Deacon Justic Stanwix, 9 June 2022 Deacon Justin Stanwix tells me that he is one of the oldest ordained deacons in the country, so he has a lot to offer over many years of observing and participating in ministry. He started a long and fruitful involvement with the Church in his uni days, soaking upContinue reading “Not Just a Liturgical Frill”
Category Archives: Stories
Liturgy’s Power in the Force
Deacon Jim Curtain, 26 May 2022 If anyone could tell you about the permanent diaconate, and liturgy on the margins, it is Deacon Jim Curtain. He has been ordained for 27 years, and has had the blessing of full-time ministry throughout that time. He has journeyed from air force chaplaincy to school ministry to directorContinue reading “Liturgy’s Power in the Force”
God in Sound and Silence
Danielle Lynch, 19 May 2022 For Danielle Lynch, the idea of her ‘ministry journey’ is very much an unintended, or accidental one. Yet hearing how it has unfolded so far, it seems that she has been set on a course that fits her interests, skills, and desire to connect with others. She grew up inContinue reading “God in Sound and Silence”
School Ministry on the Margins
Sr Duyen Nguyen RSM, 5 May 2022 In the following blog piece, Sr Duyen Thi My Nguyen, RSM kindly offered to share her experience of liturgy on the margins in her own words. No one working in a wealthy Catholic school in an urban city of Australia could say that their ministry is on theContinue reading “School Ministry on the Margins”
Working in God’s Zone
Mary Anne Gordon, 28 April 2022 “It was meant to be.” That is Mary Anne Gordon’s firm conviction about her current role as a remote rural pastoral worker. “I believe I got this job because the Holy Spirit wanted me to.” And it all started way out west in the back o’ Bourke… Literally. MaryContinue reading “Working in God’s Zone”
To Nourish and Nurture
Rev. Tau’alofa Anga’aelangi, 21 April 2022 Rev. Tau’alofa Anga’aelangi tells me all about her ministries: loitering with intent around people, serving them, affirming them, advocating for them. And peppered throughout our conversation, she declares “and that is a part of the liturgy”. To Tau’alofa, worship intersects with community work and living into justice. She feelsContinue reading “To Nourish and Nurture”
The Harrow Parish – Of Church, Change and Wood-Chopping
Sr Kathleen Moran RSM, 7 April 2022 In the Western farming belt of Victoria lie the towns of Harrow, Balmoral and Tarrayoukyan. Together, they made up the smallest parish in the Diocese of Ballarat. And it was the first parish in Victoria not to have a resident priest. In 1986, Bishop Mulkearns went to theContinue reading “The Harrow Parish – Of Church, Change and Wood-Chopping”
Preaching to the Converted
Sr Elizabeth Young RSM, 31 March 2022 I was 21 years old, a university student, and attending multiple different churches and spiritual groups at the time. Because of my work in the interfaith movement, I was invited to attend the World Conference of Religions for Peace in Kyoto, Japan. And when I returned – young,Continue reading “Preaching to the Converted”
The Heart and the Spine: Deacon Michael Tan
Deacon Michael Tan, 10 March 2022 Deacon Michael Tan brings so much to his diaconal ministry. He became a Catholic in his late teenage years, he married and had a professional career in medicine. Michael has been through a spiritual journey that led from Malaysia to Australia and from Chinese spiritualities to Catholicism. He callsContinue reading “The Heart and the Spine: Deacon Michael Tan”
Ministry in the Church – a career pathway?
Lisa Bright, 3 March 2022 Sometimes, when people hear of difficult professional experiences she has faced, friends ask Lisa Bright why she doesn’t leave the Church. But it is where she finds “life to the full”. It is where she journeys with and accompanies others to live life to the full. It is where sheContinue reading “Ministry in the Church – a career pathway?”
Liturgy on the Margins 