Support After Suicide, a Jesuit Social Services’ program, has launched a helpful online service.

Pakistan’s highest civilian award was given to Fr Robert McCulloch of the St Columbans Mission Society recently.

The National Council of Priests Executive held their annual face to face meeting at the national office at Belmont from February 13-15, 2012. It was the occasion for serious discussion about the Australian Church in 2012: struggles and challenges, joys and achievements.

Archbishop Coleridge noted in the Archdiocesan Newspaper, Catholic Voice (December 2011) that he “was asked to chair a commission which would prepare a new English-language Lectionary, using a modified form of the NRSV and a revised Grail Psalter.” However, we struck problems with the copyright holders of the NRSV. …In fact, we have decided to move away from the NRSV and to prepare the Lectionary using a modified form of the English Standard Version (ESV), still with the revised Grail Psalter” he said.

Fr Adolfo Nicolás, visited Sydney in January 2012. At a meeting with the Jesuit family at Riverview College, Fr Nicolás “spoke of his concerns about the deleterious effect of overwork [of Jesuits]. The important thing is to reflect deeply on what we are doing, otherwise it will cease to be effective or creative.

Seven Catholics from across Australia have been appointed to head up the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry’s newly established Australian Catholic Council for Lay Pastoral Ministry (ACCLPM).

Fr Michael Kennedy, recently ordained Bishop of Armidale and formerly parish priest of Leeton, Wagga diocese, replaces Bishop Luc Matthys who had earlier announced his retirement.

At St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane on December 18, 2011, John Bathersby said goodbye to the people.

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office Director, Fr Maurizio Pettenà CS said “people seeking asylum need to be processed in countries who are signatories to the UN Refugee Convention and who can assure them of the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity” in a press release from the Australian Bishops’ Conference on 23 December 2011.