Every three years the Carmelites are called to a Chapter where all positions are relinquished and new or renewed appointments are made. And so it is that the Australia & Timor Leste Province has concluded its Chapter and our Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Commission becomes open to a new team.

After 13 years on this team I will no longer be serving in this ministry acknowledging that it is time for a change, but grateful that the passion is still burning for God’s work in helping to make the world a better place. It has been enlivening and a privilege to bring before you the need for all of us to live out our faith in justice and in peace, as demonstrated with the vision and inspiring words of Pope Francis’, captured so beautifully in ‘Let us Dream’. 

pdf JPIC Newsletter No. 121 December 2022 (1.83 MB)

As violence in Australia appears to be endemic it’s heartening to see that the Australian Bishops have used their social justice statement, “ pdf Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse (5.70 MB) ” to condemn the scourge of domestic and family violence. In doing so they have underlined the importance of respect saying that…

• pdf JPIC Newsletter No. 120 November 2022 (3.06 MB)

As Christians we are called to accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbours on a global scale. It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garments of God’s creation, in the least speck of dust of our planet (LS #9)

Download our latest JPIC Newsletter: pdf JPIC Newsletter No. 119 October 2022 (2.23 MB)

During the Season of Creation, our common prayer and action can help us listen for the voices of those who are silenced. In prayer we lament the individuals, communities, species, and ecosystems who are lost, and those whose livelihoods are threatened by habitat loss and climate change. In prayer we centre the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment. It is an annual ecumenical season where we pray and act together as a Christian family for our common home.

During the Season of Creation, our common prayer and action can help us listen for the voices of those who are silenced. In prayer we lament the individuals, communities, species, and ecosystems who are lost, and those whose livelihoods are threatened by habitat loss and climate change. In prayer we centre the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

The burning bush is the Symbol for the Season of Creation 2022. Today, the prevalence of unnatural fires are a sign of the devastating effects that climate change has on the most vulnerable of our planet. Creation cries out as forests crackle, animals flee, and people are forced to migrate due to the fires of injustice.

Sunday 3^rd July will see many prominent members of our Catholic Church come together for the continuation of the momentous event in our Australian Church, he Second General Assembly of the Plenary Council as well as the opening of NAIDOC Week.

"As a human species we are increasingly disconnected from the planetary ecosystem that sustains our life. We are now living in what scientists describe as the anthropocene, a new era where the actions of human beings threaten the future of entire species, including our own." There is a movement of people all over the world, including here in Australia and New Zealand, seeking ways to address the issue of climate change and caring for our planet. Read our JPIC Newsletter for June.

pdf JPIC No. 116 June 2022 (1.30 MB)

Timor-Leste will celebrate 20 years of independence on 20 May, the anniversary of the day the United Nations, which ran the country for 2 and a half years, handed over power to East Timorese leaders. Mayra Walsh, Fr Carlito da Costa Araújo and Fr Wayne Stanhope reflect on Timor's journey to independence and the involvement of the Australian Carmelites in this month's issue of our JPIC Newsletter.

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This month we reflect and recognise the part that the Press and journalists play in risking their lives to bring us truthful, current news as the world celebrates their achievements on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. Carmelites also commemorate the work of Dutch journalist and academic Titus Brandsma O.Carm, soon to be canonised on 15 May.  Peter Thomas has had a fulfilling career in this area himself and has written with great passion the parallels he sees in how the work of Titus Brandsma and World Press Freedom Day are connected.

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The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 and as the Glasgow Conference, is about to start at the end of this week in Scotland.  Coming to agreement and contributing to fruitful decisions to overcome the disastrous effects of climate change are just some of the big questions governments in the world are facing, together, as one humanity. Our November JPIC issue encourages us to raise awareness of this important meeting in Glasgow; to pray that the Holy Spirit will walk prophetically with those leaders involved in the discussions to find fair solutions for the many crises troubling our world.

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This Sunday, 3rd October, the convergence of two major events in the Church calendar draws us to reflect on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our personal life and the life of our church. The Season of Creation which began on 1 September will conclude this Sunday, the Feast of Saint Francis.  This Sunday also marks the beginning of the Plenary Council in Australia. As our church gathers for the Plenary Council we offer you a reflection from Fr Anthony Scerri OCarm, called ‘The Third Apostolic Church’.

  pdf Read our reflections (929 KB)   |   More resources for the Plenary Council

In this issue of our JPIC newsletter Peter Clark reflects on the latest IPCC report and the recent Bishop's statement, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor. The Statement draws from Scripture, from the theological tradition, from Catholic Social Teaching, and from the wisdom of the world, including the insights of the First Nations. Peter is passionate about saving our planet from destruction and he shares his wisdom from a lifetime working as a geologist.

pdf Read this issue (1.29 MB)

Welcome to our JPIC newsletter for December. The record breaking temperatures over our continent in the last few days, can only serve to keep reminding us of the crucial need for climate action. If we take heed of the ancient Advent call to ‘stay awake’ we will notice the planet calling us to an urgent ecological conversion. We are all able to do something:  reduce, recycle and re-envisage our life style to a simpler way of living.

  pdf Read this issue (1.41 MB)

As we struggle with the uncertainty and, for many, distress and sickness, we are constantly reminded of the importance of just how connected we are as a human family and how what might seem like minor actions on the part of one person can have a profound impact on the lives of many. In particular in this difficult time our ageing relatives and friends become more precious; our prayers and consciousness are directed to their needs. 

pdf Read this issue (1.17 MB)

This month's issue of the JPIC newsletter highlights the tragedy of global human trafficking. Sr Claire Griffin talks about the work of Catholic Religious involved in alleviating suffering and rescuing victims. There's also a video on our JPIC page about the Zimbabwean Carmelite Sisters Agape Leona project helping Human Trafficking survivors in Africa, and the February Pope Video about human trafficking.

pdf JPIC No 84 March 2019 (1.64 MB)

Welcome to 2019 and blessings to you in the many joys and challenges ahead.

IF we are to make our nation into a cohesive and diverse one, we must honour our Aboriginal brothers and sisters as our first nation peoples. IF we are to make a nation rather than a mere economy we have to absorb Indigenous history, learn from Indigenous people, walk in collaboration with them and recognise their rights. We are grateful to Glen Loughrey, Vicar at St Oswald’s Anglican Church, Glen Iris in Melbourne, for this reflection as he shares what it means to be an indigenous man as our nation marks Australia Day on 26 January.

JPIC No 83 February 2019

The Advent Season, moving towards Christmas, calls us to give prayerful attention to baby Jesus and his mother Mary. Peter Thomas, member of the JPIC Team, provides us with a reflection on Mary of Nazareth, the young girl and woman invited by God to fulfil this sacred role.

JPIC No 82 December 2018 | Visit our JPIC page

This month Peter Thomas looks at 'Our Forgotten People' and the connection between mental illness and homelessness.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that 105,000 Australians are homeless on any given night and a high proportion of these people have a mental illness. Some estimates are as high as 75%.

Peter Thomas

JPIC No 73 March 2018 | Visit our JPIC page