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.

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…
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
- 1 September 2015
Churches have always been good at naming days and weeks. We need to think only of Christmas and Easter, Advent and Lent, and saints’ feast days by the dozen. So it did not make the news when Pope Francis added another day to the calendar. So when Pope Francis made September 1 an annual day…
What price life?
- 28 August 2015
Last week, Mr Elferink, the Northern Territory Minister for Health, was interviewed by the ABC. According to the report, he argued that the money spent on the health of the elderly, and particularly on those in the last year of their lives – a million dollars for each person – would be better spent on…
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…
Jesuit social ministries meeting
- 10 August 2015
CEO, Julie Edwards, and Central Australia Program Manager, John Adams, attended the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) Social Apostolate meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week. The annual gathering is an occasion to exchange information, build networks and learn new knowledge. This meeting hopes to deepen the knowledge of the participants on the history of…
House and home
- 9 August 2015
In English we make a difference between a house and a home. A house is a building that puts a roof over your head. A home is a nest of relationships that sustain and provide feathers to wing your heart. We own a house. We belong in a home. Homelessness week reminds us of this.…
St Ignatius of Loyola (Feast Day: 31 July)
- 30 July 2015
The early life of St Ignatius might remind older readers of the hippie 1960s. Certainly many observers of his own day looked on Ignatius with the suspicion with which people regarded the children of the 60s. Ignatius was brought up in a proud family who had great expectations for him and for his brilliant career.…
Just Leadership breakfast
- 24 July 2015
Held in Sydney in partnership with the Old Ignatians’ Union, the latest Just Leadership breakfast featured Michael Coutts-Trotter as guest speaker. Michael is a prominent Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview old boy, who currently heads the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). His past roles in leadership included the Director-General of the NSW Department…
Dropping off the Edge 2015 launch
- 21 July 2015
We’re pleased to join with Catholic Social Services Australia to launch Dropping off the Edge 2015. Dropping off the Edge 2015 shows clearly that complex and entrenched disadvantage is experienced by a small but persistent number of locations in each state and territory across Australia. Read more here. More information to come. Resources: Dropping off…
Pope's jail visit
- 17 July 2015
Pope Francis has made a point of visiting prisons and speaking with the people held in them. He still keeps in touch with his friends in a Buenos Aires jail. His concern for prisoners has endeared him to us at Jesuit Social Services. He has also taught us much as we accompany people in the…

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