecutive year the parish has honoured the beloved Lebanese saint with a major community celebration.  Bishop Richard Umbers celebrated the 10am Mass before festivities continued […]

Kate Williamson spent decades negotiating. Multi-million-dollar construction contracts, legal clauses, the fine print of the corporate world. She was good at it. But what she couldn’t negotiate away was the ache of a question she couldn’t even name.  “It’s taken me a long time to find the faith,” she says. “I’m not sure why. But here we are.”  Kate grew up on […]

Fr Mark Anderson celebrating Mass. Photo: Giovanni Portelli. Two Sydney parishes welcomed new parish priests in June, with installation Masses celebrated by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at St John the Baptist Parish, Bonnyrigg Heights, and St Michael’s Parish, Lane Cove.  On 14 June, Fr Christopher Sharah FSF was installed at Bonnyrigg Heights, marking the beginning […]

Philippe de Champaigne (1602–1674; born Brussels, Belgium; died Paris, France), The Visitation, 1643–48. Oil on canvas; 114.5 × 88.5 cm, 142.2 × 113 × 12.4 cm (frame). Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund (y1994-17) When Ranin Kanno describes the gap that inspired Created in Love, Fertility and God’s Plan, a first of its kind […]

Moe Turaga and Jessa-Joy Royupa addressing those in attendance at the annual tri-diocesan social justice dinner. Photo: Alphonsus Fok Anti-modern slavery advocate Jessa-Joy Royupa delivered a powerful address condemning modern slavery in Australia at the annual tri-diocesan social justice dinner, hosted jointly by the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Justice and Peace Office and the Australian Catholic […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has launched the Archbishop Anthony Fisher Podcast.. He is pictured here for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on 2 April 2026 at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: The Catholic Weekly/Giovanni Portelli People across Sydney and beyond can now listen to Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP’s preaching and teaching wherever they are with the […]

On 30 June, at the Catholic Institute of Sydney, a full house turned out for the latest instalment of the Didaskō faith formation short course series, as Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP led a rich and often surprising exploration of the Eucharist.   Now in its fourth year, the series is offered by the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation’s Parish […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP giving the homily at the Paschal Eucharist Mass. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has invited members of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) to return to full communion with the Catholic Church after the Vatican’s declaration that the traditionalist group is in schism.  “I welcome with open arms those who wish to return […]

Deacons Pablo Arosemena Lozano and James Tomelty at St Mary’s Cathedral. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Two Neocatechumenal Way seminarians have been ordained deacons at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.  Pablo Arosemena Lozano and James Tomelty were ordained by Bishop Tony Percy on 30 June in a joyful celebration attended by hundreds of family […]

Sydney’s oldest and youngest 2026 Dempsey Medal recipients. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has honoured more than 60 Sydney Catholics for their decades of service to the church in areas as diverse as music ministry, accounting, and building renovation in the annual Dempsey Medal ceremony following Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on 28 June.  The award, which has been running since 2017, is […]

Marcel LeJeune will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Parish Renewal Conference in July. Photo: Jules/Supplied. There are events you attend out of duty, and then there are events you simply cannot afford to miss. The Parish Renewal Conference on Saturday 18 July is firmly of the second kind and the clearest reason why, […]

Bishop Richard Umbers led the celebration Mass for St Josemaria Escriva. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. More than a thousand packed St Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate the feast day of the founder of Opus Dei, St Josemaría Escrivá, on 26 June.   In his homily the principal celebrant, Bishop Richard Umbers, used the Gospel of the miraculous catch […]

Fr Bijoy giving the talk at Fidelis on Doom scrolling and rest. Photo: Tara Kennedy. Are you spending more time looking at a lit up square than with the Lord? If so, the chances of getting true rest are lowered, St Joachim’s in Lidcombe assistant parish priest Fr Bijoy Joseph says.   He addressed a crowd of Sydney’s youth […]

The relics of St Carlo Acutis at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Patrick J Lee. It had been a cold, raining and otherwise miserable Thursday, but nothing could stop thousands of faithful Sydneysiders shuffling into St Mary’s Cathedral to welcome the revered relics of St Carlo Acutis on its three-month tour of Australia.  The evening consisted of a Mass concelebrated […]

Fr Brendan Kilcoyne is preparing for his first visit to Sydney. Photo: Linkedin. From rural Ireland, where his humorous and thought-provoking reflections on faith and culture have quietly reached Catholics around the world, Fr Brendan Kilcoyne is preparing for his first visit to Sydney. A diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam, he will spend […]

Chris Gatto and Justin Speranza. Photo: Tara Kennedy On a Saturday evening in Five Dock in Sydney’s inner west, the All Hallows parish youth group is working hard preparing meals and snacks for the city’s less fortunate.   The team led by Chris Gatto and Justin Speranza are making sandwiches and spaghetti bolognese for the St Vincent de Paul Society to distribute.  Each sandwich, using donations from local charity Gift of Bread, is carefully wrapped and adorned […]

Fr Daniel Mendes and parishioner Antonio Carreira. Photo: Supplied. The Portuguese Catholic community in Sydney marked a special moment of faith and devotion on 10 May when an image of Our Lady of Fatima was welcomed to St Thomas of Canterbury Parish in Lewisham.  The image was donated by António Carreira, organist for the parish’s […]

When two parishes become one, the road forward is rarely smooth. But for the communities of Holy Martyrs of St Andrew in Malabar and St Agnes in Matraville, what began as a pastoral effort to help them grow stronger together has  become something far more profound: a living example of what the church can be when it chooses […]

John Deacon from Our Lady of Fatima, Kingsgrove. Photo: Supplied. John Deacon went to the 2024 Parish Renewal Conference in Liverpool organised by the Sydney Centre of Evangelisation because he could see what so many Catholics quietly sense.  “Parishes need to get some life back into them,” says John, who wears several hats at Our Lady of […]

Bishop Tony Percy, Dr Mary Healy and Bishop Richard Umbers. Photo: Mary Brazell / three two one photography. In one of the largest installments of ‘Scholarship at the Cathedral’, hundreds of Sydneysiders came together on 16 June to witness Dr Mary Healy deliver the program’s latest lecture, as part of her tour of speaking events […]

Dr Robert Haddad, Charlie Tahan and Fr Greg Morgan. PHOTO: Mat De Sousa. Seeking to equip themselves with the knowledge to defend their faith, more than one hundred young adults gathered from across Sydney’s South west to take part in an open discussion led by a panel of apologetics experts and enthusiasts.  St Catherine of Laboure Parish […]

St Anne’s Catholic Church choir and orchestra. Photo: Giovanni Portelli. Following the remarkable success of last year’s Messiah, which drew more than 200 people to St Anne’s Catholic Church in Bondi, the parish’s music ministry is returning with what promises to be an even more compelling and uplifting event: Gloria.  The choir has grown to more than […]

South Korean delegation at the return of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon. Photo: Abel Gaspi. Young Catholics across Sydney are being invited to begin preparing for the next World Youth Day, with the Archdiocese of Sydney officially opening expressions of interest for a pilgrimage to Seoul, South Korea, in 2027.  The international gathering […]

Welcome group for new arrivals. Photo: Supplied. In 2025 two Chaldean Christians landed in Sydney International Airport after escaping persecution in Iraq. They had been torn away from their families and friends.  Waiting for them were parishioners from St Vincent’s parish in Ashfield, a group comprised of young and old, PhD students, Order of Australia […]

Pablo Arosemena Lozano and James Tomelty, members of the Neocatechumenal Way will be ordained on 30 June. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Two members of the Neocatechumenal Way, James Tomelty and Pablo Arosemena Lozano, will be ordained as deacons in St Mary’s Cathedral at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 30 June, by Bishop Tony Percy.   They have been studying for the priesthood at the Redemptoris Mater […]

Delegates rom Australia and New Zealand. Photo: Supplied. A delegation from Australia and New Zealand has been recognised for its leadership in faith-consistent investing after participating in a Vatican conference examining how Catholic institutions can better align their investments with the Gospel and Catholic social teaching.  The conference, Faith-Consistent Investing for a Global Church, was held at […]

Bishop Patrick Murphy. Photo: Supplied. May 2026 marked the 40th anniversaries of the installations of the bishops of the then newly established dioceses of Parramatta and Broken Bay.   Bishop Bede Heather was installed on 19 May 1986, as bishop of Parramatta and Bishop Patrick Murphy was installed as bishop of Broken Bay on 28 May 1986. Both were auxiliary bishops to Cardinal Edward […]

St Kevin’s Eastwood Parish Corpus Christi procession. Photo: Supplied. The Solemnity of the Most Holy and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) marked across Sydney last weekend with Eucharistic processions that brought Christ in the Blessed Sacrament into local streets as a public witness of faith. The largest was the annual procession between St Jerome’s and […]

Relics of St Anthony of Padua at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: The Catholic Weekly. Catholics from around Sydney packed into St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday 5 June as the relics of St Anthony of Padua visited Australia, offering the faithful a rare opportunity to pray in the presence of the Franciscan saint.  Travelling from Padua, Italy, Fr Bortolino Maistrello OFM Conv from […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP giving the homily at the Paschal Eucharist Mass. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, saying the document offers a timely reminder that human beings can never be reduced in the service of technological efficiency.  Released on 25 May, the pope signed the encyclical on the 15 May anniversary of Rerum Novarum, in which […]

The Sydney Archdiocese will host a relic of the recently-canonised St Carlo Acutis with a welcome Mass later this month and a tour of Greater Sydney in October.   St Acutis was renowned for using the internet and digital technologies to evangelise the faith, creating websites to catalogue the Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions around the world before passing away from leukaemia at the age of 15 in 2006.   […]

Michael Digges meeting Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Supplied. Michael Digges, the executive director of administration and finance for the Archdiocese of Sydney, has announced his retirement at the end of the year.   He has worked with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP since 2011, first in the Parramatta diocese and since 2014 in the Sydney Archdiocese.   He spoke with The Catholic Weekly recently about his long experience in church […]

Dr Mary Healy. Photo: Supplied. When Dr Mary Healy steps to the lectern at Rosehill Gardens at the third Tim Fischer Oration on Ethics in Public and Political Life on the evening of 17 June, she will carry with her a biography that few Catholic scholars can match: professor of sacred scripture, best-selling author, international […]

It was at Mass, receiving the Eucharist with new eyes, that Sr Susanna Edmunds OP first glimpsed the life she was being called to.   Then a biomedical engineering student at the University of Sydney, she had found herself drawn into a circle of young Catholics who took their faith seriously, and the encounter changed everything.   Watching peers […]

Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at St Anne’s in Bondi. Photo: Patrick J Lee A flourishing sacred music program at the Catholic parishes of Bondi is drawing growing congregations, talented young musicians and worshippers from across Sydney to the St Patrick’s church 10am Sunday Mass.  Led by director of music Michael Murphy and supported by parish priest Fr Robbie, the program […]

A statue of St. Anthony of Padua and the Christ Child is carried in procession following a Mass celebrated on the saint’s feast day at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Soho section of New York City June 13, 2024. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz) Greater Sydney will host first class relics of the […]

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Auxiliary Bishop Tony Percy. Photo: Supplied. The In Lumine Fidei Gala Dinner delivered a landmark result for the restoration of Sydney’s mother church. Sydney’s Catholic community gathered in force at the Sofitel Wentworth on 9 May for the In Lumine Fidei Gala Dinner, raising $1.2 million toward the restoration of St […]

The Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Balvo reads the papal bull proclaiming the new bishop’s appointment. PHOTO: Diocese of Rockhampton Bishop Daniel Meagher has been installed as the 11th Bishop of Rockhampton in a packed ceremony at St Joseph’s Cathedral.  Presided over by Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay, the occasion on the morning of 28 May marked a “day of great celebration” for […]

Bishops Commission for Life, Family and Public Engagement chair, Archbishop Peter Comensoli, said artificial intelligence was driving a new industrial revolution. PHOTO: ACBC Pope Leo XIV has released his first teaching letter, an encyclical titled Magnifica humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”). Addressed to all humanity, it is a reflection on what it means to protect and preserve […]

Copies of “Magnifica Humanitas” are seen at the Vatican’s Synod Hall May 25, 2026, the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy, which focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence. PHOTO: OSV News/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media By Fr Joseph Parisi An encyclical is a pastoral letter addressed by the pope to the whole church. Encyclical […]

Pope Leo XIV smiles as he attends the presentation of “Magnifica Humanitas” at the Vatican’s Synod Hall May 25, 2026, the first encyclical of his papacy, which focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence. (OSV News photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters) VATICAN CITY (OSV News). Pope Leo XIV called for vigilance as he spoke at the Vatican […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at the launch of Sistine Chapel: Revelations immersive exhibition in Sydney on 15 May 2026. PHOTO: Giovanni Portelli Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP has launched Sistine Chapel: Revelations, a major immersive exhibition bringing the Vatican masterpiece to the forecourt of Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral. “Thanks to a calculated risk and […]

Hundreds of Sydney families have been gifted a rare and lasting encounter with two of the world’s most respected Catholic voices on marriage and family life, Mike and Alicia Hernon, the Ohio-based co-hosts of the enormously popular Messy Family Project podcast.  Between 8 and 12 May, the couple swept through the archdiocese in a whirlwind speaking […]

Bishop Tony Percy at his episcopal ordination. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 The third annual Tim Fischer Oration for Ethics in Public and Political Life, founded by Bishop Tony Percy, will be held in Rosehill Gardens in Sydney’s west on 17 June.   Named after Liberal Party Deputy Prime Minister from 1996-1999, the oration honours Fischer’s strong Catholic faith and civic convictions.   This year’s speaker is Dr Mary […]

Bishop Daniel Meagher at his farewell, wearing one of his parting gifts. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Bishop Daniel Meagher bid goodbye to the Archdiocese of Sydney at St Mary’s Cathedral on 5 May, telling the faithful gathered for his farewell Mass before moving to Rockhampton that Christ’s peace would sustain His people through every […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP giving his welcome to the Synod. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has accepted a series of key proposals from the Sydney Synod, setting new pastoral priorities for the archdiocese focused on more prayerful liturgies, Christ-centred communities and renewed missionary outreach.  The decisions – aimed at strengthening sacramental life, evangelisation, and formation – came at the conclusion of […]

Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Photo: Patrick J Lee. On the night of Saturday 16 May, thousands of Sydney’s faithful will take to the streets around St Mary’s Cathedral, rosaries in hand and candles burning, in one of the most moving expressions of Catholic faith in the city’s year.  The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Procession, organised by […]

Dominican sisters with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP. Photo: Patrick Lee At a Mass celebrating those in religious life, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said that when Catholics think of ‘shepherds’ they usually think of bishops and priests.  Yet there is a broader shepherding in which all the faithful share, he said, particularly the religious sisters, brothers, and priests who have built much of Australia’s religious and social infrastructure.  “Many of us were blessed to have known […]

Men praying the rosary during the St Joseph Camino. Photo: GIOVANNI PORTELLI 2025 More than 1,200 men transformed Sydney with a city-wide gathering of faith last year. This August they’re back — bigger, bolder, and hungry for more. Are you in?  In 2025, something stirred among the men of this city. In the dead of night, more than a thousand men laced up their boots, […]

Marcel LeJeune. Photo: Jules Photo Design. When Marcel LeJeune arrived at St Mary’s Catholic Centre at Texas A&M University in 2006, he inherited a ministry with two priests, a part-time deacon, a leaking roof, and no budget to speak of. By the time he left 11 years later, there were 63 staff, a $3.5 million budget, state-of-the-art facilities, 5,000 students […]

There is a particular kind of discipline that the Royal Australian Navy instils in its officers. A capacity to assess, to interrogate, to weigh evidence and act decisively. For Jared Karchel, logistics officer and father of two, that same discipline would eventually lead him not to a command post, but to a baptismal font. “Throughout […]

The Kinna-Puru family. Photo: Supplied. Among the thousands of people across Australia who joined the Catholic Church this Easter season was Kaila Kinna-Puru and her family who attend Our Lady Help of Christians in Culburra Beach on the South Coast.  Kinna-Puru, her husband Cody, and their five children, now aged between one and 11 years old, came to the faith after discovering their youngest […]

Mar Paulos III receiving flowers. Photo: Patrick J Lee. First a bearded and turbaned crucifer in traditional Iraqi garb flanked by altar boys with candles. Then more candles. Then a dozen white-gowned young men with four-metre palm branches. Then dozens of women with white veils and white embroidered gowns. Then a phalanx of deacons with […]

Sydney’s newest Catholics have been welcomed into the Church at St Mary’s Cathedral for a special liturgy and post-Mass luncheon.  The cathedral was packed for the Sunday Solemn Mass, as it coincided with the annual  archdiocesan Paschal Eucharist – Celebration for the Newly Initiated event, which served as a welcome from Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP for those recently baptised and those received into the […]

Mike and Alicia Hernon. Photo: Supplied. Catholic parents across Sydney are being invited to invest some quality time in the future of their families through a two-day Messy Families course and retreat on 8–9 May held at St Peter Chanel and St Joseph’s Parish, Berala.  The event forms part of the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Messy Family Project […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP with Bishop Daniel Meagher. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Next week, the Synod of Sydney will gather Catholics from different parishes, communities and chaplaincies alongside those from health, welfare, and education sectors within our archdiocese to respond to grass-roots longings that emerged over years of consultation.  The three repeated and Holy Spirit-inspired longings were for more prayerful liturgies, […]

The Archdiocese of Sydney has launched a new video introducing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), as more people enquire about and enter the Catholic Church across Australia. The short resource offers a simple, accessible guide for those considering the journey of faith, responding to growing interest alongside uncertainty about the process of […]

In imitation of the celebration of Our Lady of Fatima each year in Portugal, three children were chosen to process as the shepherd seers. White handkerchiefs were waved by crowds farewelling Our Lady from the forecourt. Photo: Giovanni Portelli When hundreds of candles stream around the forecourt of St Mary’s Cathedral on the evening of 16 May, […]

The Archdiocese of Sydney has held two formation nights ahead of the Sydney Synod, which will take place from 30 April to 3 May.  Synod working party members Bishop Daniel Meagher, Sr Anastasia Reeves OP, and Sydney Centre for Evangelisation director Daniel Ang addressed the gatherings at St Mary’s Cathedral College Hall, outlining the aims […]

Divine Mercy being celebrate at St Luke’s Parish in Revesby with the relic of St Faustina being displayed alongside the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. Photo: Patrick J Lee. St Luke’s Parish in Revesby marked Divine Mercy Sunday on 12 April with Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and veneration of a first-class relic of St Faustina Kowalska, six months […]

Chaldean Archbishop Amel Nona, now elected Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona, pictured in his presbytery in 2021. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © Archbishop Amel Nona, leader of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand, has been elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church.  The Synod of Bishops elected Archbishop Nona on 12 […]

St Mary’s Cathedral will celebrate an Anzac Day vigil Mass on 24 April. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. St Mary’s Cathedral will host veterans, defence personnel and their families on the eve of Anzac Day, with a vigil Mass commemorating the service and sacrifice of Australia’s armed forces. The Mass in Sydney will be celebrated by Archbishop […]

Richie Leilua with his wife Mary and their daughter Photo: Supplied. When Richard ‘Richie’ Leilua sits down with his wife Mary, for what he now calls their “family board meeting,” he thinks about the parents he no longer has.  His mother died 11 years ago. His father, 13 years ago. Raising a family without them and their lived wisdom passed across […]

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as seen from Baabda April 8, 2026. As the ceasefire between the United States and Iran risked collapsing due to disagreements, Israel pressed on with its attack on alleged Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing at least 254 people and wounding hundreds more. (OSV […]

Berala procession for the launch of Eucharist28. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography 2025 There is something unmistakable about a Catholic procession moving through the streets. Neighbours stop. Questions get asked. Something stirs.  That peaceful, prayerful, public witness is exactly what Tania Rimac wants more Sydney parishes to experience, and a new online workshop from the Sydney Centre for […]

Reg and Cynthia. Photo: Supplied. There was a clear, profound moment when Reg Argana realised his 10-year marriage needed an overhaul.  “I noticed that each time we go out as a family, I tend to hold my children’s hands 100 per cent of the time, without holding Cynthia’s hand. We were becoming more functional, rather than […]

Lenten pilgrimage from St Fiacre’s Church in Leichhardt to the tomb of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop in North Sydney on 21 March. Photo: Supplied. By Tony Bozicevic OFS Members of the Secular Franciscan Order marked the Jubilee Year of St Francis with a Lenten pilgrimage from St Fiacre’s Church in Leichhardt to the tomb […]

Chrism Mass. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 A solemn yet uplifting Holy Week concluded with news of Christ’s empty tomb and the promise of new life renewing the hearts of the faithful across Sydney and the world.  This year, the Archdiocese of Sydney welcomed a record number of nearly 460 candidates and catechumens in the church – a 20 per cent increase […]

Altar of repose St Brigid’s Marrickville. Photo: Supplied. Hundreds of faithful across Sydney once again took part in the ever-growing Seven Churches Visitation pilgrimage following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.  Pilgrims set out into the night – by bus, by car, or in organised groups – visiting seven out of 55 participating churches to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, kept at each altar of repose.  […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP breathing on the oils. This gesture is a symbolic act, representing the invocation of the Holy Spirit to sanctify the oil, just as God breathed life into Adam and Jesus breathed on his apostles to give them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 The Chrism […]

Statue of St Faustina. Photo: Supplied. Six months after receiving a first-class relic of St Faustina Kowalska and installing her statue, St Luke’s Parish in Revesby is preparing for Divine Mercy Sunday. The relic has become a source of inspiration for parishioners, friends and visitors seeking a deeper connection to God’s mercy. The journey to […]

Curious Grace setup. Photo: Tara Kennedy. On the final Sunday of the month, the community of St Brendan’s parish in Annandale in Sydney’s inner west come together after Mass to chat, learn new crafts, and enjoy sweet treats. In an increasingly atomised and fragmented society, they’re fighting the good fight against the loneliness epidemic.   This is Curious Grace, a group set up in early […]

Chrism Mass 2026 1 of 29 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP blesses the congregation with holy water at during the Easter vigil at St Mary’s Cathedral on 4 April 2026. Photo: Giovanni Portelli Hundreds of worshippers gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral on 4 April for the Easter Vigil, led by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, in a liturgy that moved from darkness to […]

St Mary’s Cathedral filled to capacity for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on 2 April 2026. Photo: The Catholic Weekly/Giovanni Portelli Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP reflected on the often-overlooked presence and contribution of women in the events of the first Holy Thursday, in his homily for the Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper at […]

Video by Anthony Milic The world tells us we don’t need anyone. Back yourself. Make your own way. Depend on no one. It gets even darker when it says the powerful can do whatever they please. But this story doesn’t match reality. From the beginning, we need others. We were held before we could stand. […]

Bishop Daniel Meagher/ Photo: Patrick J Lee. Pope Leo XIV has, this evening, named Bishop Daniel Meagher, until now auxiliary bishop of Sydney, as the eleventh bishop of the Diocese of Rockhampton. Bishop Meagher will succeed Bishop Michael McCarthy, 75, who has led the diocese for the past 12 years. Bishop Meagher told the Catholic […]

SCY Team with some of the key note speakers. Photo: Supplied. A young youth leader who once felt alone in her desire to live and lead in the faith is now helping ensure the next generation of Catholic leaders never walks that path in isolation.  Over the weekend of 28–29 March, youth leaders from across the Archdiocese […]

Moses and the Crossing of the Red Sea. Photo: Copyright© Governorate of the Vatican City State – Directorate of Museums. A world-first immersive exhibition recreating the Sistine Chapel will open in St Mary’s Cathedral forecourt this winter, offering visitors an opportunity to experience one of the world’s most iconic sacred artworks without travelling to Rome.  The Sistine Chapel: Revelations installation will run from 16 May to 19 July […]

SCS Commissioning Mass for 2026. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 As a way of welcoming new principals, teachers, and support staff, Sydney Catholic Schools held a commissioning Mass for the 2026 academic year on 25 March in St Mary’s Cathedral. This year 300 new teachers and 88 principals, assistant principals, and religious education coordinators began working […]

Bishop Richard Umbers. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. George Azzi thought he knew his faith. As a parish leader, he’d spent years in the life of the church – attending Mass, leading his community, engaging with Catholic culture and art. Then he signed up for Didaskō.  “Last year Didaskō showed me just how deep that connection truly goes,” he […]

Mike and Alicia Hernon. Photo Credit: supplied/Messy Family Project Mike and Alicia Hernon have spent more than a decade accompanying families through the messiness of marriage and family life, finding in it not failure but a path to holiness. Now the founders of the Messy Family Project, and hosts of one of the United States’ most popular […]

Danielle Cronin at the SCS Commissioning Mass in 2025. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Rapid social and cultural change is reshaping the landscape of education everywhere, and Catholic school systems are set to lead it. Locally, Sydney Catholic Schools laid out that ambition in Magis 2033, a decade-long roadmap launched early in 2026 […]

Participants gather at Garrison Park Reserve for the Run 4 St Joseph fun run on 22 March. Photo: Mathew De Sousa As storm clouds cleared over Sydney’s west, crowds gathered at Garrison Park Reserve for a fun run that raised more than $13,000 for the restoration of St Joseph’s church in Moorebank.  The Run 4 St […]

Fr Chris Ryan MGL. Photo: Supplied. Participation at St Declan’s parish in Penshurst is growing rapidly as its outreach programs expand to meet rising demand for support across Sydney’s south.  A key part of the work is carried out in partnership with the St Vincent de Paul Society, with more than 130 parishioners registered to assist through the local conference […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP delivered the homily at Mass for the Day of the Unborn Child. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. “The Lord weeps with us, and we with him, for all those innocents lost each year, each month, and each day in our world. Each day in our city.”  A hush fell over St Mary’s Cathedral […]

Men praying at the St Joseph Lenten retreat. Photo: Mathew De Sousa. For a young dietitian who spends his days talking to patients, a day of complete silence might seem the last thing he would choose. But Vincent Voccaro, 27, was among 120 men who did exactly that last weekend.  “Finding Silence with St Joseph: […]

Bishop Daniel Meagher blesses the new facility and leads a prayer in the outdoor Healing Garden at the Mater Hospital’s official opening of the new Ritchie Family Centre for Supportive and Palliative Care and Duncan Family Day Surgery Centre in early March 2026. PHOTO: Supplied A $42 million state-of-the-art palliative care facility and updates day surgery centre has been opened at St Vincent’s Mater Hospital in Wollstonecraft.   […]

A former Muslim who found Christ at Hillsong and spent more than a decade in a Pentecostal church, Adlina Schneider is now preparing to be confirmed Catholic – and pouring her gift for music into the choir at St Joseph’s Parish, Enfield.  There is a moment, Adlina Schneider says, when her fingers find the piano […]

The new St Carlo Acutis Eucharistic chapel at Our Lady of the Rosary parish, Fairfield, is open daily for prayer and adoration. Photo: Facebook/Henry Iglinski. Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Fairfield has opened a new Eucharistic chapel dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis, offering a dedicated space for silent prayer in one of Sydney’s […]

Lent is, at its heart, a season of seeking. On 28 February and 14 March, more than 1,200 women answered that call, filling Cathedral Hall at St Mary’s with prayer, presence, and a longing for something more.  Under the theme “Seek His Face,” drawn from Psalm 27, women from across New South Wales came together for […]

St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. For 170 years, St Mary’s Cathedral has stood at the heart of Sydney’s Catholic community,  witness to generations of faith, grief, and joy. Now it needs that community to stand with it.  A high-profile gala dinner, In Lumine Fidei, on 9 May, to be held at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney, has been announced […]

Jacinta Collins, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Scott Ryan and Nicholas Moore. Photo: CSNSW/Giovanni Portelli. Former Senate president Scott Ryan has formally begun his role as executive director of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), following a commissioning Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.  Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP presided at the Mass in the cathedral […]

Guests at the annual Iftar Dinner at Cathedral House. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has urged faith leaders to unite in hope for a world free of tension and violence, and to persevere in faith, hope and love during a period of global instability.  The Archbishop of Sydney was […]

Bishop Toney Percy will be offering a formation session on the second day of the Summit. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Ask Campbell Evans what keeps him up at night, and the answer comes quickly: the thousands of young Catholics across Sydney who are quietly showing up, leading youth groups, running small groups, […]

Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral for the launch of Eucharist28. mages by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Just days after Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP launched the Year of Prayer in preparation for Eucharist28, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney began a series of formation sessions aimed at deepening understanding of Eucharistic adoration across the archdiocese.  The […]

New Statue of St Francis at St Dominic’s in Flemington. Photo: Supplied. Pope Leo XIV has declared 2026, the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, a jubilee year to help Christians around the world follow in the saint’s footsteps.  Plenary indulgences are being granted through the usual provisions – sacramental reconciliation, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of […]

Diego Torre, Opera Singer, Sydney, Mexico. Photo: Supplied. Some buildings are merely beautiful. St Mary’s Cathedral is something more: a living inheritance, built by one generation, kept by another.  On 9 May, the archdiocese of Sydney is asking which generation you’ll be.  A fundraising gala dinner, In Lumine Fidei (“the Light of Faith”), to be held at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney, will […]

The evening ended with an hour of Eucharistic Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Photo: Mat De Sousa Just days after Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP launched the Year of Prayer in preparation for Eucharist28, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney began a series of formation sessions that aims to grow appreciation for Eucharist Adoration across […]

Men praying at Maximus Men’s ministry night. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. In a world saturated with noise, screens and relentless demands, the very idea of silence can feel foreign, especially for men carrying the weight of work, family and constant responsibility. Yet silence, far from being a luxury, may be exactly what the soul needs most.  On Saturday, 21 […]

Screenshot of some of the 2026 IEC Workshop attendees. Photo: Screenshot. “The Eucharistic Congress is not just one week in 2028. It starts now.” That was the clear message from the recent parish planning workshop for the International Eucharistic Congress. More than 150 people from across Sydney – clergy, parish leaders, and everyday parishioners – […]

The great works of God do not always make the nightly news.   Sunday, 1 March, was just such a day. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP launched the Year of Prayer in preparation for Eucharist28 at St Mary’s Cathedral with Mass and a Holy Hour.   Concelebrating were Eparchs from the Melkite and Chaldean churches, the auxiliary bishops of Sydney, priests working in the Archdiocese, and a large […]

Michael Jaksic helping deliver the Everlasting Love, Marriage preparation Course. Photo: Supplied. In a culture where weddings can easily overshadow marriages, one course is quietly helping couples put first things first. The “Everlasting Love Marriage Preparation Course” run by the Life, Marriage and Family team, is arming them with a spiritual and practical “survival kit” designed […]

Group of young adults from All Saints Parish in Liverpool, at the launch of Fidelis for 2026. Photo: The Catholic Weekly. As a staple in many young adults’ calendars, Fidelis launched its first event of the year on 25 February, drawing hundreds of young people together to ask the big questions about faith, vocation and life.  The night began […]

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 […]

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 […]

Deacon Lawrence Zimbe with the flowers he brought for Our Lady. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. On a day the world marks with roses, chocolates, and romance Lawrence Zimbe offered a bouquet not to a sweetheart, but to Our Lady represented by her statue, following his Valentine’s Day ordination to the diaconate by Bishop Daniel Meagher in Annandale.  “I’ve been devoted to Our Lady since […]

Chloe Mombeshora helped relaunch the new Catholic Jobs online website. Photo: Supplied. Chloe Mombeshora has come full circle: the young woman who once found her own role through Catholic Jobs Online is now part of the team behind its relaunch.  She first discovered the platform while searching for work that felt more closely aligned with […]

Safeguarding morning tea with Jennifer Orre (far right). Photo: Supplied. On 11 February, the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office hosted its first ‘Tea and Talk’ event, welcoming personnel from more than 26 parishes and communities across the archdiocese.  As the archdiocese continues to strengthen its commitment to the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults, the event offered a powerful space for connection, learning, and hope.   “The […]

Koe performing at EastFest 2024. Photo: Supplied. Two fresh faces have joined Sydney Catholic Youth (SCY) within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation: Rachael Johnson and Koe Evangelista. Their gifts, stories and zeal bring an exciting new chapter to the faith in Sydney.  They come from different parts of the archdiocese and have different talents and personalities, but […]

Parishioners who helped with the building of the new Grotto at St Michael’s in Belfield, standing in front of the new Grotto. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Hundreds of people gathered in St Michael’s parish in the inner west suburb of Belfield on 15 February for the dedication of a new grotto to […]

A group shot of women at the Lenten retreat held at St Mary’s Cathedral on 16 March, 2024. Photo: Alphonsus Fok As the holy season of Lent unfolds, women across Sydney and beyond are being invited to pause, reflect and deepen their spiritual life at a pair of inspiring retreat days this year. The Dominican […]

Fr Ben Saliba speaking for the anniversary gathering to launch the group’s second year. Photo: Paul A Ahad More than 100 men gathered at St Mary Queen of Heaven Parish, Georges Hall, in Sydney’s southwest for the monthly meeting of the parish men’s group, marking its first anniversary.  Members and guests of The Men of Mary […]

The celebration was attended by the Governor of NSW Margaret Beazley, Cardinal Mykola Bychok, and other civic and religious leaders. Photo: www.snapix.com.au The Maronite Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania gathered in faith and unity at St Maroun’s Cathedral, Redfern, on Sunday to celebrate the Feast of St Maroun and formally launch the 2026 […]

Youth leaders made a pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop Chapel in North Sydney and the saints’ tomb. PHOTO: Abbel Gaspi With Ash Wednesday approaching, our minds turn to the significance of Lent and how important it is to connect to the faith in the 40 days’ lead up to Christ’s death on the cross.  Why not […]

Somascan Fathers celebrating the feast if its founder, St Jerome Emiliani. Photo: Mat De Sousa Despite last weekend’s heavy rain, crowds poured into St Joseph’s Catholic church in Moorebank to celebrate the Solemnity of St Jerome Emiliani, founder of the Somascan Fathers who care for the parish community. Accompanied by traditional hymns dedicated to Mary, […]

Bishop Anthony Percy with the first year seminarians at the Opening Mass for 2026. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. The Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush has welcomed its new students and staff at a Mass to open the seminary year.   Held on 8 February and principally celebrated by Bishop Anthony Percy, the seminary welcomed 13 […]

Tania Rimac. leading Alpha Leaders Course last month. Photo: Supplied. As the church in Australia looks toward the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in 2028  (Eucharist28), to be held in Sydney, parishes are being invited to see themselves not just as spectators, but as missionary communities at the very heart of the buildup.  That vision drives the upcoming Parish Online Workshop, organised […]

Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., kneels in prayer before the monstrance during Eucharistic adoration at the opening revival night July 17, 2024, of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller) “You become what you love.” […]

Divine Liiturgy in the Ukrainian Byzantine rite at St Andrew’s Ukrainian Church. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Around 500 Sydneysiders processed through the streets of Lidcombe last week to honour  Our Lady of Good Success and in support of Bridget Sakr’s Heartfelt community.   On 7 February, Cardinal Mykola Bychok and Bishop Richard Umbers […]

Left to right: Peter John McGregor, Tracey Rowland, and Kevin Wagner at the launch of Eschatology at the Beginning of the Third Millennium and Introducing Communio Theology held at the University of Notre Dame Australia on 5 February, 2026. Photo: Michael Cook. I was just easing myself into a chair at a book launch for Eschatology […]

Our Lady of Good Success Marian procession 2025. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Catholics across Sydney are being invited to once again to take to the streets of Lidcombe in prayer, as organiser Bridget Sakr prepares for the third annual Marian procession in honour of the 2 February feast of Our Lady of […]

Members of Mandarin speaking community doing Alpha Coaching Day. Photo: Supplied. Over the weekend of 31 January and 1 February, parishioners from across Sydney and beyond, gathered for Alpha Coaching Days, designed to prepare the next wave of Alpha leaders as missionary disciples at the heart of parish renewal.  “Each time a parish prepares to run Alpha, […]

Front cover of the Lenten resource for 2026. Photo: Archdiocese of Sydney. As we prepare to enter Lent this year, the Parish Renewal Team within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation is delighted to release their new Lenten Companion, themed around the powerful words of Jesus at the Last Supper: “This is my body, given for you.”  “Taken from the words […]

Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General Hugh McDermott, Bishop Anthony Percy and Senior Vice President Giles Tabeteau. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. St Mary’s Cathedral has hosted the 95th Red Mass commemorating the beginning of the law term, a tradition dating back beyond 1245 in Paris.   Attended by law students, politicians, and members of the legal fraternity, it reminds lawyers of […]

Fr Bernie Thomas with the replica icon of the St Damiano Cross. Photo: Tara Kennedy.  In a worldwide jubilee year commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis, Mary Immaculate church in Waverley has unveiled a replica of the famous San Damiano Cross.   The original, which hangs in the Basilica of St Clare in […]

When exploring the revolutionary teachings of St John Paul II in his Theology of the Body (TOB), few would expect references to the film Titanic or the song “The Glory of Love.” Yet popular-culture touchstones such as these are one method Dr Christopher West, president of the Theology of the Body (TOB) Institute in the United […]

Young couple dating. Photo: Pexels.com. For years, Alison De Sousa has experienced and heard countless stories about how bleak the dating scene is in Sydney and wanted to do something to fix the culture. She wanted dating to return to the way it once was and the way as Catholics are called to date – […]

In late 2024, a Synod Working Party, commissioned by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and led by Bishop Daniel Meagher, recommended a diocesan Synod be held in response to three significant and repeated longings: that our liturgies be more prayerful, that our parishes and other church communities be Christ-centred and that our church be mission-oriented.   These longings emerged after extensive […]

Moe Turaga with Jessa Royupa and Alison Rahill. Photo: Supplied. The first inquest in Australia into a death linked to modern slavery has highlighted a web of exploitative practices.   In her report, which was handed down on 16 January, NSW deputy coroner Rebecca Hosking left no doubt that modern slavery is a reality in […]

Official website for Eucharist28 is now live. Photo: Screenshot of Eucharist28 website. The official website for the International Eucharistic Congress 2028 (Eucharist28) is now live at eucharist28.org. Every parish in the country will be receiving a “Eucharist28 Starter Pack” in the coming weeks, containing a letter from the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, […]

Professor Hayden Ramsay, recently appointed President of the Catholic Institute of Sydney. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Professor Hayden Ramsay was recently appointed President of the Catholic Institute of Sydney, bringing with him decades of experience in philosophy, Catholic higher education, and ecclesial leadership in Australia and abroad.  He now joins The Catholic Weekly as a new regular columnist, to tackle life, faith, reason  […]

The Eucharistic procession through the streets of Punchbowl to welcome the installation of the St Charbel statue. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2026 Thousands of faithful gathered on Thursday evening, 22 January, for a major public expression of Catholic faith as a solemn Eucharistic procession accompanied the arrival of a huge bronze sculpture depicting […]

More than a hundred men from across the country made the trek to Our Lady of Mercy Church in Penrose Park for the inaugural Australian Men’s Crusade Conference. Photo: Supplied Braving the cold and heavy rain, more than a hundred men from across the country made the trek to Our Lady of Mercy Church in Penrose Park […]

More than 500 people filled St Kevin’s Church, Eastwood, on a rain-sodden Saturday night for a moment of collective wonder about the deepest meaning of Christianity and what it means to be human.  The mostly young adult crowd had come to hear US-based Theology of the Body speaker and author Christopher West, known world-wide for presenting Christianity in all its embodied glory with frankness about the realities […]

Men carrying a statue of St Joseph as they make their way through the overnight Camino. Photo: GIOVANNI PORTELLI 2025 Sydney’s annual Catholic men’s pilgrimage has gained international recognition, with the Camino of St Joseph featuring in a documentary produced by Shalom World TV.   The Camino of St Joseph was conceived by the Life, Family and Marriage team […]

Mass to commemorate Eileen O’Connor on the 105th anniversary of her death. Photo: Supplied. Dozens of the faithful have braved Sydney’s heat to commemorate Eileen O’Connor on the 105th anniversary of her death.   The memory of Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor (OLN) co-founders O’Connor and Fr Tim McGrath MSC was honoured in the Mass held in St Brigid’s parish in […]

Premier of NSW Chris Minns. The government announced an inquiry by the lower house law and safety committee on 22 December, with comments due by 12 January, and recommendations submitted to parliament by 31 January. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025. The NSW Government’s inquiry into a law banning phrases like “globalise the intifada” should […]

Eileen’s tomb 10 January 2026. Photo: Supplied. Sometimes it’s taking a stroll in a client’s local surroundings, absorbing the environment, and having a conversation.   Sometimes it’s a simple coffee catch-up. Sometimes it’s just presence.  Eileen O’Connor’s Brown Nurses help disadvantaged people in Sydney to cope with chronic and complex health, cultural and social care challenges. They have been doing it for more than 100 years.   Even though she was seriously disabled by a spinal condition, O’Connor […]

Bishop Daniel Meagher confirming the four children. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Four Aboriginal children were confirmed by Bishop Daniel Meagher at the Reconciliation Church in in La Perouse just before Christmas.   The four went through a unique sacramental program designed by the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (ACM). While their preparation was similar to other programs across […]

Fr Chris de Sousa CRS leading the procession. Photo: Supplied. Hundreds of families from Sydney’s west made the trip to the shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Penrose Park in celebration of the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  The annual visit by parishioners of St Joseph’s Moorebank and St Christopher’s Holsworthy was part of the Somascan Christmas pilgrimage […]

Chris Meney with wife Mary Clare. Photo: Marilyn Rodrigues. Chris Meney has been a steady and trusted presence in the day-to-day life of Sydney’s Catholic community for more than a decade, serving as the first lay chancellor of the Archdiocese of Sydney.  Now retiring to spend more time with his large family, he says he and his wife Mary Clare are open […]

Santo Nino has become a focal point for devotion, bringing a centuries-old Filipino tradition to Revesby. Photo: Supplied For the third-year running, St Luke’s Parish in Sydney’s south-west has welcomed the community to celebrate Señor Santo Niño de Cebu, the Holy Child Jesus, on 18 January with a 10am Mass followed by a fiesta. The […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP blesses worshippers as he exits St Mary’s Cathedral following midnight Mass for Christmas 2022. The Mass is traditionally one of the most-attended in St Mary’s Cathedral throughout the year. Photo: Giovanni Portelli This year was the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, one of the most pivotal gatherings in Christian […]

The series, called Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well, is a video program from the Augustine Institute and will be presented by Willow Tree Funerals funeral director Bruce Missen. Photo: Pexels.com. In an effort to help relieve anxiety and stress surrounding death, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Varroville will be hosting a four-part series on death and the afterlife. The series, called Eternal Rest: […]

Members of the New South Wales Faith Affairs Council and faith leaders in a 15 December emergency meeting convened by Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper. Photo: Supplied. The New South Wales Faith Affairs Council is inviting Australians to undertake an act of kindness, compassion, or charity to bring light into the world and honour the victims […]

Opening of Christmas at the Cathedral 2025. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2025 Amidst one of the darkest weeks in Sydney’s history, the opening night of Christmas at the Cathedral saw Sydney’s mother church become a beacon of healing and unity. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP hosted a memorial prayer service attended by Prime Minister […]

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 […]

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 […]

South Korean delegation at the return of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney in preparation for World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027. Photo: Abbel Gaspi. St Mary’s Cathedral was brimming with joy and excitement as the World Youth Day (WYD) cross and icon returned to Sydney for […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP announcing that the next ACYF will be held in Tandem with the International Eucharistic Congress in 2028. Photo: ACYF/Archdiocese of Melbourne. Addressing thousands at the conclusion of the ACYF25 commissioning Mass in Melbourne, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP announced that the next Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) will be held in Sydney in 2028.   It will […]

Christmas at the Cathedral as seen from Hyde Park. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2024 This year’s Christmas at the Cathedral takes audiences deeper into the spirit of Christmas than ever before, expanding the footprint of the experience, illuminating new spaces and creating a true Christmas spectacle for families.   Now in its fourth year partnering with the Archdiocese of […]

The two newly ordained priests, Fr Giovanni Julio Gonzalez and Fr Jorge Mairena Marquez. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Two missionaries of the Neocatechumenal Way, Giovanni Julio Gonzalez and Jorge Mairena Marquez, were ordained as priests of the Archdiocese of Sydney, by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP on 5 December in St Mary’s Cathedral.   Fr Julio Gonzalez comes from […]

About 400 parishioners from the St Catherine Labouré Gymea parish packed Doltone House in Sylvania Waters to listen to Moira Kelly AO in this year’s 4th annual Laboure Lecture, Photo: Supplied. Moira Kelly AO, arguably Australia’s greatest humanitarian with a list of awards longer than the arms of the many children she has saved, has stressed the […]

Fr Anthony Robbie hosting an Order of Malta dinner in Bondi. Photo: Supplied. Christmas is for some one of the most isolating times of the year, especially in a cost-of-living crisis where families may have to choose between buying gifts and treats for loved ones or buying necessities. Communities including the Order of Malta, St […]

2024 Christmas at the Cathedral with the Elachi family. Photo: Supplied. For Sydney families searching for a magical, affordable Christmas experience, ‘Christmas at the Cathedral’ offers the perfect night out. For Dany Elachi and his family of seven, a summer’s evening at the St Mary’s Cathedral forecourt has become not just a seasonal tradition but […]

Student catechists with Bishop Daniel Meagher. Photo: Supplied. Some of the archdiocese’s dedicated special religious education (SRE) catechists have been recognised for their years of mission in the annual Archdiocesan Catechist Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.  Held on 16 November, the Mass honoured 48 SRE catechists who hit milestones in their service, with special recognition for those who had served 20, 25, 40, and 55 […]

Sisters of life visiting St Joachim’s in Lidcombe to help run the Advent retreat. Photo: Patrick J Lee. Women from across Sydney gathered in their hundreds to spend the day with the Sisters of Life at St Joachim’s in Lidcombe, on 29 November, for a rare opportunity to slow down and rediscover the true reason […]

Sydney pilgrims getting ready for Day 2 of ACYF in Melbourne. Photo: Supplied. As Sydney pilgrims prepared for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne, the Sydney Catholic Youth Team hoped it would help and encourage the youth in one particular area of concern: isolation.  They shared that many young people feel like they don’t […]

All liaisons for the International Eucharistic Congress 2028 at a retreat held at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney. Photo: Supplied. From across the country they came: Perth, Geraldton, Darwin, Adelaide, Rockhampton and everywhere in between was represented.  From 11-13 November a retreat was held at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney for those men and women appointed […]

The World Youth Day cross and icon are carried through a crowd of pilgrims in Sydney, Australia, July 14. The two symbols of the international Catholic youth gathering were brought to central Sydney following a journey that covered thousands of miles across the island continent. (CNS photo/Tim Wimborne, Reuters) (July 14, 2008) World Youth Day […]

Deacon Peter Van Khuơng Tran at his ordination. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. It’s not often that two men from a single parish are ordained as deacons in a single week. But 2025 was a lucky year for Our Lady of the Rosary parish in the outer western Sydney suburb of Fairfield.   On Wednesday, 19 November, Philip Pham, once a refugee from Vietnam, was […]

The Booklet for the ordination to the diaconate for Deacons Philip and Robert. Photo: Patrick J Lee. After years of prayerful discernment and study and with the loving support of their families, Philip Pham and Robert Tonkli were ordained by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP in St Mary’s Cathedral on 19 November.  Deacon Pham, 65, and […]

Fr John Iacono and Mark Kazzi. Photo: Supplied. St Charbel’s Maronite Catholic Parish in Punchbowl and a local kickboxing studio have hosted dozens of men seeking a morning of prayer, exercise, and fellowship on 15 November.   About 60 men and teens aged from 16 to 45 attended Mass in the church before heading across the […]

Fr Michael McLean greets parishioners after Mass. Photo: Supplied. St Mark’s parish in Drummoyne said farewell to its long-serving parish priest, Fr Michael McLean, along with priest-in-residence Fr Denis Minns OP on Sunday, 23 November.   Fr McLean, who is also episcopal vicar for clergy, has been parish priest for 12 years, since 2013. Stepping in […]

A prayer vigil commemorating Red Wednesday. Photo: Supplied. By Staff writers and OSV News St Mary’s Cathedral and St Maroun’s Cathedral in Redfern joined 14 other cathedrals and churches across Australia and New Zealand in praying and advocating for the world’s persecuted Christians on 19 November.   Each marked Red Wednesday, the focal day of a […]

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP with Hayden Ramsay. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. Significant contributors to Australian Catholic education in Sydney have been honoured with knighthoods in the Order of St Gregory the Great, which were bestowed on them by Pope Leo XIV.  Radiation oncologist and former master at Warrane College in the University of New South Wales Dr Gerald Fogarty OAM, president of […]

This Christmas, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP warmly invites everyone to join him for Christmas at the Cathedral, an event that has grown to become Sydney’s ultimate free Christmas event.    “It is with great joy that I invite you to join us for Christmas at the Cathedral,” the archbishop said of the annual celebration that transforms St Mary’s Cathedral […]

Sr Miriam James Heidland SOLT in Sydney at the Catholic Women’s Network conference in September. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. When the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation first began connecting with international guests and collaborators in its mission to form missionary disciples, it quickly became clear that not every story or insight could fit into print or make it onto the main stage.   Some of the […]

Twelve-year-old Eimear, second from left. Photo: Supplied. Twelve-year-old Eimear is preparing to make history at this year’s Carols at the Cathedral on 16 December, when she takes her place among the boys in the St Mary’s Cathedral choir, in the iconic event which will see girls and boys singing together for the first time in […]

The founder of the St Merkorious Charity, Paula Nicolas, received the Archbishop of Sydney’s Dempsey Medal during the celebration, recognising her years of service to the disadvantaged. Photo: Alphonsus Fok. On 14 November, hundreds of Sydney’s homeless celebrated an early Christmas in St Mary’s Cathedral Forecourt with food and music at the seventh annual Street Feast.  The St Merkorious Charity provided a BBQ for the cheery celebration. Its founder […]

Crowds enjoy the opening night of the Lights of Christmas at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral. PHOTO: Giovanni Portelli This Christmas will not only see St Mary’s Cathedral transformed by a breathtaking light spectacular, but Sydney’s iconic mother church will also resonate with the uplifting sounds of choirs, bands, and performers during daily concerts from 17-25 December 25 in an invitation to experience joy and faith through […]

For Catholics it’s a unique experience: Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP carries the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Sydney. Photo: Giovanni Portelli By Rob Snell, Evangelisation Officer University Chaplaincies Central to our Catholic faith is the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.   This is more than a proposition for assent; it is the embodied presence of […]

Sr Mary Grace SV shares her hopes for the Sydney tour of the Sisters of Life. Photo: Sisters of Life, Martin Jernberg Photography As Christmas fast approaches, Catholic women across Sydney are invited to pause and receive anew the promises of Advent at the upcoming ‘Sisters of Life Advent Retreat’, hosted by the Catholic Women’s Network on 29 […]

Soon to be permanent Deacon, Robert Tonkli as he was walking the Camino. Photo: Supplied. Two permanent deacons will be ordained by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP on 19 November. This will be the first ordination of permanent deacons in the Archdiocese since 2020.   The two deacons are Robert Tonkli and Philip Pham.  The Catholic Weekly […]

Visitors pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in pilgrimage Feb. 8, 2025, as part of the Jubilee of the Armed Services, Police and Security Personnel. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) The Jubilee Year of Hope, as designated by the late Pope Francis, is drawing to a close, but there is still […]

Christmas at the Cathedral will be on this year from 17 – 25 December. Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2024 The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney invites one and all to experience Sydney’s most beloved Christmas celebration, Christmas at the Cathedral, as Sydney’s mother church transforms into the dazzling heart of holiday festivities once again.  […]

Over two inspiring days, the Alpha Catholic Conference ignited the faith of more than 200 Catholics from across Australia, providing a powerful celebration of formation, fellowship, and expert guidance.   Attendees were equipped and energised to deepen their faith and boldly transform their parishes and communities.  Themed “The Way of Hope,” the conference – held at the Liverpool Catholic Club on 31 October […]

The Sisters of Life. Photo: Supplied. For most women, Christmas is an annual exercise in chaos management and seasonal survival. Hope and renewal might be the last two gifts on the Christmas wish list. But that is certainly what is on offer in preparation for the festive mayhem, as women across Sydney are invited to […]

Fr Hugh Thomas CSsR passed away age 85. Photo: Miracle Prayers Facebook page. Sydney Catholics are mourning the loss of four community stalwarts after the death of Fr Hugh Thomas CSsR due to cancer at the age of 85.   A Redemptorist missionary priest for 60 years, he dedicated his life to devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, setting […]

St Marys Cathedral choir. Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2022 Musical and spiritual history will be made this Christmas at the annual Carols at the Cathedral concert. The St Mary’s Cathedral choir is the oldest permanent musical group in Australia, and for the first time in its 200-year tradition, audiences will witness the inclusion of girl […]