1941: Death of William Cooper
William Cooper was an inspirational Aboriginal leader in New South Wales and Victoria in the early part of the 20th century and a founding secretary of the Australian Aborigines’ League.The league was created to lobby state and federal governments on behalf of Aboriginal people. The powerful symbolic gesture of a Day of Mourning on 26… Read More »1941: Death of William Cooper
1897: Death of Jandamarra
Jandamarra was an Aboriginal resistance leader of the Bunuba people in Western Australia. Find our more about his story here.
St Isidore, patron saint of the internet
In 1997 Pope John Paul II declared Isidore of Seville the patron saint of the internet. Isidore was a scholar with encyclopedic knowledge. In his writings he sought to collect, systematize and synthesize all existing knowledge. Speaking at a General Audience on 18 June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, highlighted how Isidore combined contemplation and action.… Read More »St Isidore, patron saint of the internet
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
The United Nations established this day in 2005 through this resolution. The annual message for the day, together with other resources, are available here.
1997: Bringing Them Home Report published
The report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families was published on this day in 1997. Read the Bringing Them Home Report here and access information and teaching resources on the Stolen Generations here.
World Youth Day
World Youth Day is celebrated every year in local churches and every two or three years at the international level. The theme for 2020 is "Young man, I tell you, arise!" (Lk 7,14). Lisbon, Portugal will host the next international gathering for World Youth Day in 2022.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Find out more about why the United Nations declared this day here. A Crown for Australia: Striving for the Best in Our Sporting Nation Today is a great day to revisit the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement 2014–2015. It challenges us to look at the place of sport in our lives. Where are its… Read More »International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda
For Reflection The Rwandan Genocide in 1994 saw over 800,000 Rwandans, mainly from the Tutsi minority, massacred by the Hutu ethnic majority in three months. Over two million Hutu’s later fled the country, fearing revenge attacks. Fr Marcel Uwineza SJ, a survivor of the genocide, calls these horrific events in his home country an “intimate… Read More »International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda