What is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church?
February 4, 2025
For many, the understanding of a Jubilee Year is not always clear, so I thought to highlight some key points about what a Jubilee Year is and what it means for the Catholic faithful.
A Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church occurs every 25 years. It represents a year of celebration, renewal, and special graces for all the faithful. People are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all creation.
World Day of Consecrated Life
February 2, 2025
If I’ve learned one thing through the experiences I’ve been privileged to share in life, it is the Teilhard insistence that every life is consecrated and sacred. His words have been echoed by Pope Francis who reminds us that all of life “is a gift from God! It is always sacred and inviolable”.
What does it mean when we speak of the World Day of Consecrated Life? For me, it’s an opportunity to acknowledge the sacredness of the whole of life and to give thanks for the hugely diverse ways each of us is consecrated. It is also the opportunity to reflect specifically on our consecration as Josephites, at this time in our story.
As I reflect on our life as Josephites, I give thanks for our story and the many ways our Sisters have lived this life embedded in the call to mission, expressed through our particular lens on living the gospel – the call to those pushed to the edge and living on the margins, especially children and women.
Word of God Sunday Reflection
February 1, 2025
In Australia this year, Word of God Sunday is on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (2 February).
Word of God Sunday invites us to pay special attention to the Word of God that we hear in that Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word. When Pope Francis established this Sunday as a way of highlighting the Scriptures, he wanted us to realise that the Scriptures come out of the lives of people living their faith in God through history. So, Pope Francis says “Biblical faith is based on the living word, not a book”.
Consecrated Life in Action and Inspiration
January 31, 2025
In the lead up to World Day of Consecrated Life on 2 February, I find myself reflecting deeply on the profound impact the Sisters of Saint Joseph have had on me, not just as mentors, but models of radical, compassionate discipleship. Working alongside these incredible women in the Josephite Justice Network has been a life-changing experience, one that has taught me to live my own expression of baptism with renewed purpose and commitment.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph, with their unwavering dedication to serving those on the margins, have shown me what it means to live out the Gospel with action, especially in times when the world seems overwhelmed by injustice. The Josephite Charism – rooted in the belief that we are all called to be instruments of peace, unity and reconciliation – has deeply inspired my own journey of faith. Being a Josephite isn’t just a set of ideals; it is a living, breathing call to engage with the world’s struggles, to recognise Christ in the face of the marginalised, and to take bold, compassionate steps toward justice.
Day of Remembering, Thanksgiving and Farewell at Perthville
January 28, 2025
We invite you to attend a day of remembering, thanksgiving and farewell at Perthville (New South Wales) on Sunday 23 March 2025.
As you may know, our property in Perthville is being sold, and during its 153 years of Josephite history, the property has included:
Australia Day 2025 – Reflect, Respect and Celebrate
January 24, 2025
As dawn emerges on Australia Day 2025, citizens are called to reflect on all that this day holds within the diverse realities that shape this day in our national story. Australia Day celebrations in Sydney will begin with a traditional Dawn Reflection – a time to reflect on Australia’s history and its future as the sun rises.
It is a day to give thanks to our Creator God for gifting us with the natural beauty of our land with its diverse expressions from oceans to deserts, mountains to rugged plains, rainforests to sand dunes, and the variety of the flora and fauna that speak of the uniqueness of this ancient land. It calls us to take seriously the responsibility of caring for our common home. The southern cross shining in our southern skies draws us into the expansiveness of what it means to call Australia home.
Conversion of St Paul
We commemorate the feast of the Conversion of St Paul (previously named Saul) on 25 January annually.
On the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus was turned upside down and inside out. Usually referred to as his ‘conversion’, it has been described by one scholar as “the intervention by the risen Christ into Paul’s interior experience which stunned him for the rest of his life”. [1]
International Day of Education
January 23, 2025
The International Day of Education, held annually on 24 January, is a global day that raises awareness about the importance of inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
Access to education can help children and young people escape a life of poverty, reduce inequalities, and help reach gender equity – all of which are vital for peaceful and inclusive societies.
While education is a basic human right, millions of children around the world are still unable to access education. Today, sadly, 250 million children and adolescents are out of school and 763 million adults are illiterate. [1]