Calendar of Events
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1992: High Court Decision in the Mabo Case
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Mabo Decision where six out of seven High Court judges agreed that the Meriam people held traditional ownership of the lands of Mer in the Torres Strait. Eddie Koiki Mabo successfully argued that his family’s ancestral land was not owned by the Crown. This landmark decision in the High Court of Australia overturned ‘terra nullius’, an understanding that Australia was empty land belonging to no one before British occupation.
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1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre, Bejing
Today we remember the students who were killed in Tiananmen Square while protesting for democracy. For last year's anniversary, Hong Kong Catholics organised an exhibition so that younger generations may gain insight into what happened. Find our more here. Learn about the iconic image of a lone unarmed man confronting a row of tanks here.… Read More »1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre, Bejing
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World Environment Day
Celebrated every year since 1974, World Environment Day is a good time to focus on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. This year the theme is celebrating biodiversity. The 2020 World Environment Day global campaign aims at highlighting how we as humans are inextricably linked to and depend on nature for our existence… Read More »World Environment Day
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2004: Queensland Bishops issue ‘Let the Many Coastlands be glad!’ Pastoral Letter on the Great Barrier Reef
"The Holy Spirit is clearly guiding us into a deeper sense ofcompanionship and care in regard to all the varied forms of life onplanet Earth. Not only is the Reef a precious ecosystem in itself, but alsoan integral part of the one web of planetary life that connects us all –the human species and all… Read More »2004: Queensland Bishops issue ‘Let the Many Coastlands be glad!’ Pastoral Letter on the Great Barrier Reef
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1838: Myall Creek Massacre, NSW
The Myall Creek Massacre was just one example of the widespread culture of frontier violence against Aboriginal people in New South Wales in the 1830’s. Muswellbrook police magistrate Edward Denny Day described this ongoing conflict as ‘a war of extermination’ by some stockmen, settlers, and convicts.
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World Day Against Child Labour
The Catholic Church teaches that child exploitation is a serious violation of the dignity of the human person, with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church n 296 stating that “Child labour, in its intolerable forms, constitutes a kind of violence that is less obvious than others, but it is not for this reason any less terrible". In an address from the Vatican on the 2014 World… Read More »World Day Against Child Labour
1988: Barunga Statement presented by Aboriginal leaders to Prime Minister Bob Hawke
The presentation of the Barunga Statement to Prime Minister Bob Hawke was an important moment in the movement for a treaty. Learn more about how the Statement came to be presented at the Barunga Festival here.
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Today is a good day to revisit the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for 2016–17 ‘A Place at the Table: Social justice in an ageing society’. It celebrates the value, dignity and significant contributions of older people to the life of the community. In solidarity with all generations, older people have a rightful place… Read More »World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
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International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
The United Nations has designated 19 June as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict since 2015. The day raises awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence. It honours the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world, and all those who devote their lives to fighting for justice for victims, survivors, and vulnerable people at risk… Read More »International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
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World Refugee Day
Deuteronomy 10: 12 – 19 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers… Read More »World Refugee Day
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Nativity of John the Baptist
John the Baptist is the herald for the Messiah, his cousin Jesus. He forms a bridge between the Old and New Testaments, and like Jesus, pays the ultimate cost for speaking truth to power. John challenged what was evil and immoral in his day, witnessing to the promise of a loving God. John was often… Read More »Nativity of John the Baptist
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Day of the Seafarer
Courage, I am with you. Matthew 14: 27 The International Day of the Seafarer is co-ordinated each year by the International Maritime Organisation. In 2021, the focus is again centred around encouraging governments to support seafarers amid the pandemic. The organisation is calling for a fair future for seafarers. Major issues include fair treatment, fair working conditions, fair training,… Read More »Day of the Seafarer
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2009: Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)
“Knowing that we, as persons and communities, are part of God’s family gives us a vision and energy to serve a truly integral human development.”Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, n 78. Read a general introduction to Caritas in Veritate here.
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World Social Media Day
Can you imagine living through a pandemic without social media? World Social Media Day is a time to recognise and celebrate social media's impact of global communication. Here are some ideas for activities: Revisit the Social Justice Statement Making it Real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world with your parish, school or community group.Share… Read More »World Social Media Day
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2012: Commencement of the Fair Work Amendment (TCF Industry) Act
Many of the outworkers in the garment industry are migrant women. They are often vulnerable to exploitation due to limited English language skills or lack of knowledge about their rights as workers. The 2012 amendment to the Fair Work Act aimed at ensuring fair pay and conditions for them. Find out more here. The amendment… Read More »2012: Commencement of the Fair Work Amendment (TCF Industry) Act
Coming of the Light Festival
The Coming of the Light is a holiday celebrated by Torres Strait Islanders on 1 July each year. It recognises the adoption of Christianity through island communities during the late nineteenth century. Find out more here.
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2016: Election of Linda Burney as first Aboriginal woman member of the Australian Parliament
The Hon Linda Burney MP has contributed significantly to the development of Indigenous communities locally, regionally and nationally as an educator, championing reconciliation in Australia, as Member of the NSW Parliament, and as the Federal Member for Barton. In 2014 she received a NAIDOC Week lifetime achievement award. You can read the citation here.
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International Day of Cooperatives
The United Nations International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July. This year, the theme of the International Day of Cooperatives 2020 is Cooperatives for Climate Action. Since 1995, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the United Nations have been setting the theme for the celebration of the International Day… Read More »International Day of Cooperatives
St Thomas, Apostle
We feel great kinship for the apostle Thomas because, like him, most of us curiously combine faith and doubt. We sometimes share the enthusiasm St. Thomas expressed when upon Lazarus’s death Jesus decided to go to Bethany. “Let’s go too,” Thomas said to the other disciples,“that we may die with him” (see John 11:16). But… Read More »St Thomas, Apostle
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday
Access resources for the celebration of this Sunday produced by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council here. We provide an overview here. These videos were produced in 2020 however they still contain useful messages for the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday is the… Read More »Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday
NAIDOC Week
The theme of NAIDOC week this year is "Healing Country" Country is inherent to our identity.It sustains our lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.It is more than a place.When we talk about Country it is spoken of like a person.Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. For… Read More »NAIDOC Week