Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 6: 39-45 - 

Kate (Master of Theology, Bachelor of Theology, DipEd, Bachelor of Arts) is currently serving as a Prison Chaplain for the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst NSW. She lives in central western NSW after several years of pastoral care work in isolated, outback communities. Kate has experience in Church leadership as a Diocesan Chancellor, Director of Mission/Identity as well as years in education, chaplaincy and mission management.  Her experience in pastoral care have influenced her thinking and honed her skills to listen and speak what needs to be said. She’s a challenging facilitator and a sensitive mediator.

Kate is passionate in her support of NSW Health Palliative Care Volunteers across NSW and has a particular commitment to those who care for the dying in rural communities.

Kate has tutored in Christian Spirituality at tertiary level and been a secondary teacher of senior HSC English and Studies of Religion. As an Anglican in her early life, and responding to a call to ordained ministry, Kate trained for the Anglican priesthood and became interested in Catholic life when she began to study theology. As a result of exposure to the great writers of the Spiritual Classics and her studies in Western Spirituality she became a Catholic in the late 1980s.

Kate is totally uninspired by rigid, patriarchal thinking. She is a passionate feminist, educator and dedicated learner with a gift for getting to the point.

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 6: 27-38 - Love your enemies

Pip is Group Mission Integration Manager – Formation and Ethics at St Vincent’s Health Australia (SVHA). She also leads their national response to Modern Slavery along with the Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Working Group. Before joining SVHA, Pip worked with Jesuit Social Services in their Corporate Diversity Partnerships team. Prior to this, she was a secondary school teacher in Melbourne’s north-east as part of the Teach for Australia program. Pip was a participant in the Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship (now called Leadership for Mission) 2013-2014 and has completed a Master of Theology with a focus on Mission & Culture. Pip enjoys running, being on the beach at Mornington and reading books with her four nephews.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 6: 17, 20-26 - 

Toni is a Wuthathi and Meriam woman. Her family is originally from Cape York, North Qld and Murray Island in the Torres Strait. She grew up in Cairns and later Canberra. Toni now lives and works in Brisbane as the Manager of Culture and Inclusion, Centacare Family & Relationship Services.

Centacare provides various programs and support services to clients throughout south-east Queensland including counselling support, mediation, family dispute resolution, domestic and family violence support, parenting programs as well as specialist information, psycho-educational, referral and advocacy support for families.

Toni works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, especially women who are experiencing domestic and family violence or dealing with complex challenges. She is a strong advocate for social justice, reconciliation and unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and is actively involved in her community, mentoring and inspiring others to achieve their potential.

Toni holds graduate and post-graduate qualifications in law, ministry and theology. She has served on many Boards and Committees during her career which spans more than three decades.

Toni is also a singer/songwriter and has recorded 4 albums of her own original music – available on Spotify and iTunes. She writes prayers, poetry, meditations and affirmations. Toni is also a coach, mentor with qualifications in coaching, hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming. She runs provides coaching and mentoring support including leadership, executive and life coaching, health, wellbeing, spirituality and motivation. She hosts her own podcast series and YouTube channel on coaching and other inspirational topics.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 5: 1-11 - 

Annemarie Reiner writes:

For much of my life I identified as a Catholic without question.  I was one of those Catholics Anthony deMelo spoke of on the first page of his book ‘Awareness’ when he said most people live their whole life ‘asleep’.  I was certainly asleep.

Several life experiences changed that and very slowly I began to awaken through the suffering and the joys of life.  I discovered the gift of Silence in daily prayer/meditation and began a yearly practice of an eight-day silent retreat.  I embarked upon a theology degree around my mid 40’s.  Life became a process of transformations and amazing people seemed to pop into my life at just the right time to take me deeper into the spiritual journey.

I have been beautifully supported by a wonderful husband Ray of forty-seven years with our three children and now their families.

I worked in parishes as a pastoral associate and offered contemplative courses and retreats in various settings.  It was hard work but also wonderful seeing people coming alive to the Spirit within them.

Questions were rising in my heart: questions about the Catholic Church, about the role of women, about who I was as a woman in a patriarchal church and so much more.  It has been painful.

I have a love for the Gospel’s and feel drawn to explore them through writing and reflection.  I am a spiritual director and I run a small retreat centre next to our home.

I continue questioning and questing …

Forth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 4: 21-30 - 

Sr Magdalen entered the Benedictine Abbey at Jamberoo, NSW in 1996 and made her Solemn Monastic Profession in 2001. Since entering Sr Magdalen has studied for an MA (Theol.) which she completed in 2006 and has been certified in the formation of Prayer Companions program from Mary McKillop centre in North Sydney (1999).  She has guided guests in spiritual direction for the last 21 years and has completed studies with the Global Online Benedictine Spiritual Direction Program, taught from BenetHill Monastery in Colorado USA, as ongoing formation in the area of spiritual direction. She is currently a member of the Global Online Benedictine Spiritual Direction Program team.

Since 1998, Sr Magdalen has led retreats and regular weekly meditation and centering prayer sessions for retreatants. During this time of Covid 19, Sr Magdalen has offered reflections which are posted on our website and is developing and offering online retreats.

Her Benedictine spirituality resonates within the perennial wisdom tradition and she is passionate about engaging in spiritual conversation which can explore the depths of our tradition and provide affirmation, encouragement and practical tips, for those engaged on the journey of contemplative spiritual exploration and practice. As chantress her love of music and song finds expression in the praise and prayer offered in the Divine Office and she is privileged to have the care of one of our dogs, beautiful Keira, our five-year-old German Shepherd.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21 - 

Katy Gilles MA Theology BA DipEd Japanese, Steeped in the Anglican tradition with strong community involved parents, her daily rhythm of reading the scriptures and prayer was encouraged. Studying at University opened her eyes to the myriad of spirituality within other cultures. Fostered by her High School love of languages, and a journey to Japan she began her vocation - teaching High School boys Japanese. Her theological understanding was awakened by her friendship and marriage to John who took her to Mass and together they joined an x Antioch group - "Kinda Catholic". Desiring their 3 delicious children to understand that Jesus loved them, she studied the "Catechesis of the Good Shepherd" and facilitated an atrium at their playgroup and later their primary school at St Charles Ryde. There she became the Family and Faith educator giving pastoral care, spiritual direction and grief support to many families. Studying theology with the Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship 2013-2014, with the office for participation of Women (now called "Leadership for Mission" at ACU) was an opportunity to explore further her developing spirituality. Having recently finished a year of Ignatian Retreat in daily life and meditation with the WCCM she is aware that finding God in all things can bring a deep inner peace.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 2: 1-11 - 

Liz has over 20 years’ experience in the NFP sector, with extensive senior executive experience internationally and in Australia. She has held roles with a variety of NFP’s including World Vision International as Global Vice President of Strategy, World Vision Australia as Director of Indigenous development, Australian Business Volunteers as CEO, International Red Cross Society in Cambodia as a gender specialist and is a founder and Board Chair of a community run and funded domestic violence Refuge in Sydney, Mary’s House.

Liz is advocating for change within the Australian Catholic Church considering the current domestic violence epidemic. She wrote an article in March 2018 describing the establishment of a community-led domestic violence Refuge[1] and an article in 2019[2] describing the hierarchical dynamics and power issues within the Church that lead it to be an unsafe place for women experiencing domestic violence.   For the care, protection and inclusion of women, and in particular women who experience domestic violence, the Church needs to move swiftly to an open dialogue between laity and ordained about equity in gender roles and women’s right to safety.

[1] “Mary’s House: an integrated church and community crisis accommodation service” St. Mark’s Review: A journal of Christian Thought and Opinion March 2018

[2] “Still Listening to the Spirit: Woman and Man Twenty Years Later”  “Domestic Violence: Moving from Silence to Inclusion and Dialogue in the Australian Catholic Church” The Office for Social Justice the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference December 2019

Baptism Of The Lord - Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22 - Part of who we are

Dr Monica Dutton is the Spirituality and Mission Animation Leader for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, and works at the Congregational Offices in Glebe, Sydney.

Monica has a background in education and has worked as a teacher, leader and consultant in primary, secondary and tertiary educational settings, and has Masters degrees in Educational Psychology and Religious Education.

Monica is committed to professional learning and formation of staff, boards and leadership personnel and her doctorate focused on formation and transformation of staff through the experience of short-term cross-cultural immersion trips.

Monica is the coordinator of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Study and Mentoring (SAM) Program which supports women undertaking theological study in becoming a voice and person of leadership in the Catholic Church. She is also a member of the National Catholic Education Commission’s Faith Formation and Religious Education Standing Committee.

Epiphany Of The Lord - Matthew 2: 1-12 - Epiphanies of Wisdom

Coralie Naida Ling writes: I am a retired minister in the Uniting Church in Australia and was one of the first women ordained in the Methodist Church in Australia 1969. I have been the minister and of course preacher, in both country and city parishes and am especially interested in feminist and ecofeminist theology and working for justice. In my retirement (rewirement!) in St Kilda I have been part of the Older Persons Consultative Committee and the Multifaith Committee of the City of Port Phillip.

The Nativity Of The Lord - John 1: 1-18 - Weaving the laritja/threads that sit in the ever present basket

Alison Overeem is a proud palawa woman from South-East Tasmania who is driven by culture, family, empowerment and creating safe spaces to build hope and dignity.

Alison is passionate about raising awareness of Aboriginal culture and history and the rights of women in society. As a result, Alison was a past member of the Tasmanian Women’s Council.

While working in aged care at the age of 16, Alison studied for a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and graduated in 1989.

Alison established the Aboriginal Children’s Centre at West Moonah in 1989. As Director of the Aboriginal Children’s Centre from 1989 to 2013, she helped design a state-of-the-art, award-winning, culturally inclusive children’s centre at Risdon Cove. Alison believes she was fortunate to be at the forefront of developing a multifunctional Aboriginal service, the first of its kind in Tasmania. It was, in fact, a precursor to the Child and Family Centres rolled out across Tasmania in recent years.

In 2013, Alison was appointed as the Leprena Manager, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander ChristianCongress (UAICC Tasmania). Alison has been instrumental in broadening Leprena’s engagement,networking and connections. Alison also sits on the UAICC National Executive, UnitingCare board of Australia, Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee and various other advocacy, policy and strategic planning committees.

Leprena UAICC Tasmania offers a range of programs and its key result areas are in community development, cultural leadership, cultural governance and holds a focus on partnering relationships and building communities of faith and faith in communities. Leprena also acts as a cultural conduit for training and education in helping to close the gap between First and Second Peoples.

Alison has made numerous contributions to publications and resources nationally around culturally inclusive practice models of service delivery for Aboriginal communities. She has also been involved in advocacy and policies impacting social justice movements and climate change.