Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
2022-09-26 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
“In each of our faith communities, we believe we are called to pursue peace and to love and care for all humanity and all creation. Collectively, our faith leads us to reject weapons designed to cause mass death and destruction and instill terror and fear. It is this faith that compels us to act for the eradication of weapons of mass destruction.” Australian Faith Leaders’ Letter to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, August 2020.

The elimination of nuclear weapons is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations, yet the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has not yet been ratified by enough countries to enter into force. The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons helps to keep a focus on this goal.

Australia has not ratified the treaty while the Holy See was one of the first nation states to sign and ratify the treaty. You can find the list of ratifications here.

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, has signed an open letter by faith leaders in Australia urging the Australian Government to sign and ratify the treaty.

Action

Read the full letter from Australian faith leaders here.Distribute this prayer for nuclear disarmament in your parish, school, organisation and use it in your private prayer. Printed copies can be ordered here.Write to your local Member of Parliament asking them to support the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Saint Vincent de Paul
2022-09-27 00:00 - 23:59
“Love the poor. Honour them, my children, as you would honour Christ himself.” – St Vincent de Paul

The St Vincent de Paul Society website explains that as a young man, “St Vincent de Paul ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless. Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life: ‘Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice‘.”

St Vincent de Paul Society was named after him and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need.

1988: Formation of Burma's National League for Democracy by Aung San Suu Kyi
2022-09-27 00:00 - 23:59
The Nobel Prize website explains that Peace Prze Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is “the daughter of the legendary liberation movement leader Aung San. Following studies abroad, she returned home in 1988. From then on, she led the opposition to the military junta that had ruled Burma since 1962. She was one of the founders of the National League for Democracy, and was elected secretary general of the party. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she opposed all use of violence and called on the military leaders to hand over power to a civilian government. The aim was to establish a democratic society in which the country’s ethnic groups could cooperate in harmony.”

1872: Birth of David Unaipon, Aboriginal writer and activist
2022-09-28 00:00 - 23:59
What do you know about David Unaipon, the man on the fifty dollar note? He was a preacher, writer and inventor and was the first Aboriginal published author. David was born in 1872 on the Point McLeay mission in the town of Raukkan, just 80 km southeast of Adelaide. Find out more on the NITV website.

“David Unaipon first of all, forced Australians to accept Aboriginal intelligence then he forced them to consider the scientific knowledge of the world’s oldest culture. His legacy paves the way for younger Aboriginal people to unearth the Indigenous science Australia has buried beneath a ton of denial.” – Bruce Pascoe, Author Quoted in Luke Briscoe, in Remembering David Unaipon: the man on the fifty dollar note, NITV.

National Indigenous Television (NITV)

1983: Death of John Pat in Roebourne Prison WA, prompting the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
2022-09-28 00:00 - 23:59
Noel Olive explains in the Australian Dictionary of Biography:

“On 28 September 1983 several members of the Roebourne police force attended a meeting of the Western Australian Police Union of Workers at Karratha. They adjourned to the local golf club for drinks, and then proceeded to the Top Bar of the Victoria Hotel at Roebourne. A brawl broke out between the off-duty police officers and a group of Aborigines, including Pat, a 16 year old Aboriginal boy who died of head injuries alleged to have been caused in a disturbance between Aboriginal people and Police… The circumstances of Pat’s death were investigated by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, established in 1987… Pat’s death became for Aboriginal people a symbol of injustice and oppression. The Aboriginal poet, Jack Davis, wrote John Pat (1988). The John Pat Memorial Day for Deaths in Custody is observed each year with a ceremony at the old Fremantle Prison.” Noel Olive, “Pat, John Peter (1966-1983)”, in Australian Dictionary of Biography

World Maritime Day
2022-09-29 00:00 - 23:59
When you think of shipping, do oil spills and cargo being washed up on beaches come to mind – or do you think of the sustainable movement of goods around the world? The theme for World Maritime Day this year is Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet.

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
2022-09-29 00:00 - 23:59
The Franciscan Media Saint of the Day website notes that “angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.” It goes on to explain that “each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides”.

For reflection:

What are the names of some of the people through whom you experience God’s protection, communication, and guidance in your life? Do you ever think of them as angels?

International Podcast Day
2022-09-30 00:00 - 23:59
International Podcast Day™ is an initiative of a group of podcasters. They explain the origin of the day in this way:

“In the summer of 2013, Steve Lee heard a radio announcement for National Senior Citizens’ Day. thinking that was pretty cool, it begged the question of why there wasn’t a day for the celebration of podcasting. That’s when Steve said to himself, ‘Let’s create a Podcast Day!’ So the adventure began and a collective team of podcasters put their heads together to establish means for podcasters and podcast listeners to raise awareness for this great entertainment and education medium…

Between 2015-2018, we successfully live streamed hundreds of hours, bringing in podcasters from nearly 65 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, Germany, South Africa, Jamaica, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Philippines, India, France, Switzerland, Scotland, UK, Finland, Canada and the Unites States and more.”

Ideas for Celebrating International Podcast Day

Not sure what a podcast is? Find out more here.Sign up to follow the Office for Social Justice’s podcast The Revolution of Tenderness.Access Vatican Radio’s English language podcasts here, or check out their podcasts in other languages.Check out Wollongong Diocese’s Journey: Catholic Radio on demand as a podcast.Listen to Catholic Youth Parramatta’s podcast for young women, called At the Well.

1975: Ratification by Australia of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
2022-09-30 00:00 - 23:59
“The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1966 was one of the first human rights treaties to be adopted by the United Nations (UN). The Convention is widely supported, with more than 156 countries (four-fifths of the membership of the UN) having ratified it. Australia ratified the Convention on 30 September 1975.” Australian Human Rights Commission – Guide to the Law

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church
2022-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
“Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is the youngest of all the “Doctors of the Church”, but her ardent spiritual journey shows such maturity, and the insights of faith expressed in her writings are so vast and profound that they deserve a place among the great spiritual masters.” – Pope John Paul II

Popularly known as the Little Flower, Therese of Lisieux was canonized in 1925. She became the 33rd Doctor to receive the title when declared by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 1997. “Story of a Soul” is the book that made Therese known throughout the world which became a world wide bestseller, and has been translated into more than sixty languages and dialects.

Society of the Little Flower Quick Facts

International Day for Older Persons
2022-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
“The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year has also seen an emergence of COVID-19, that has caused an upheaval across the world. Considering the higher risks confronted by older persons during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19, policy and programmatic interventions must be targeted towards raising awareness of their special needs. Recognizing older persons contributions to their own health and the multiple roles they play in the preparedness and response phases of current and future pandemics is also important.” The theme of the 2020 commemoration is “Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?”

Action:

Revisit the 2016-17 Social Justice Statement, A Place at the Table: Social Justice in an Aging Society.

1869: Birth of Mahatma Gandhi
2022-10-02 00:00 - 23:59
“Gandhi constantly highlighted the gap between what we do, and what we are capable of doing. On this International Day, I urge each and every one of us to do everything in our power to bridge this divide as we strive to build a better future for all.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres

International Day of Non-Violence
2022-10-02 00:00 - 23:59
“Just peace is the goal, nonviolence is the way. A sustainable culture of peace can only be established by nonviolence that absolutely respects human dignity. Rooted in the interconnectedness of God’s creation, it also opens the way to an ‘integral ecology’ , as expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’. Violence undermines this interconnectedness. Nonviolence sustains it. Nonviolence teaches us to say ‘no’ to an inhuman social order and ‘yes’ to the fullness of life… In every age, the Holy Spirit graces the Church with the wisdom to respond to the challenges of its time. In response to what is a global epidemic of violence, we are being called again and again to invoke, pray over, teach, and take decisive action in the spirit of Jesus’ nonviolence. Nonviolence is at the heart of the Gospel. It is the calling of the Church. It is not passive or naïve. It is a way of faith and action. It is an effective alternative. It is a constructive force to protect all people and our common home. It includes a broad spectrum of approaches and activities. It is the core of a new moral framework. It is essential to integral human development and at the heart of a culture of peace. It is at the core of the witness and action of Jesus and man who have come after him, including Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Dorothy Day, Beatus Franz Jagerstatter, Saint OScar Romero, Berta Caceres, Lanza del Vasto, Wangari Muta Maathai, and the many people involved in nonviolent social movements.” Reflections from the Pax Christi International/Catholic Nonviolence Initiative workshop on Path of Nonviolence: Towards a Culture of Pace, 4-5 April 2019, Rome.

World Habitat Day
2022-10-03 00:00 - 23:59
“Solutions begin with small steps individuals can take to alter the way our cities function. We must reduce the amount of waste we produce, and, at the same time, start seeing it as a valuable resource that can be re-used and recycled, including for energy.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. The Day is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.

United Nations

World Teachers Day
2022-10-05 00:00 - 23:59
Held annually on 5 October since 1994, World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. This Recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching and research personnel in higher education.

World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, the International Labour Organization, and Education International.

UNESCO

Our Lady of the Rosary
2022-10-07 00:00 - 23:59
“The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the gospel. The main focus is on Jesus — his birth, life, death, and resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus’ Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and heavenly existence. The Glory Bes remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity.” Franciscan Media

World Post Day
2022-10-09 00:00 - 23:59
World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

United Nations

World Mental Health Day
2022-10-10 00:00 - 23:59
“This year’s World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, comes at a time when our daily lives have changed considerably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The past months have brought many challenges: for health-care workers, providing care in difficult circumstances, going to work fearful of bringing COVID-19 home with them; for students, adapting to taking classes from home, with little contact with teachers and friends, and anxious about their futures; for workers whose livelihoods are threatened; for the vast number of people caught in poverty or in fragile humanitarian settings with extremely limited protection from COVID-19; and for people with mental health conditions, many experiencing even greater social isolation than before. And this is to say nothing of managing the grief of losing a loved one, sometimes without being able to say goodbye.” World Health Organisation, Mental Health Day 2020

Action

Read the Social Justice Statement 2020-21 To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today

Access the Do Not be Afraid website for guidelines and resources to assist parishes in welcoming and supporting people with mental ill-health and their families.

Find out about mental health services in your area.

International Day of the Girl
2022-10-11 00:00 - 23:59
“We need to uphold the equal rights, voices and influence of girls in our families, communities and nations. Girls can be powerful agents of change, and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

United Nations

1962: Opening Session of Second Vatican Council
2022-10-11 00:00 - 23:59

1997: First Sea of Hands, Canberra
2022-10-12 00:00 - 23:59
The first Sea of Hands was held on the 12 October 1997, in front of Parliament House, Canberra. Hands in the colors of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were signed by people to show their support for reconciliation and native title. At the time it was the largest public art installation in Australia.

The Sea of Hands movement has continued for over twenty years. You can book a Sea of Hands installation through ANTaR’s Hands Up! program.

International Day for Disaster Reduction
2022-10-13 00:00 - 23:59
“Making infrastructure more climate-resilient can have a benefit-cost ratio of about six to one. For every dollar invested, six dollars can be saved. This means that investing in climate resilience creates jobs and saves money.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

United Nations

Saint Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church
2022-10-15 00:00 - 23:59
“Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life. Her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers. In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored.” Franciscan Media

International Day of Rural Women
2022-10-15 00:00 - 23:59
“As early adopters of new agricultural techniques, first responders in crises and entrepreneurs of green energy, rural women are a powerful force that can drive global progress.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The crucial role that women and girls play in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing, has been increasingly recognized. Women account for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, and perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas. They make significant contributions to agricultural production, food security and nutrition, land and natural resource management, and building climate resilience. Even so, women and girls in rural areas suffer disproportionately from multi-dimensional poverty.

United Nations

World Food Day
2022-10-16 00:00 - 23:59
World Food Day 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). As countries around the world deal with the widespread effects of the COVID-9 pandemic, it’s a time to look into the future we need to build together.

Action

Use the hashtag #WorldFoodDay to share your action online or join the FAO call to develop a virtual event or activity. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Anti-Poverty Week
2022-10-16 00:00 - 2022-10-22 23:59
Anti-Poverty Week was established in 2002 by the Social Justice Project at the UNSW, led by Professor Julian Disney. It was inspired by the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17) but expanded to include a full week in Australia to allow more participation.

The aim was to strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia; and encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Access resources for Anti-Poverty Week here. Register your own events here.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch
2022-10-17 00:00 - 23:59
Born in Syria, Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch. Ignatius is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch to Rome. Ignatius’s great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny his Lord Jesus Christ. He did not draw attention to his own suffering, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.

Franciscan Media

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
2022-10-17 00:00 - 23:59
Find out more about why the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was established here.

Learn about the Sustainable Development Goals here.

The goal of the Raise the Rate campaign is to fix our social security safety net for good so that it keeps people out of poverty. Find out how to join the campaign here.

2001: Sinking of refugee boat SIEV X
2022-10-19 00:00 - 23:59
On 19 October 2001, 353 people, mostly women and children, drowned on the high seas trying to reach Australia in a small, dilapidated, grossly overloaded fishing boat that would later come to be known as Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel (SIEV) X. There were 45 who survived the sinking, of whom seven eventually settled in Australia. SIEVX was the first major drowning incident involving asylum seekers travelling to Australia by boat.

Eureka Street

Saint John Paul II
2022-10-22 00:00 - 23:59
Pope John Paul II was beatified in Saint Peter’s Square on 1 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and for many years his valued collaborator as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was canonised on 27 April 2014, together with Pope John XXIII, by Pope Francis.
