LATEST NEWS

On 17 September Bishop Vincent Long launched the 2014 Election Kit prepared by Catholic Social Services Victoria. Entitled ‘Mend the Net’, the material builds on the general principles that Catholic Social Teaching derives from the Gospels and the Church’s reflection on society. Copies of the brochures and postcards are available from the welcome desk today. Parishioners are encouraged to write to or email their local member and ask where they stand on the issues highlighted in the brochure. The postcards provide a ready way of making this contact with Parliamentary candidates.

We celebrate Social Justice Sunday today. This year’s Statement is titled: ‘A Crown for Australia: Striving for the best in our sporting nation’. The Statement celebrates the place of sport in our national life, especially the way in which it brings individuals and communities together and contributes to our health and wellbeing. At the same time, the Statement challenges to look at sport’s darker side—the potential for violence, abuse and corruption that blemish its image and disillusion those who love it most. For further details about the Social Justice Statement, visit the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council website (http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au) or call (02) 8306 3499. Prayer Cards and ‘Ten Steps’ leaflets can be ordered from the above phone number of by email admin@acsjc.org.au.

Saturday 11 October 1pm Treasury Gardens, Melbourne. Wear pink or blue to show your support at the 6th Annual march for the babies. A peaceful rally to defend the rights of unborn babies and their mothers against the 2008 Abortion Law Reform Act.

A growing number of Church and community organisations are concerned over the failure of the Government to ensure even the most basic standard of care for people in the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres. Please consider supporting the following petition calling on Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to put an end to this policy, which is fast-becoming our nation’s greatest shame. The petition to close down the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres is a collaboration between GetUp, the Refugee Action Coalition, Doctors for Refugees, ChilOut, the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, and numerous groups and individuals fighting for compassionate and humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. You can sign the petition here: https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/refugees/a-more-compassionate-australia/a-more-compassionate-australia. Also consider adding the petition to your facebook page or twitter account and distributing the link to the petition to your own email list.

‘I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME’ – CHRISTIANS AND THE CRIMINAL  JUSTICE SYSTEM

How should our society treat victims of crime and those who break the law? With the Victorian State Election coming up in November 2014, the Interchurch Criminal Justice Taskforce has developed a series of proposals on criminal justice issues from a Christian perspective.  These are included in a new report “I was in prison and you visited Me”, copies of which will be available in the church on the weekend of 21 September, or you can go to www.css.org.au and download a copy. The report has been prepared to inform you of important criminal justice issues in the run-up to the Election.  The report links to the Victorian Council of Churches website www.vcc.org.au where there is a range of actions that you may consider taking, after reading the report. These include writing to your local MP, or provide support to chaplains and others who help in rehabilitation and resettlement of offenders.