Our thinking Archives - Jesuit Social Services

The Feast of St Ignatius Loyola 2026
- 29 July 2026
In this piece, Andy Hamilton SJ delves into the rich history of the Feast of St Ignatius Loyola.
NAIDOC Week 2026
- 3 July 2026
The theme of this year's NAIDOC Week (July 5 - 12), Fifty Years of Deadly, 'encourages us all to build the respectful and decent relationships that engender pride within communities', writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Refugee Week 2026
- 10 June 2026
"The theme of the 2026 Week is A Million Stories. It highlights something more important than numbers. It says that each refugee has a face, a family, and a story to which we should listen," writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week
- 22 May 2026
National Sorry Day (May 26) and National Reconciliation Week (May 27 - June 3) remind us that "the debt that Australia owes to the descendants of our first peoples still needs to be paid," reflects ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Anzac Day 2026
- 23 April 2026
In his most recent reflection, ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that Anzac Day this year is a poignant reminder to say ‘never again’ to war. "As we grieve loss and give thanks for self-sacrifice on Anzac Day, we should also commit ourselves to a future in which we turn from wars, share burdens, give priority to…
Earth Day 2026
- 23 April 2026
"Our human flourishing depends on recognising both the high value of each human being and the importance of our relationship to one another and to the environment of which we are part," writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Locking up more Territorians is not a plan
- 21 April 2026
If we want safer communities, we need to invest in what actually works: early intervention, housing, mental health care, support for families and evidence-based diversion programs. The government needs to start listening to all Territorians, not just the people who cheer every tough headline.
Easter 2026
- 2 April 2026
"At Eastertime the exploration of the extraordinary in the ordinary, of the boundless in the limited, of freedom in apparent regulation, of the personal in the midst of the commercial, of the quirky in the uniform, all disclose the value of each human life in the face of the persistent efforts to homogenise and cheapen…
Palm Sunday 2026
- 19 March 2026
For many years Palm Sunday has been a day of support for a just and humane response to refugees. The joining of the date and the cause go together. Both are about hope. Both test that hope and call us to live with hope against hope, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Ash Wednesday and Ramadan 2026
- 17 February 2026
The overlap of Ash Wednesday and Ramadan this year reminds us of how much the two faiths have in common and how each is reflected in the spirit of Jesuit Social Services, notes Andy Hamilton SJ - both embodying friendship, gratitude and courage in sharing our life with those most disadvantaged.