International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
2020-08-22 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
Our liturgical calendar commemorates a number of Saints who were victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief. Around the world today many people of a variety of faiths, including Christians, continue to suffer acts of violence on account of their beliefs.

Action:

Find out more about the United Nations’ observance of the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or belief here.Join Aid to the Church in Need‘s prayer campaign here.

1996: Death of Margaret Tucker, Indigenous Australian activist and writer
2020-08-23 00:00 - 23:59
Margaret (Lilardia) Tucker (1904 – 1996) was one of Australia’s earliest and most notable Aboriginal activists. The Indigenous Australia website explains:

“Her Aboriginal name, Lilardia, means flower but she was known affectionately to black and white alike as ‘Auntie Marge’. She was born at Warrangasda, an Aboriginal reserve near Darlington Point on the Murrumbidgee River in NSW, of a full-blood mother and part-white father, Theresa and Bill Clements. Over the years, Auntie Marge won the respect of people because of her refusal to be embittered by the injustices and wrongs done to her people. Her philosophy was to go on fighting to put the wrongs right. Throughout her life, she never lost her sense of compassion and understanding for others.” Tucker, Margaret Elizabeth, Indigenous Australia

1966: Gurindji strike or Wave Hill Walk-off, beginning the longest strike in Australian history
2020-08-24 00:00 - 23:59
On this day in 1966 the Gurindji walked off Wave Hill Station. What began as a strike over the refusal of Vestey Brothers to pay Aboriginal workers was to become a pivotal event in the struggle for the legal recognition of Aboriginal land rights.

As the National Museum of Australia explains:

“The Gurindji strike was instrumental in heightening the understanding of Indigenous land ownership in Australia and was a catalyst for the passing of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, the first legislation allowing for a claim of title if the Indigenous claimants could provide evidence for their traditional relationship to the land.” Wave Hill Walk-Off, National Museum of Australia

On 16 August 1975 the deeds for part of Wave Hill Station were presented to Gurindji leader Vincent Lingiari by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

2001: Rescue of 433 asylum seekers by MV Tampa
2020-08-26 00:00 - 23:59
Today we remember the humanitarian action of Captain Arne Rinnan and the need to work towards more just and compassionate asylum policy in Australia.

In August 2001 a small Indonesian fishing boat carrying asylum seekers became stranded in international waters approximately 140 kilometres from Christmas Island. The 433 asylum seekers were rescued by the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa on 26 August.

When some of the asylum seekers, who were mainly Hazaras fleeing Afghanistan, threatened to commit suicide if returned to Indonesia, Captain Arne Rinnan set course for Christmas Island.

A stand off ensued with the Australian government refusing to allow the asylum seekers to be landed. Many of the asylum seekers were in poor health and over a period of 48 hours Captain Rinnan made many requests to the Australian government for assistance. Eventually he entered Australian waters, and was warned that he was in breach of the law. Special Air Service troops were dispatched to prevent the Tampa from coming any closer to Christmas Island.

As the National Museum of Australia notes “the ‘Tampa Crisis’ became the catalyst for Australia’s new ‘border protection’ policy. It also became a pivotal issue in the 2001 federal election campaign”.

You can read the response of the Australian Catholic Bishops at the time here.

1999: Death of Dom Helder Camara
2020-08-27 00:00 - 23:59
“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” Dome Helder Camara

Dom Helder Camara (1909 – 199) was a Brazilian archbishop from 1964-1985. Richard Rohr explains that “under his guidance, the Catholic Church in Brazil criticized the country’s military dictatorships and worked for social change. Camara spoke and wrote against using violence to repress rebellions that resulted from injustice and poverty in other countries as well. In 1971, he published Spiral of Violence, which shows how basic structural injustice leads to escalating rebellion, which then leads to new repression. If you don’t nip this spiral in the bud, recognizing violence at its lowest structural level, it is much harder to stop it at the later stages.”

The process for recognising Dom Helder Camara as a saint has begun.

Saint Augustine of Hippo
2020-08-28 00:00 - 23:59
“You have made us and directed us toward yourself and our heart is restless until we rest in you.” Confessions 1.1

Saint Augustine was one of the great founders of monasticism in the Western Church. The Augustinians in Australia describe his spirituality in the following way:

“In Augustinian spirituality love for God is experienced as love for one another. Where love for another person is present God is present too. ‘Honour God in each other’. We come to God through love of one another, since love for a human being is much more concrete than love for God. In the teaching of Augustine human love has divine love running within it.

The warmth of friendship is likewise essential for Augustine.’Without a human being who is our friend, nothing in the world appears friendly to us.’ Life shared with others culminates in friendship – the gift of loving and being loved. In his spirituality it is as important to relate to one another as it is to pray with them. Thus as we strive for union with others we do so in a shared love for God.

Augustine models for us prayer of the heart, longing to know and to see God. In prayer we progress to God who is human happiness itself.

In Augustinian spirituality all good things come back to the one thing: love, the very centre of Christian existence.”

Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
2020-08-29 00:00 - 23:59

International Day Against Nuclear Tests
2020-08-29 00:00 - 23:59
Did you know that the Vatican ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on the very first day that it was opened for signature and ratification? The Holy See’s diplomats continue to urge more states to ratify the treaty so that it will enter into force.

Find out about the International Day Against Nuclear Tests

International Day of the Victims of Forced Disappearances
2020-08-30 00:00 - 23:59
Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole. Special attention must also be paid to specific groups of especially vulnerable people, like children and people with disabilities. Find out more here.

Social Justice Sunday
2020-08-30 00:00 - 23:59
From 2020 forward, Social Justice Sunday will be celebrated on the last Sunday of August. Previously it was celebrated on the last Sunday in September.

A Long Tradition

The celebration of Social Justice Sunday is a long tradition in the Catholic Church in Australia. For almost every year since 1940, our bishops have joined together to issue a major social justice statement at this time.

Of course, the bishops also make statements on matters of social and ecological justice at other times throughout the year too. These are often issued by individual bishops delegated as spokespersons for particular issues, or by commissions of bishops. By contrast, the social justice statement issued in time for Social Justice Sunday is approved by and issued in the name of the whole bishops’ conference. It is hoped that these statements will inspire reflection and action throughout the whole year.

Social Justice Statement 2020-21

The Social Justice Statement 2020-21 is titled To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today. You can download Statement and accompanying prayer card on this page of our website and via the ACBC Online Shop.

The 2020–2021 Statement, To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today, encourages faith communities, governments and each one of us, to make mental health a priority. It is a timely message in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is affecting many members of our parishes, schools and communities.Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support. The Statement encourages us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of our community.

Previous Statements

View and download Social Justice Statements and associated resources from 2014 – 2019 here.

The Social Justice Statements from 1988 – 2013 have been published together in a book called Building Bridges.

1815: Founding of Sisters of Charity by Mary Aikenhead
2020-09-01 00:00 - 23:59
“In 1815, Mary Aikenhead, with Alicia Walsh, after completing their novitiate, founded the Religious Sisters of Charity in Ireland. They were the first, so-called Walking Nuns who visited the sick in their homes and tried to alleviate the wide spread poverty. Mother Mary Aikenhead’s dependence on Divine Providence – “God will provide” – was the driving force in all that she achieved for God’s poor. This is the legacy the Sisters of Charity of Australia hold dear.” Sisters of Charity, Australia

World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation
2020-09-01 00:00 - 23:59

Beginning of National Biodiversity Month
2020-09-01 00:00 - 23:59
Biodiversity Month is held in September each year and aims to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.

Find out more about the Australian Government’s efforts to protect biodiversity here.

National Wattle Day
2020-09-01 00:00 - 23:59
National Wattle Day has been officially celebrated since 1992.

“On 1 September 1988, Golden Wattle was declared officially as Australia’s national floral emblem. While Golden Wattle had long enjoyed that status informally – note its prominent place within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms dating from 1912 (frontispiece) and on the insignia of the Order of Australia – it had taken strong supporters of the emblem, notably Maria Hitchcock and also the Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP), to persuade the Federal Government to grant official recognition in the Bicentennial Year.” Rod Panter, Science, Technology, Environment and Resources Group, Updated 1997.

1991: Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act passed by Parliament
2020-09-02 00:00 - 23:59
Action

Does your parish, school or Catholic organisation have a Reconciliation Action Plan? Today might be a good day to check on your progress, or to start the process of developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.

What is Reconciliation?

ANTaR describe reconciliation as “a process where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, non-Indigenous Australians and Australian governments forge a new relationship based on mutual understanding, recognition and respect.”

The formal process of reconciliation had its roots in the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation which was established as a statutory authority on 2 September 1991 with the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was disbanded in 2000.

In 2001 Reconciliation Australia was established as an independent not for profit organisation with the aim of inspiring and enabling all Australians to contribute to the reconciliation of the nation. Reconciliation Australia highlight five dimensions of reconciliation between First Nations people and communities and non-indigenous Australians:

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history is characterised by devastating land dispossession, violence, and racism. Over the last half-century, however, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken. Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that reminds us that while generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, future gains are likely to take just as much, if not more, effort. In a just, equitable and reconciled Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will have the same life chances and choices as non-Indigenous children, and the length and quality of a person’s life will not be determined by their racial background. Our vision of reconciliation is based and measured on five dimensions: historical acceptance; race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity and unity. These five dimensions do not exist in isolation, but are interrelated. Reconciliation cannot be seen as a single issue or agenda; the contemporary definition of reconciliation must weave all of these threads together. For example, greater historical acceptance of the wrongs done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can lead to improved race relations, which in turn leads to greater equality and equity. Reconciliation Australia

Saint Gregory the Great
2020-09-03 00:00 - 23:59
“Gregory was born about A.D. 540 in Rome, the son of a wealthy senator. Like most of the nobility of his time, he was well educated. But unlike many, he was generous and concerned about those who were poor. One of the four key Fathers of the Western Church, Gregory is sometimes accredited with Gregorian chant, the Church’s liturgical chant form, was known for liturgical reform and for encouraging the Stations of the Cross and daily Mass during Lent.” Loyola Press

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
2020-09-05 00:00 - 23:59
“The cry of Jesus on the Cross, ‘I thirst’ (Jn 19: 28), expressing the depth of God’s longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa’s soul and found fertile soil in her heart.” Pope John Paul II, 19 October 2003

Mother Teresa served the poor for 69 years and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Find out more about Mother Teresa from Franciscan Media.

2013: Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers
2020-09-05 00:00 - 23:59
“On September 5, 2013, the ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Domestic Workers Convention or C189) entered into legal force. This groundbreaking new treaty and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 201) establish the first global standards for the more than 50 million domestic workers worldwide—the majority of whom are women and girls, and many of whom are migrants—who clean, cook, and care for children and elderly in private households. The Domestic Workers Convention provides desperately needed and long overdue protections for domestic workers and represents a significant breakthrough in human rights, including labor rights, women’s rights, and children’s rights. Under the new convention, domestic workers are entitled to the same basic rights as those available to other workers, including weekly days off, limits to hours of work, minimum wage coverage, overtime compensation, social security, and clear information on the terms and conditions of employment. The new standards oblige governments that ratify the convention to protect domestic workers from violence and abuse, to regulate private employment agencies that recruit and employ domestic workers, and to prevent child labor in domestic work.” Human Rights Watch, Claiming Rights: Domestic Workers’ Movements and Global Advances for Labor Reform

Find out more about the Domestic Workers’ Convention (ILO Convention C189) here.

International Day of Charity
2020-09-05 00:00 - 23:59
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘charity’? For Christians it is something more than philanthropy or giving to worthy causes. Nor is it an alternative to justice for those made poor or pushed to the margins. It is about the fullness of love, of which justice is the bare minimum.

“Love – caritas – will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love… There will always be suffering which cries out for consolation and help. There will always be loneliness. There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbour is indispensable.” Benedict XVI, Caritas Deus Est, n 30.

Find out more about the United Nations’ observance of the International Day of Charity here.

Season of Creation begins
2020-09-06 00:00 - 23:59
The idea of celebrating a Season of Creation began in the Lutheran Church in Adelaide, Australia in 2000. Now many different churches all over the world take part. In 2016 the Catholic Church joined in. The season embraces the four Sundays of September before the Feast of St Francis of Assisi – 4 October.

Norman Habel explains: “The season of Creation offers an opportunity for churches to introduce new visual elements into their worship and to be ecumenical and connected with creation in a particular context.” More information here.

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention: Respect for the Planet’s Resources

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for September also focuses on care for creation. He calls us to respect the planet’s resources and to share rather than plunder them.

Some ways of celebrating

Watch Pope Francis’ video message for the Season of Creation.Share the video explaining Pope Francis’ prayer intention for September.Prepare prayers of intercession for use at Mass on the Sundays of September.Plan a prayer service or liturgy that embraces your local environment.Review the carbon footprint of your household, parish, school or organisation.Use the social media collateral available here.Participate in the Caritas Catholic Earthcare Convocation.

1936: Death in Hobart Zoo of the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity
2020-09-07 00:00 - 23:59
“On this day in 1936, the last known survivor of the thylacine species, better known as Tasmanian tigers, is said to have died in captivity in Hobart, Australia, having only been captured a few years earlier in 1933. It was renowned as the largest carnivorous marsupial to survive into the modern age, and now that it is extinct, this honour has passed on to its close relative, the endangered Tasmanian devil.” History Channel Australia

National Threatened Species Day
2020-09-07 00:00 - 23:59
“National Threatened Species Day is commemorated across the country on 7 September to raise awareness of plants and animals at risk of extinction. The day also celebrates the amazing work that is being done to save them by passionate conservationists, researchers, volunteers, and community experts.” NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
2020-09-08 00:00 - 23:59
“The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.” Franciscan Media

Image: The Birth of the Virgin | fresco by Giotto

International Literacy Day
2020-09-08 00:00 - 23:59
“International Literacy Day, celebrated annually on 8 September, is an opportunity for Governments, civil society and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world literacy rates, and reflect on the world’s remaining literacy challenges. Sustainable Development Goal 4 has as one of its targets ensuring all young people achieve literacy and numeracy and that adults who lack these skills are given the opportunity to acquire them.” United Nations

Saint Peter Claver
2020-09-09 00:00 - 23:59
“When he was 29 years old, Peter left his home in Spain and went to Cartagena (in what is now Colombia), South America. There he continued his studies and was ordained a priest. Cartagena was the main market for the slave trade in the New World. Whenever a ship carrying Africans arrived in port, Peter was there. He would hurry down with a jug of water, and a basket full of medicine, fruit, bread, and clothing. His first concern was to tend to their human needs — to ease their suffering and somehow restore their sense of dignity. He saw the suffering Jesus in the people he served. A man of deep prayer, unbounded energy, and steady devotion, Peter Claver realized that it was his relationship with Christ that nourished his spirit and gave him the courage to go on when so many problems surrounded his work. When he died the city that had opposed so many of his efforts honored him.” Loyola Press

Learn More

Today is a good day to learn more about modern slavery.

Anti Slavery Australia provides free legal services for those in situations of modern slavery, undertakes research and advocacy, and provides training and capacity building for organisations working against modern slavery.

The Anti-Slavery Taskforce of the Sydney Archdiocese helps church organisations to eliminate slavery from their supply chains.

Pray

O God, who made Saint Peter Claver a slave of slaves
and strengthened him with wonder charity and patience
as he came to their help,
grant, through his intercession, that,
seeking the things of Jesus Christ,
we may love our neighbor in deeds and in truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

World Suicide Prevention Day
2020-09-10 00:00 - 23:59
Organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, World Suicide Prevention Day provides the opportunity for people across the globe to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

World Suicide Prevention Day #WSPD2020

Action

Today is a good day to find out about suicide prevention services in your local area. Does your household, parish, school or organisation know how to help people experiencing thoughts of suicide to access support?

2001: '9/11': Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., killing nearly 3,000 people
2020-09-11 00:00 - 23:59
“On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush.” History Channel

Prayer at Ground Zero
O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here...
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and
Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Pope Benedict XI, Prayer at Ground Zero, New York, 20 April 2008.

1843: Battle of One Tree Hill near Toowoomba, QLD, between Aboriginal landowners and European settlers
2020-09-12 00:00 - 23:59
“In the early years of European settlement on the Darling Downs relations between the two races were mostly friendly. However, by the 1840s relations had turned sour. The European settlers did not understand the indigenous population’s deep spiritual connection to the land and so often treated their sacred sites (natural features of the land) poorly. This led to tension and soon conflict. The most famous and serious of conflicts on the Downs was the Battle of One-Tree Hill which took place on what is now known as Table Top Mountain.” Indigenous History | Toowoomba Region

2007: Adoption by the UN of Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
2020-09-13 00:00 - 23:59
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against and 11 abstentions. Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

United Nations

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
2020-09-14 00:00 - 23:59
“The cross is a sign of suffering, a sign of human cruelty at its worst. But by Christ’s love shown in the Paschal Mystery, it has become the sign of triumph and victory, the sign of God, who is love itself.” Loyola Press
