Catholic

The focus of the retreat was to enable the participants to ‘listen, reflect and reach out to evangelize’ all those they encounter. The 17 participants also included a diocesan priest and a Sister of Jesus. Three additional confreres joined the retreat online.

Fr Gregorio Bicomong, Provincial Superior of the vice-province was the preacher of the retreat. In his opening talk, he invited the participants to spend time away from all distractions: “Stop, listen and reflect on what God is calling each one of you to do”, he said.

The four-day program began on Tuesday, 18^th June, and will conclude on Friday, 21^st June, and is currently being held at Dream Inn, Port Moresby.

Peter Blenkiron's photographs are on show at the Art Gallery of Ballarat alongside video diaries and a documentary film about his story of abuse at the hands of Christian Brothers.

Blenkiron is seeking healing from the debilitating legacy of abuse that was inflicted on him as an 11-year-old by a St Patrick's College Christian Brother.

He says he wants the exhibition to inspire hope in other abuse survivors.

"There is a story that goes with the shots which shows that journey of hope and light no matter how dark it gets," he said.

“We want to be a strong partner with our church because our priorities are the same. Together we will continue to invest money and time in our core policy areas of healthcare and education.

“These areas underpin the social structure of our nation and we must continue to strengthen our communities.”

O’Neill said for many decades, the Government did not do much in rural and remote areas, and it was the church that stepped in to help the people.

This is the message from the Bishop of the Bougainville Catholic Diocese Bernard Unabali at the mass of our lady of Fatima on Saturday in Buka.

Thousands gathered in Buka for the mass.

“We always pray and praise the Lords name but then it’s just our mouths making a lot of noise deep in our hearts there is no faith,” says Bishop Unabali.

“That’s the whole reason why we’re always stuck with problems and don’t move forward.

The Pope called for clergy to leave their comfort zones and tend to the needy on the peripheries of life.

He is on a five-day visit to Poland to mark the 1,050th anniversary of the country's adoption of Christianity.

He is also taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration for young Catholics.

The Pontiff is due to attend a youth prayer vigil later on Saturday.

Pope Francis began his day with a visit to the Divine Mercy Sanctuary, consecrated by John Paul II during his last visit to Poland in 2003.

He told young people gathered in Krakow "a merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants", a statement that puts him at odds with Poland's anti-immigrant right-wing government.

It is Pope Francis's first visit to eastern Europe, with Poland the home of the late Pope John Paul II.

On Friday he is visiting the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

There he saw the icon known as Black Madonna, a relic that has been venerated for six centuries.