CALENDAR OF EVENTS

November

26 Sir William Deane to open new NSW/ACT St Vincent de Paul homelessness initiative; Matthew Talbot Hostel, Woolloomooloo; 10am.

27-Dec 1 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference meets in Sydney

29 Reflection on 2006 Social Justice Statement, hosted by Brisbane West Deanery, Ngutana Lui Cultural Centre, Inala; 7.30pm

30 The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Women’s Spirituality Forum:  With healing in her hands: Women and healing in early Christianity, Prof. Elaine Wainwright now lecturing in New Zealand; St James Church, Gillies Street, Curtin, ACT; 7.45pm   ($8 members / $10 friends)

Launch:  The People's Inquiry into Detention with hearings to follow on Friday, December 1, to Sunday, December 3. Both the launch and the hearings will be held in the rooms of the Law Society, Level 2, Primus Telecom Building, 132 Franklin St., Adelaide.

Closing date for the return of the Adelaide Catholic Justice and peace Commission petition in support of Senate action on behalf of David Hicks.

Concert @ St Pats:  Claudia Termini, presented by the Italian Institute of Culture; St Patrick’s Church, Grosvenor Street, Sydney; 7pm

December

1 World AIDS Day

Applications close for the 4th annual Cross Cultural Summer School, a joint venture of the Sisters of St Joseph and the Columban Fathers, January 5-26.  (information:  02 8912 4869 or email sandy.leaitua@sosj.org.au)

1-3 Rachel’s Vineyard healing retreat (emotional and spiritual healing after abortion); Tasmania

2 The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Women’s Spirituality Forum:  With healing in her hands: Contemporary women healers in search of a genealogy, Prof. Elaine Wainwright now lecturing in New Zealand; St James Church, Gillies Street, Curtin, ACT; 10am-noon   (cost: tba)

Mizaan Conference 2006, (health, wellbeing, nutrition, natural healing and balance lifestyles) with keynote speaker Sidi Hakim Archuletta, Rydges Hotel, Bass Hill; 10am-5pm  (registrations essential)

Concert @ St Pats:  Arnaud Dumond, guitarist; St Patrick’s Church, Grosvenor Street, Sydney; 7.30pm  (cost: $25/20)

2-3 St Francis Xavier meets the 21st century, with Fr Michael Head, SJ.  Saturday, conversation and prayer, 7.30-9pm;  Sunday, Mass, 8.30am;  St Francis Xavier hall and church, South Hobart.  (further information:  0400 896 191)

3 International Day for People with a Disability

First Sunday in Advent

4 Launch:  We have a story, newsletter of the National Network for Disability and Spirituality

5 Afternoon Tea for the Future:  Forests, trees and options for carbon-trading; hosted by the Edmund Rice Centre; Croydon, NSW; 1.30pm  (jillf@erc.org.au)

7 Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is due to report on its inquiry into Stolen Wages

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s annual Human Rights Awards and Medal will be presented in Sydney

7-8 Full Employment or Work Choices and Welfare-to-Workconference, hosted by the Centre of Full Employment and Equity; incorporating the 8th Path to Full Employment Conference and the 13th National Conference on Unemployment; at the University of Newcastle.

8 St Thomas More’s Forum and wine and cheese evening: Faith on a long walk, Amy Banson ACU student, Walk with a rose organiser and former St Thomas More’s student and school captain; St Thomas More’s School Hall, White Crescent, Campbell, ACT; AND Faith and wine, Br John May from Sevenhills Wine (reflection and wine presentation); 7.30-9pm  (forum entry: $10/$3; +$10 wine tasting)

9- 11 Oz Green’s Youth LEAD programme in eco-social action and leadership training; Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland, and Melbourne

10 International Human Rights Day

Second Sunday in Advent

11 Australian Sustainability awards announced

12 Young Adults @ St Pats end of year gathering, St Pat’s Crypt; 6.30 for 7pm Eucharist followed by pizza and conversation

13 Spirituality in the Pub, Dr Richard Leonard SJ, Hobart.  Information, 0400 896 191

17 Third Sunday in Advent

24 Christmas Eve / Blue (grief and loss) Christmas service, shaped from progressive theology and liturgy, Unity Church of St James, Curtain, ACT; 9.30pm

Fourth Sunday in Advent

25 Christmas Day

ABC TV will broadcast live the Pope’s Midnight Mass; 11am

January 07

5-26 Fourth annual Cross Cultural Summer School, a joint venture of the Sisters of St Joseph and the Columban Fathers.  Applications close December 1 (information:  02 8912 4869 or email sandy.leaitua@sosj.org.au)

14 World Day of Migrants and Refugees  (international)

16-19 Second World Forum on Theology and Liberation, Nairobi

16-25 Eight Day retreat; Emmanuel Pastoral and Spirituality Centre, Launceston, Tasmania. 

February 07

9-11 World Day of the Sick celebrations, Seoul, South Korea:  The spiritual and pastoral care of patients with incurable illnesses

11 15th World Day of the Sick

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

15 The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought:  Fundamentalism: A misunderstanding of religious experience, with Fr Michael Fallon; St James Church, Gillies Street, Curtin, ACT; 7.45pm   ($3 CPRT members / $5 non-members)

22-25 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Sydney

26-27 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Townsville

28-Mar 1 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Brisbane

March 07

2-6 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Perth

6-7 Brisbane Climate Change Conference: Responding to Climate Change: The Call to Ecological Conversion, organised by the Justice and Peace Commission and the Social Action Office; Fortitude Valley.  (cost: $50/$30. registration and details: Alana 07 3336 9351 or email emericka@bne.catholic.net.au)

7-10 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Adelaide

9-11 Oz Green’s Youth LEAD programme in eco-social action and leadership training; South Sydney / Illawarra

11-14 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Melbourne

13  International Women’s Day, First Lady of East Timor, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, Lourdes Hill College, Brisbane

15 US peace activist Fr John Dear SJ in Canberra

16-17  Brisbane Climate Change conference:  Responding to Climate Change: The Call to Ecological Conversion, St James College, Fortitude Valley, $50/$30, organised by the Justice & Peace Commission and the Social Action Office (registration, further information, Alana 07 3336 9351 or email emericka@bne.catholic.net.au)

April 07

8 Easter Sunday

The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought 4th annual Easter sunrise service, the Ridge, Curtain, ACT; (30 min service followed by a light breakfast) 6.15 for 6.30am

13-15 Caritas Australia’s Festival of Global Concern, St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, Sydney. Year 11 and 12 students and teachers. International guest: Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Early bird registrations close February 6.

14-16 Oz Green’s Youth LEAD programme in eco-social action and leadership training; Alice Springs

20-22 Oz Green’s Youth LEAD programme in eco-social action and leadership training; Darwin

July 07

9-12 Indigenous theology and spirituality conference, organised by NATSIEC; Noosa Lakes, Queensland (as part of the NATSIEC Theology Project). further information 02 9299 2215 or email natsiec@ncca.org.au

August 07

16-19 Common Dreams:  Progressive religion as a transforming agent, national gathering for the Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, featuring Bishop John Shelby Spong, theologian Joe Bessler-Northcutt, Prof. B. Brandon Scott; Sydney.

17-19 Celebrating Feminist Catholic Ministries:  A Women-Church Forum, Chicago, USA

26 Refugee and Migrant Sunday (Australian celebration of World Day of Migrants and Refugees)

June 08

15-22 49TH International Eucharistic Congress, Ottawa, Canada:  The Eucharist:  Gift of God for the life of the world

July 08

15-20 World Youth Day celebrations, Sydney

October 08

5-26 Synod of Bishops: The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church