More than 1,500 students and young adults attended the Purpose Festival at Rosebank College in Five Dock, Sydney, on July 2, 2025. Organized by Sydney Catholic Youth, the event featured speakers including Archbishop Anthony Fisher and Fr Gregory Pine. The gathering aimed to strengthen faith and encourage leadership among participants. This followed a recent camp for Years 9-12 students and preceded a pilgrimage to Italy for the Jubilee of Youth. Attendees reported renewed faith and strengthened friendships through the activities and international experiences provided by the organization.
Read more →
Illustrative photo
Illustrative photo, not from the original report · Photo by Luca Ferrario on UnsplashGood news
Bethlehem, in the West Bank, held its first Christmas tree lighting ceremony since December 2022 on December 6, 2025. The event at Manger Square marks a symbolic return to normalcy following the Trump-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Although visitor numbers remain low compared to pre-war levels, local residents and returning pilgrims from Ukraine and Italy attended the celebration. Ranya Malki Bandak of the Bethlehem Peace Center noted the rapid organization of the festivities despite ongoing regional tensions. The gathering serves as a beacon of hope and peace for the community as tourism slowly resumes.
Several Australian organizations are launching initiatives to combat isolation during the Christmas season. The Order of Malta, hosted by Fr Anthony Robbie in Bondi, provides weekly dinners for marginalized individuals, aiming to offer nutritious meals and social connection. Meanwhile, the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry at Mary MacKillop Place is preparing 70 food hampers with support from Lisa Buxton. St Michael’s parish in Lane Cove is distributing 200 presents through its Giving Tree initiative, led by Fr Mark Anderson, and visiting social housing residents. Additionally, Stella Maris is providing gift bags to seafarers to support their mental health. These efforts address loneliness exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.
More than 50 volunteers gathered at Port Botany in Australia on November 27 to assemble care packages for seafarers unable to return home for the holidays. Organized by the Port Authority of NSW and supported by Stella Maris and the Mission to Seafarers, the event aimed to boost mental health. Key figures included Sr Mary Leahy, Mission to Seafarers CEO Clayton Strong, and organizer Michael Kelly. The gifts, funded by community donations and grants, include local souvenirs and handwritten cards. Strong emphasized that supporting seafarer wellbeing is critical for maritime safety, citing suicide statistics in the industry. Pilots will deliver the items to ships throughout December.
Thousands of young Catholics gathered in Melbourne, Australia, for the opening of the 2025 Australian Catholic Youth Festival. The event featured a surprise video message from Pope Leo XIV, who encouraged pilgrims to embrace their identity and rely on prayer. Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli welcomed attendees as pilgrims of hope. Ukrainian Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR shared stories of faith under persecution and offered a rosary made by prisoners of war. The festival includes workshops and Mass, continuing a tradition last held in Melbourne in 2013. The gathering highlights the vibrant youth presence in the Australian church.
St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, hosted two Masses on December 4 to welcome the World Youth Day cross and icon. The symbols were brought by a delegation from the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, marking the official launch for the 2027 festival. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and Bishop Richard Umbers highlighted the spiritual impact of these items, noting their role in inspiring vocations and faith. The event aimed to prepare local youth for the upcoming international gathering in Korea, emphasizing hope and divine presence amidst suffering.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher announced that the 2028 Australian Catholic Youth Festival will take place in Sydney, Australia. The event will coincide with the International Eucharistic Congress in 2028. The declaration occurred in Melbourne during the closing of the 2025 festival, which drew approximately 6,000 young people from Australia and Oceania. Fisher challenged attendees to invite friends, aiming for significant growth in participation. The gathering featured religious services, workshops, and talks by speakers such as Maggie Craig and Fr Rob Galea. Organizers emphasized spiritual renewal and missionary discipleship for the youth.
Ukrainian religious leaders issued a strong appeal against corruption, calling it a moral crime that aids Russian aggression. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations emphasized that unity is essential for national survival during the ongoing war. This statement followed revelations of government corruption and coincided with a US-backed peace proposal. The article compares this proposal to the 1938 Munich Agreement, arguing it unfairly pressures Ukraine to make concessions. The Catholic Weekly highlights the religious community's stance as a model of moral reasoning, contrasting it with what it describes as a dangerous diplomatic approach that undermines Ukrainian sovereignty.
Pope Leo XIV handed symbolic bronze keys to homeless families from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Syria, Senegal, Italy, and Australia during an international Vincentian pilgrimage in Rome. The event highlighted the '13 Houses' Jubilee Project, which has provided housing to these groups. Nadia, a Bangladeshi-Australian mother, received one of the keys designed by Timothy Schmalz. The gathering brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds to share experiences of resilience and dignity. The article notes that 1.6 billion people globally live in slums or homelessness, with 122,000 Australians affected. The pilgrimage served as a reflection on the World Day of the Poor, emphasizing fraternity and faith among the marginalized.
More than 265 people, including 253 children and 12 teachers, remain in captivity after gunmen abducted students and staff from a Catholic school in a village in Niger state, Nigeria. A bishop reported that the community is traumatized as a military-led search continues. While 50 children escaped earlier, the local diocese is gathering information on the missing. The incident has caused widespread distress, with one parent reportedly dying from shock. The Pope appealed for the hostages' release, highlighting the ongoing crisis in the region.
Pope Leo XIV met with Canadian singer Michael Bublé and other performers at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on December 5, 2025. The pontiff instructed the artists to deliver their best performance for the annual Christmas concert benefiting the poor. The event, held at the Paul VI Audience Hall, will host approximately 3,000 guests assisted by Vatican charities. Pope Leo emphasized that serving the vulnerable is a direct encounter with the Lord, quoting Gospel teachings. The concert, originally initiated by Pope Francis in 2015, will be livestreamed by Vatican Media. Pope Leo will attend the 2025 edition, marking his presence at the gathering.
Humanitarian Moira Kelly AO addressed approximately 400 attendees at the fourth annual Labouré Lecture in Sylvania Waters, Australia. The event, hosted by St Catherine Labouré Gymea parish, featured Kelly discussing the importance of hope and prayer in her work saving disadvantaged children. Accompanied by her adopted daughters, Kelly shared stories from her decades of humanitarian efforts in war-torn regions and her collaboration with Mother Teresa. Bishop Richard Umbers and other church leaders attended the November 28 gathering. Kelly emphasized that faith and determination enable life-saving interventions for children who might otherwise receive no medical care.
Meher Banu, a family support worker for CatholicCare Sydney, received the Excellence and Impact: Frontline Worker Award at the NCOSS 90th Anniversary Awards in New South Wales on October 28. The ceremony took place at the Australian Museum and was attended by NSW Premier Chris Minns and several MPs. Banu was honored for her work helping families in south-west Sydney, particularly Bengali women facing domestic violence. CatholicCare acting CEO Kate Dover praised Banu’s culturally safe approach, noting her background migrating from Bangladesh helps her connect with clients. Her manager, Shannon Rizzo, also expressed pride in Banu’s humble attitude and community impact.
A proposal to shield religious aged care facilities in New South Wales from voluntary assisted dying procedures was defeated in the Upper House on 19 November by a vote of 23 to 16. Liberal MLC Susan Carter introduced the bill to grant these facilities the same refusal rights currently held by hospitals. While Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP supported the measure to protect religious freedom, opponents argued it infringed on patient rights. Health Minister Rose Jackson stated that the issue will be addressed during a statutory review of the state's euthanasia laws, which begins after 28 November. The review may result in legislative changes.
Church sources in Niger express deep concern over the lack of information regarding an American missionary pilot abducted in the capital. A priest notes that the absence of ransom demands or claims of responsibility creates significant uncertainty, unlike previous kidnappings in the region. The pilot, who worked for a mission organization, has been missing for a month. The incident highlights the growing danger for missionaries in the Sahel, where terrorism and instability have increased following recent military changes. Several other foreign nationals remain captive in the country, underscoring the volatile security situation for religious workers in the area.
On November 19, thirty dioceses and eparchies across Australia and New Zealand participated in Red Wednesday, a day of remembrance for persecuted Christians. Led by Aid to the Church in Need, events included Masses, prayer vigils, and lighting cathedrals in red. The initiative highlights that nearly 5.4 billion people face religious discrimination globally. Participation in the region has more than doubled in two years, with over 55 groups involved. Bernard Toutounji, ACN’s national director, described the red lighting as a powerful public statement supporting the suffering church.
Gunmen abducted over 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in a Nigerian state on November 21. Pope Leo XIV condemned the kidnapping, citing similar attacks in Nigeria and Cameroon. The Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the figures, noting some children were captured while escaping. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the violence against Christian communities. Nigerian police deployed tactical units to rescue hostages. Advocates describe a pattern of targeted violence against Christians, with recent reports citing thousands of deaths and abductions since 2009.
The Sydney Centre for Evangelisation has launched a new podcast titled Grace Abounds in Australia. Daniel Ang, the centre's director, says the project shares extended interviews and reflections from international speakers that did not fit into previous publications. The first episodes feature Sr Miriam James Heidland, Fr John Burns, Sr Mary Grace, and Bishop Michael Gielen. Ang explains the title comes from Romans 5:20, highlighting how God's grace overcomes sin. The podcast aims to deepen faith through unfiltered conversations available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts as Advent approaches. (The Catholic Weekly)
Over 600 churches and landmarks will illuminate in red on November 19 to mark Red Wednesday, the focal point of Aid to the Church in Need’s annual campaign. The initiative highlights the ongoing persecution of Christians worldwide, with this year’s focus on Nigeria due to rising attacks. Events span the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and other nations, featuring masses, testimonies from survivors, and public gatherings. ACN reports that over 413 million Christians live in countries with severe religious freedom violations. The campaign aims to raise awareness and support for those suffering for their faith through prayer and community engagement.
Read more →
SermonWave writes its own short summaries and links to the original reporting. Every story belongs to the outlet that reported it. About World News · Our sources · RSS feed
