Social Justice Trends

Latest news from the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace

Dear Friend,

We thank you for your support this year and we pray for God's blessing for you and your family. May the Holy Spirit enliven us as we celebrate the coming of Jesus, Emmanuel in our lives.

FROM THE OFFICE

2021-22 Launch invitation for Social Justice Statement

The Year To Come

Sandie Cornish, the Director of the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace provides an overview of what to look forward to in 2022. Formation will be a key priority for the ACBC and the Office is supporting an eight-week course in Catholic Social Teaching. It will be providing prayer and reflection materials, the launch of the Signs of Our Times Project and will continue on the seven-year Laudato Si' Action Plan.

RESOURCE

Front cover of the Social Justice Statement

Signs of Our Times Project

The Signs of Our Times Project had its soft launch on 30 November where Bishop Vincent Long welcomed the project “as a means of going deeper in our appreciation of the tradition of social teaching”. The project which started from living out Pope Francis’ call for a Culture of Encounter has produced resources parishes and schools can use to reflect on our times as we pray with scripture, reflect on CST and share our stories.

FORMATION

Catholic Social Teaching Course

BBI-TAITE and the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace are partnering for an online course on Catholic Social Teaching. Open to all, this course consists of eight sessions across 16 weeks. Perfect for teachers, parish leaders, diocesan workers and volunteers it looks at local, national and international issues with a CST lens. Taught by Dr Sandie Cornish, enrolments are now open. Course begins 15 February, 2022.

FORMATION

Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor Action Card heading

NATSICC Cultural Competency Course

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council has created a new online cultural competency course which provides a foundational knowledge for any Catholic worker, volunteer, priest or religious. To be used in conjunction with engagement with local Traditional Custodians, this course is available online and is the first of its kind created from a Catholic perspective. All are encouraged to participate.

NEWS

5 prayer cards for the Social Justice Statement 2021-22

A Place to Call Home Report Released

Jesuit Refugee Service – Australia and Western Sydney University have released a report on people seeking asylum's experience of homelessness and housing exclusion in western Sydney. The report found policies of the Federal government forced people into continual financial stress and destitution, detrimentally affecting housing security. One person lived in a car park in exchange for work.

RESOURCES

NATSICC Online Retreat Recordings

Over 21–24 November, NATSICC held its first ever online retreat through Zoom. Over 120 people participated across the four days which included talks from Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green on Caring for Creation, Aunty Dulcie Isaro on Aboriginal Culture and Spirituality as well as online yarning circles and prayers. Multiple talks and two beautiful prayer reflections are now available for all to view online.

NEWS

Waiver on Vaccine Monopoly Overdue

The ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace has signed a letter to Trade Minister Dan Tehan warning him against ignoring the need to waive COVID-19 vaccine monopolies. Intellectual property laws are stifling the global production of vaccines causing huge supply issues for low-income countries and in turn average vaccination rates are 7% in low-income countries. The Office joins calls for the immediate waiver of these laws at the next World Trade Organisation meeting.

NEWS

ACU Refugee Scholarship

The Australian Catholic University has a scholarship aimed at supporting refugees who arrived in Australian as unaccompanied minors or students leaving year 12 and currently on temporary, bridging, or safe haven visas. The scholarship is for students starting their university journey and covers the multi-year courses, student service fees and provides healthcare for those not receiving Medicare. Applications close 16 January, 2022.

COMING SOON

- Pax Christi Conference on Security – 19 F ebruar y 2022
- International Ignatian Ecospirituality Conference – 25-30 April 2022

FEEDBACK

If you have any feedback for the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace please contact our Editor Sandie Cornish at sandie.cornish@catholic.org.au.

BISHOPS COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, MISSION AND SERVICE

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv (Chair), Bishop Paul Bird CSsR, Bishop Terence Brady, Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS, Bishop Bosco Puthur, Bishop Donald Sproxton.

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DISCLAIMER
The Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace facilitates this newsletter in good faith. Its aim is to promote adult faith formation, awareness and action in relation to social, economic and ecological justice issues. Factual information is presumed free of error. If this is found to be incorrect please contact the OJEP for purposes of rectification. The reference to news items and the provision of links to other websites is solely for the user's convenience. The OJEP assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, these items or websites, their content, or their sponsoring organisations.

Social Justice Trends is a publication of the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace and is distributed monthly. Our aim is to provide news of interest to you. If you have suggestions or feedback about Social Justice Trends please don't hesitate to get back to me.

Dr Sandie Cornish
Director
Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace
sandie.cornish@catholic.org.au

You are receiving this because you subscribed from the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace (formally the Office for Social Justice) website. The OJEP is an agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.