Our thinking Archives - Page 6 of 32 - Jesuit Social Services

The Feast of St Ignatius
- 30 July 2021
Ahead of the Feast Day of Ignatius Loyola (July 21), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that the Ignatian tradition of travelling lightly with firm and respectful commitments to people is designed for living in times of crisis and uncertainty. The Feast Day of Ignatius Loyola this year has been affected by the coronavirus and its restrictions.…
Refugee Week 2021
- 21 June 2021
In public debates, Governments will win more votes than they lose through the brutal treatment of refugees. If we care for refugees, then, we must be in for the long haul. When the national mood changes from suspicious of outsiders to a more hospitable outlook, we must be ready to encourage it, writes ANDY HAMILTON…
Better approaches to supporting young people in the Northern Territory
- 28 May 2021
In May, the Northern Territory Government introduced a number of legislative changes to the youth justice system that will see more children separated from family and community, and funnelled into detention. These deeply concerning measures include increasing grounds to refuse or revoke bail; reducing access to diversion; and more powers to place electronic monitoring devices…
It all began with a ricocheting cannon ball
- 19 May 2021
From May 2021 until July 2022, the Jesuits and the Ignatian family, including Jesuit Social Services, celebrate an Ignatian Year. The Ignatian Year marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of St. Ignatius’ transformation from Ignatius the soldier into Ignatius the pilgrim. ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on the events that led Ignatius to find the space…
World Health Day 2021
- 6 April 2021
Good health for the young, the old and the vulnerable must be built on respect for their humanity and on good relationships, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Most Australians are fortunate enough to be able to take their health for granted for much of their lives. We have sufficient food to keep us strong; we have…
Palm Sunday
- 25 March 2021
Palm Sunday invites us to consider the price we put on humanity and compassion, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Participants in the 2019 Walk for Justice for Refugees rally. This year we again celebrate Palm Sunday in the shadow of Coronavirus. As in previous years Palm Sunday is a day for remembering refugees. Marches take place…
Building a Just Society
- 25 March 2021
Back in 1977, Jesuit Social Services was born (as Four Flats) to respond to a real and important need. It was apparent that young men were exiting prison into homelessness with little support and no prospects of a job. A quote by then Pentridge Prison Chaplain, Fr John Brosnan, became a guiding principle for our…
Closing the Gap
- 18 March 2021
Closing the gap in Indigenous inequality and health outcomes should be directed by the choices and needs of Indigenous Australians, not by the economic and political considerations of government, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Close the Gap Day is a sobering occasion each year. It records the gap between promises and actions, between aspiration and outcome.…
World Day of Social Justice
- 19 February 2021
In Australia, World Day of Social Justice goes pretty much unnoticed. It is swamped by the start of the school year, the gathering speed and urgency in workplaces, and the last weeks of summer. These things leave little room for reflection. Catholics, too, may associate social justice with later months in the year when the…
Australia Day
- 25 January 2021
Australia Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between European settlers and our first peoples, and appreciate the lessons we can learn from honouring indigenous connection to land, culture and country, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Australia Day recalls the arrival of the First Fleet under Governor Phillip in 1788. It marked the beginning…

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