News
10 February 2025
The ACMRO joins the Catholic Church in celebrating Jubilee 2025 with the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope.” It officially commenced on 24 December 2024 with the rite of the Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of St Peter by Pope Francis himself and will run until 6 January 2026.
There are 36 events throughout the Jubilee Year highlighting special aspects of Church life. One of these is the Jubilee of Migrants on 4-5 October. The Jubilee of Migrants acknowledges and celebrates the gifts, contributions, and resilience that migrant communities bring to our Church and the world. It is also an opportunity to highlight the image of the Church as a place of refuge, welcome, integration, and solidarity.
The ACBC’s National Centre for Evangelisation prepared a brief resource for each event that parishes and individuals can use for personal or group prayer and reflection.
Please click here to access the resource for the Jubilee of Migrants.
Source: Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network
07 January 2025
Today we’re experiencing an “educational catastrophe.” This is no exaggeration. Due to wars, migration, and poverty, some 250 million boys and girls lack education.
All children and youth have the right to go to school, regardless of their immigration status.
Education is a hope for everyone – it can save migrants and refugees from discrimination, criminal networks, and exploitation…. So many minors are exploited! It can help them integrate into the communities who host them.
Education opens the doors to a better future. In this way, migrants and refugees can contribute to society, either in their new country or in their country of origin, should they decide to return.
And let’s never forget that whoever welcomes the foreigner, welcomes Jesus Christ.
Let us pray for migrants, refugees and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a more human world, might always be respected.
~Pope Francis
Source: ACBC Media Release
07 January 2025
The ACMRO joins the Church of Australia, especially the Diocese of Bunbury, in welcoming the appointment of Bishop-elect George Kolodziej SDS by Pope Francis on Monday, 6th January, in Rome.
Fr George, 56, was born in Dobra, Poland, and has been the Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia since October 2018.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB, said the bishop-elect was “profoundly marked by the richness of his Salvatorian charism”.
“Fr George will bring a wealth of experience in parish ministry, in youth ministry, and in spiritual and pastoral accompaniment to the new mission to the Church in Bunbury to which the Lord has called him,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“These same gifts will also enrich the life and work of his brother bishops through his involvement with them in the work of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. We look forward to welcoming him among us. “
Fr George directs the Salvatorian Spirituality Centre in Perth and is a member of the Council of Catholic Religious Australia and the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Perth.
He has served as a chaplain for Catholic Education Western Australia since January 2019.
Fr George’s religious journey with the Salvatorians began when he entered the novitiate in September 1987.
He made his perpetual profession in the Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS) in September 1992.
FULL STORY: New bishop for Diocese of Bunbury (ACBC Media Release)
Source: Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
20 December 2024
On 1 January, the Church throughout the world will celebrate the 58th World Day of Peace. The theme chosen by the Holy Father for this year is ‘Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace'.
At the opening of this Year of Grace, the Pope invites us all to stop for a moment and think about God's mercy: by recognising ourselves as forgiven debtors, we can rediscover the path of hope and peace.
Watch the video presentation of the Message for Peace 2025:
In his Message, Francis speaks of ‘situations of exploitation of the earth and oppression of one’s neighbour’ that threaten the existence of all humanity. In a call for solidarity and justice, he suggests three possible actions to remedy the injustices and inequalities that mark our time.
In the days leading up to World Day of Peace 2025 and beyond, graphic and video contributions will be offered to animate reflection and dialogue on the topics of the Holy Father's Message.
03 December 2024
The ACMRO Directors met in the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre in Brisbane from 25 to 27 November. It was attended by Fr Khalid Marogi and Don Gomez from the ACMRO, Fr Roland Maurer and Kylie Cullen from Sydney Archdiocese, Fr Joselito Asis from Melbourne Archdiocese, Eric Robinson and Liliana Ortiz from Brisbane Archdiocese, Tracey Tessitore from Adelaide Archdiocese, Fr Paul Anthony from the Armidale Diocese, Fr Jun Perez from the Divine Word Missionaries, and Dcn Greg Lowe from the Perth Archdiocese, who joined in via online.
The event was a great opportunity to gather, pray, share reports, and have formation sessions. In his address via Zoom to the Directors, Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn and ACMRO bishop-delegate Christopher Prowse highlighted the importance of migrant communities and challenged the communities that bring so many gifts to Australia to be actively engaged not only in their church communities but also in political leadership roles that shape policy and decision-making.
Davide Bernocchi, the Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), provided via Zoom from Geneva great insights on the important work of the ICMC as well as a summary of the global data relating to migrants and refugees.
Fr John Quang SVD shared the history and story of the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Brisbane highlighting the community's rich faith and culture.
One of the highlights of the gathering was the participants’ visit to the Romero Centre, the Archdiocese of Brisbane's ministry to people seeking asylum. The gathering ended in planning for future projects, such as the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025, most specifically the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, as well as the Jubilee of Migrants in September to October 2025.
Members are known as “ACMRO directors” because of their close collaboration and cooperation in sharing information and reflecting on grassroots practices, as well as raising issues the ACMRO could bring to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's attention through the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, which Archbishop Prowse chairs.
Source: ACBC Media Release
11 November 2024
The ACMRO joins the Church of Australia, especially the Archdiocese of Melbourne, in welcoming the appointments of two new bishops as auxiliaries by Pope Francis on Friday, 8th November, in Rome.
Bishop-elect Rene Ramirez RCJ will be the first Filipino-born bishop in Australia who has been serving as the parish priest of St Mel’s and St Malachy’s Parishes in Shepparton, under the Diocese of Sandhurst, while Bishop-elect Thinh Nguyen, born in Vietnam, is currently the Coordinator of Clergy Life & Ministry of the Archdiocese.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said that “the appointments of Bishops-elect Thinh and Ramirez reflect the multicultural face of the Church in Australia, which is witnessing signs of growth and renewal.”
The Episcopal Ordination for the Bishops-elect is to take place in the morning of February 1, 2025, at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne. We continue to accompany them with our thoughts and prayers.
FULL STORY: Pope Francis appoints two new Melbourne auxiliary bishops (ACBC Media Release) New bishops reflect ‘multicultural face of Church in Australia’ (CathNews)