Western Sydney school teachers Isabella Plust and Andrew Valenti have become engaged in Paris during the Diocese of Parramatta pilgrimage to World Youth Day. Andrew proposed to Isabella at the Eiffel Tower in front of 170 pilgrims and passing Parisians under the sparkling lights of the city of love’s most iconic landmark. The long-time best Read more
Because a classic wheelchair is not very chic and not always ergonomic, Paul decided to make one out of wood. It’s also less expensive. He built one in his workshop in the Dordogne with wood from Notre Dame Cathedral. It is intended for the Pope, who agreed to sponsor his project. In his workshop in Read more
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over a string of Quran burnings in Stockholm that sparked anger and mass protests in a number of Muslim countries. The organisation, comprised of 57 Muslim-majority nations, said on Sunday that the suspension was due to the “ granting by the Swedish Read more
When Patsy Caskey says volunteering is a rewarding thing to do, she is speaking from experience. More than six decades of it, in fact, as Patsy has spent the past 60-plus years giving her time and skills freely to a wide range of organisations. One of this year’s three Stratford District Citizen Award recipients, Patsy Read more
Pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Melbourne met the Holy Father in Rome on Wednesday, 26 July, in a special private audience as part of the lead-up to World Youth Day Lisbon. During the meeting, Pope Francis encouraged the pilgrims in their faith journey. He answered questions on topics ranging from education to evangelisation, the environment Read more
Sir Wira Gardiner’s final “koha” to those who served in our military has come to fruition in the form of a High Court judgment that should make it significantly easier for support to be provided to veterans. Gardiner’s widow Lady Hekia Parata, former Cabinet minister and now Royal Commissioner, said the judgment offered clear guidance Read more
Australia’s peak medical association has called for strong rules and transparency around the use of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry after warning doctors in Perth-based hospitals not to write medical notes using ChatGPT. The Australian Medical Association said in its submission to the federal government’s discussion paper on safe and responsible AI, seen by Read more
Vietnam formally agreed on Thursday to let a Vatican representative live in the country and open an office, a notching up of relations that could have implications down the line for the Holy See’s delicate ties with China. The Holy See announced the conclusion of the agreement during a visit to the Vatican by Vietnamese Read more
Russia’s latest strike on Odesa on Sunday killed two people and severely damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral, drawing a vow of retaliation from Ukraine’s leader. The attack came as President Vladimir Putin met his Belarusian counterpart for talks in Russia and claimed Kyiv’s counteroffensive had “failed”. Russia has pounded the Ukrainian port city of Odesa Read more
The Human Rights Commission has filed a mixed report card to the United Nations on New Zealand’s commitment to indigenous rights. Addressing a UN expert group in Geneva the commission’s Kaitahutahu Rangatahi, Waimihia Maniapoto-Love said there have been periods of good progress towards tino rangatiratanga alongside periods of inactivity. The Government, the National Iwi Chairs Read more