Reflections for the Feast of the Assumption

After the Second World War, Mary was declared as assumed into heaven, body and spirit after her death by Pope Pius Xll despite Catholics having already believed this. Experts were concerned that such a new dogma might complicate relations with other Christians. What is important is the timing of this move. Pius XII became pope in March 1939, six months before the Second World War began. The global upheaval that marked the first decade of the papacy of Pius XII produced a veritable litany of the debasement of human dignity. 

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year

At this time cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, not unlike many other cities around the world are still in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its Delta variant. Personal freedom is a precious which should not be taken away by unnecessary policing by the state. But, we must remember that personal freedom need not interfere with the preferential option for the poor or the preferential option for the weakest amongst us. We are meant to be in relationship with others and health is a matter of collective responsibility for those most at risk. This is what we mean by the ‘common good’. This was not evident in the ugly and violent demonstrations this last weekend. 

The Edmund Rice Centre launched officially its new research report Refugee Employment Experience: Struggles, Strategies and Solutions on Tuesday 27 July 2021.

The report highlights the refugee perspective on working and looking for work by listening to what refugees themselves say about their job seeking efforts and their experiences in the Australian labour market. The report calls for several changes in how refugees are supported to find employment, including: moving away from the generalist Jobactive model to the provision of more tailored support, shifting the focus of employment support programs from providing training opportunities to creating opportunities to work, and addressing the systemic discrimination refugees face in the labour market.