Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

1975: Ratification by Australia of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
2021-09-30 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
“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

International Podcast Day
2021-09-30 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.

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
2021-09-29 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?

1983: Death of John Pat in Roebourne Prison WA, prompting the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
2021-09-28 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

1872: Birth of David Unaipon, Aboriginal writer and activist
2021-09-28 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)

1988: Formation of Burma's National League for Democracy by Aung San Suu Kyi
2021-09-27 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.”

Saint Vincent de Paul
2021-09-27 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.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
2021-09-26 00:00 - 23:59
“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.

Migrant and Refugee Sunday
2021-09-26 00:00 - 23:59
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office’s kit for Migrant and Refugee Sunday 2021 is now available: https://www.acmro.catholic.org.au/resources/migrant-refugee-kit

The theme for this year is, Towards an ever wider ‘we’.

Poster for the 107th Migrant and Refugee Sunday

Migrant and Refugee Sunday is celebrated in Australia on the last Sunday in September. This brings the practice of the Church in Australia into line with the practice of the Church around the world.

The Migrant and Refugee Section of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development also offers resources for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The 2021 theme is ‘Towards an Ever Wider We.’ You can read Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2021 here.

Video

For more information, contact: info@acmro.catholic.org.au

Prayer

Holy, beloved Father,your Son Jesus taught usthat there is great rejoicing in heavenwhenever someone lost is found,whenever someone excluded, rejected or discardedis gathered into our “we”,which thus becomes ever wider.

We ask you to grant the followers of Jesus,and all people of good will,the grace to do your will on earth.Bless each act of welcome and outreachthat draws those in exileinto the “we” of community and of the Church,so that our earth may truly becomewhat you yourself created it to be:the common home of all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 3 May 2021Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

World Maritime Day
2021-09-24 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.

1959: Launch of Australian Consumer Association (ACA)
2021-09-23 00:00 - 23:59
The Australian Consumer Association is now known as CHOICE. It describes its aim as “to tackle the issues that really matter to consumers, arming them with the information to make confident choices and lobbying for change when consumers are getting a raw deal.”

It played an important role in the drafting of the Trade Practices Act, Australia’s first national consumer protection law. It also campaigned for the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law, which guarantees consumer rights today.

Find out more about the history of CHOICE

International Day of Peace
2021-09-21 00:00 - 23:59
For Reflection

“In sending his disciples forth on mission, Jesus told them: ‘Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.” (Lk 10:5-6). Bringing peace is central to the mission of Christ’s disciples. That peace is offered to all those men and women who long for peace amid the tragedies and violence that mark human history. The ‘house’ of which Jesus speaks is every family, community, country and continent, in all their diversity and history. It is first and foremost each individual person, without distinction or discrimination. But it is also our ‘common home’: the world in which God has placed us and which we are called to care for and cultivate.” Pope Francis, World Day of Peace Message 2020.

For the International Day of Peace in 2021 the United Nations have chosen the theme Recovering Better for a More Equitable and Sustainable World noting that:

In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

Action

Find out about Pope Francis’ COVID-19 Commission, and his call to prepare the future.

1961: Death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
2021-09-18 00:00 - 23:59
“Mr. Hammarskjold, whose name is on buildings in and around the United Nations headquarters in New York, was an iconic Swedish diplomat, the organization’s second secretary general and a strong advocate for decolonization in Africa. He is the only person to have been posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and was described by President John F. Kennedy as ‘the greatest statesman of our century’.” United Nations Archives

Saint Robert Bellarmine
2021-09-17 00:00 - 23:59
Robert Bellarmine was a Jesuit scholar who was eventually made a Cardinal. His major work Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith, helped to discredit the divine right of kings theory. This paved the way for Catholic Social Teaching’s contemporary understanding of the Pope’s role in temporal affairs, and of the role of the laity.

Find out more about his life here.

1993: Death of Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker), Aboriginal poet, activist and artist
2021-09-16 00:00 - 23:59
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) was born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska, on Minjerribah (the Stradbroke Island). She was a poet, political activist, artist and educator. Oodgeroo Noonuccal means Oodgeroo of the tribe Nunuccal. Oodgeroo was a strong promoter of Aboriginal culture and a campaigner for indigenous rights.

As the Australian Women’s Register explains:

“Oodgeroo’s work has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Mary Gilmore Medal (1970), the Jessie Litchfield Award (1975), the International Acting Award and the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Award. She also held an honorary doctorate of letters (Macquarie University) and was awarded the degree of Doctor of the University from Griffith University. In 1970, Oodgeroo (under the name Kathleen Walker) was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) for services to the community. She returned it in 1987 in protest against the forthcoming Australian Bicentenary celebrations (1988). It was around this time that she reclaimed her traditional name, Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal Tribe.” The Australian Women’s Register

Action

Read Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poems about her experience of racism and dispossession. Has anything changed? Consider what you can do.

International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer
2021-09-16 00:00 - 23:59
“As we rightly focus our energies on tackling climate change, we must be careful not to neglect the ozone layer and stay alert to the threat posed by the illegal use of ozone-depleting gases.” — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

Concern about the hole in the ozone layer was in many ways a precursor to contemporary concern about climate change. The ozone layer is a shield of gas that protects the earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun. While it is less common now to hear about the ozone layer, as the United Nations explain “the phaseout of controlled uses of ozone depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations, but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change; furthermore, it has protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth.” Find out more about protecting the ozone layer here.

International Day of Democracy
2021-09-15 00:00 - 23:59
“As we mark Democracy Day, I urge all governments to respect the right to active, substantive and meaningful participation; and I salute all of you who strive tirelessly to make this happen.” — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

United Nations

1981: Pope John Paul II's encyclical Laborem Exercens ('On Human Work')
2021-09-14 00:00 - 23:59
“Pope John Paul II issued Laborem Exercens to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. It is also known by the English title On Human Labour. John Paul II’s own experience as a manual labourer and his personalist philosophical ethics shape this social encyclical.

Unemployment and the impact of technology on work are major concerns of this encyclical. As well as affirming a right to work, to a just wage, and to form unions, Laborem Exercens introduces the concept of an ‘indirect employer’…

Laborem Exercens concludes with a spirituality of work. This spirituality focuses on the role of work in the transformation of nature and in personal fulfillment, the provision of the basis of family life, and contributing to the common good. John Paul II values the subjective over the objective dimensions of work. Work is valuable because it is the free act of a human person who is a subject and not an object.”

Sandie Cornish, Introduction to Laborem Exercens, Social Spirituality.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
2021-09-14 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

2007: Adoption by the UN of Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
2021-09-13 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

1843: Battle of One Tree Hill near Toowoomba, QLD, between Aboriginal landowners and European settlers
2021-09-12 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

2001: '9/11': Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., killing nearly 3,000 people
2021-09-11 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.

World Suicide Prevention Day
2021-09-10 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. Access resources and find out more here: World Suicide Prevention Day #WSPD2021

In their Social Justice Sunday Statement 2020-2021 To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia, the Catholic Bishops say they are:

... deeply saddened that over 3,000 people are lost to suicide each year and that young people aged 15 to 24 years of age are most vulnerable. This is a growing problem. It accounts for around one third of deaths among people in this age group, with around 90 per cent of victims experiencing mental ill-health.[i]

[i] Productivity Commission, 2019, 14; J Robinson, E Bailey, V Browne, G Cox & C Hooper, Raising the bar for youth suicide prevention, Victoria: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 2016, 10f.

Action

In To Live Life to the Full the Bishops call on Catholic people and communities to “promote the fullness of life for all” by ensuring “appropriate care for everyone experiencing mental ill-health” by :

rejecting stigmatisation,

working for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health,

calling for policies and service provision that meet the needs of the poorest, most marginalised and recognise in them the face of Christ Jesus.

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?

Get Help

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Saint Peter Claver
2021-09-09 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

International Literacy Day
2021-09-08 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

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
2021-09-08 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

National Threatened Species Day
2021-09-07 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

1936: Death in Hobart Zoo of the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity
2021-09-07 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

International Day of Charity
2021-09-05 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.

2013: Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers
2021-09-05 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.
