Archbishop's Office for Evangelisation

News and Resources

Advent-themed Plenary2020 materials

The Advent/Christmas period offers another wonderful opportunity for evangelisation. For some parishes, Advent may provide an opportunity to animate the Plenary process. This short guide offers some suggestions for how a parish may invite a response to the Plenary Council question in Advent including sample notices for the bulletin, a weekly Plenary prayer of intercession and Advent plenary prayer cards/PowerPoint slides.

Luke: The Missionary Disciple

This Advent, as the church embarks on a new liturgical cycle, we turn our attention to the Gospel of Luke. It is timely, then, to pause and reflect on some of Luke’s rich insights, and to acquaint ourselves better with a gospel that speaks directly to our humanity, consistently reminding us of the joy and mercy to be experienced not only during Advent and at Christmas, but throughout our journey of discipleship. On a rainy October evening, parish and school liturgy teams from across the Archdiocese of Melbourne gathered to do just that in the first of two Advent preparation sessions. Their guide was Ria Greene.

Sparks of Beauty in Literature

Tuesday 30 October --- Great stories can be life-changing. They can feed your hungry mind and take your heart on a journey. Join us for the final Sparks of Beauty session for the year, "Stories that make us", where best-selling Australian author Michael McGirr takes us on a journey through stories—some ancient, some new—that have changed his life. In dialogue with speakers from a variety of fields – art, science, music, literature, sport – the Sparks of Beauty series seeks to encourage a new imagining to Catholic spirituality in 21st century Australia.

Faithful Stewards of God's Grace

Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace, the first national resource for lay pastoral ministry, was launched by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, at Proclaim 2018 in Brisbane. Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace recognises the place of lay pastoral ministry within the common vocation of discipleship in relation to other forms of ministry. The document offers a practical description of lay pastoral ministry and outlines a process of authorisation, from certification to commissioning.

Chef's Choice: Feasting on the Word

"The four stages of Lectio Divina are like having a good meal: You take a bite (lectio), you chew on it (meditatio), enjoy the taste (oratio) and then swallow it (contemplatio). Fr John Dupuche reminds us that 'feasting on the Word’ that leads to a better knowledge of Christ. This article includes a guided reflection on the readings for weekend of Sunday 16 July, which Pope Francis has encouraged as a 'Sunday for the Word of God' in dioceses around the world.

Psalms and liturgical life, psalms and life

"St Athanasius said a psalm ‘is a mirror in which you contemplate yourself and movements of your soul’. This beautiful insight encourages us to pray the psalms and to allow them to teach us about ourselves and to give expression to our deepest feelings, concerns and desires." Mary Reaburn nds reflects on the Psalms and how they can be a prism through which we see differently.

The travelling Mary

"Her faith, I learned, gave her a particular place in our collective religious history. For a beginner little Catholic, it was also an introduction to the world of the mystical." Cathy Jenkins recalls the tradition of the 'travelling Mary.'

Celebrating the centenary of Fatima

On 13 May this year, Pope Francis will visit Portugal to mark 100 years since the Virgin Mary appeared to three young children in the town of Fatima. Bishop Peter Elliott reflects on the events of 1917, their message and what Pope Francis can expect when he arrives.

The Advent of Grace