Pope Francis has appointed a former refugee, who fled war-torn Vietnam by boat in 1979, to lead the Australian diocese of Parramatta. Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, 54, begins his new role after serving as a Conventual Franciscan since 1989 and as auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne since 2011. Parramatta, in western Sydney, is one of Read more
The Rua Rau Festival celebrated last weekend in Parramatta, Australia commemorated the common history that has linked Māori Sydney and the Parramatta region for over two hundred years. 51 elders from the North trekked across the ditch to Parramatta for the celebrations, which recognise an enduring relationship between their ancestor Ruatara and the Anglican minister Read more
The new Catholic Archbishop of Sydney has expressed shame and sorrow at child abuse by clergy and at the Church’s abandonment of victims. In his first news conference last week, Archbishop-elect Anthony Fisher, OP, said he was determined to do everything he could to make sure the abuse didn’t happen again. To the survivors of Read more
Two Australian dioceses have jointly commissioned an independent inquiry by former Federal Court judge Antony Whitlam, QC, into the way they handled a priest who admitted abusing children. The inquiry is in response to widespread media reports about the activities of a so-called Father F — which have also prompted calls for a royal commission Read more