Re-Emergence Of The Synod Of Bishops In The Life Of The Church – Michael Whelan SM
On the sixtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council we pause to remember! Historian, Giuseppe Alberigo, offers a good summary of the context within which the Synod […]
Reflections on Pope Benedict on his Funeral, 6 January 2023 – Geraldine Doogue
Benedict the 16th was not one of my favourite Catholic churchmen. But like his predecessor John Paul II, I always cut them some slack, given their personal encounters with chaos […]
Joan Chittister OSB delivers inspiring address to large audience in Sydney
On 31 May 2022 Catalyst for Renewal hosted a forum in Sydney with Joan Chittister osb. For over 30 years Sister Joan has been a passionate advocate for social justice and an outspoken proponent of personal faith and fulfilment. Author of dozens of books on spirituality, this beloved Benedictine nun visited Sydney as part of a speaking tour of Australia.
Statement of Conclusions – Twenty Years on: Recovering the Mystical Heart of Catholicism
This paper expands on Father Michael’s talk to a Catalyst Dinner held on 13 March 2020 at Hunters Hill in Sydney. The Statement of Conclusions was presented to the Australian Bishops following an Ad Limina visit to Rome in 1998. In response, Catalyst for Renewal convened a forum in the Sydney Town Hall on 22 April 1999 at which Michael was one of several speakers. Such was the concern of ordinary catholics at the time that 2,000 people attended. Twenty years later, we ask: What was happening then? What is happening now? What might we learn from asking such questions?
Fr Michael is currently the Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Church Hill, Sydney. He is a Marist priest, ordained in 1972. He gained his PhD under Adrian van Kaam in 1984 and is the former Head of the Sydney College of Divinity and former Principal of the Catholic Theological Union in Sydney.
He has published four books and a number of articles in his field of spirituality. Michael believes the renewal of the Church must include a grassroots recovery of the mystical dimension of our faith. He is committed to assisting adults to become contemplative in and through their daily lives.
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse: Lessons and learnings for the People of God
Robert Fitzgerald AM served as a Commissioner for the duration of the Royal Commission. He was on leave from the Productivity Commission where he has served as a full time […]
Where to from here?
Where to from here? Francis Sullivan Francis Sullivan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council which was established to coordinate the Catholic Church’s response to […]
Guidelines for Good Conversation
GOOD CONVERSATION Nine helpful attitudes Seven practical steps Eleven things to avoid Some guidelines for good conversation Prepared by Catalyst for Renewal 2014 A. NINE HELPFUL ATTITUDES 1. I want […]
Conversation
CONVERSATION: A REFLECTION IN AID OF UNDERSTANDING THE GIFT – Michael Whelan SM It is quite remarkable the way the word “conversation” has become so much in vogue over the past ten […]
Bringing the Modern World
Bringing the modern world into contact with the vivifying and perennial energies of the gospel (John XXIII’s half century challenge) – Fr Frank Brennan SJ – 23 March 2012 In 1962, I moved […]
The Inaugural Rosemary Goldie Lecture
The Inaugural Rosemary Goldie Lecture Presented by Clifford Longley. Wednesday 9th May 2012. Synopsis This lecture follows story of the of the People of God, the laity’s status and involvement […]
