Our stories

Building a just society means elevating everyone by supporting all people to reach their full potential. Every success story is crucial because none of us can flourish, until we all do.

PM's refugee intake announcement
- 10 September 2015
[written by Andy Hamilton SJ for Eureka Street] The Prime Minister's announcement that Australia will accept 12,000 refugees from Syria, in addition to the capped intake, deserves an unqualified welcome. It is a generous decision and a welcome demonstration of leadership. For those of us who are concerned with people who seek protection from persecution…
For those who've come across the sea
- 9 September 2015
The 2015 Social Justice Statement of the Australian Bishops, For those who've come across the seas, is a must read. It tackles a difficult topic – over seventy per cent of Australians approve of the harsh measures taken to repel people who seek protection from us, and both parties support these measures. It comes at…
Big hearts needed for Refugee and Migrant Sunday
- 28 August 2015
Refugee and Migrant Sunday is a celebration of the contribution and dignity of people who arrive as refugees and migrants. It is celebrated by the Churches together on or around the last Sunday of August each year. Refugee Sunday is a day for big hearts. It takes a big heart to keep looking at the…
Refugee Week ambassadors
- 16 June 2015
Former refugees and child soldiers turned successful Artful Dodgers Studios participants The Flybz have been named national ambassadors of Refugee Week, which runs until Saturday. Refugee Week is Australia's peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Fablice, who forms The…
Refugee Week
- 15 June 2015
Refugee week is a time for looking at big pictures and little pictures. This year the big picture is bleak. The number of people who flee across land borders to escape war and persecution has grown, especially in the Middle East and in Africa. They are often escaping from religious persecution, but their flight takes…
Launch of Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA)
- 15 June 2015
The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) has been officially launched at the start of World Refugee Week, which runs from June 14 to 20. Backed by leading Catholic peak organisations and convened by Jesuit Social Services, CAPSA aims to change hearts and minds across Australia in support of the abolition of harsh asylum…
Here and now
- 1 May 2015
Participants who attend the English Language Support program for asylum seekers in Sunshine and the Language for Life English classes in St Albans, attended an art workshop run by artist Trudy Cook on Monday 27th April at the our Artful Dodgers Studio. Participants helped to produce a collective artwork that will be displayed at the…
Remote communities: not a lifestyle choice
- 10 March 2015
Indigenous rights group SOS Blak Australia has declared today a day for action to stop the closure of remote communities. Visit the SOS Blak Australia Facebook page here Jesuit Social Services supports this call and rejects Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent categorisation of life in remote communities as a "lifestyle choice". Such a comment ignores…
End detention of children
- 19 February 2015
Jesuit Social Services together with over 230 organisations and community groups across Australia signed a joint statement calling for action to end the detention of children, once and for all. The statement urged the Australian Parliament to introduce legislation to prevent children from being held in closed immigration detention in the future and to take…
The Atitjere Church Opening
- 10 December 2014
Jesuit Social Services was proud to recently organise the opening and blessing of the Atitjere Church in the Sandover region of the Northern Territory. Our involvement in the project stems back to 2012, when our Central Australian team was invited to visit the Atitjere community, 215 kilometres from Alice Springs at the foot of Mount…