Parishioners of Mary Mother of the Church parish in Macquarie Fields came together recently for the first Multicultural Day celebration since before the COVID pandemic, carrying flags from more than 50 countries in a spectacular procession which highlighted the parish’s unity in cultural diversity.
The Multicultural Day has been a popular part of the parish’s tradition over many years and parishioners and visitors were delighted to see it return.
The newest arrivals in the SVD Australia Province have taken a deep-dive into Australian life, attending the province’s Summer Acculturation Program, which they welcomed as an opportunity to know more about the place and the people and also to grow further as missionaries.
The Divine Word Missionaries, together with members of other culturally diverse religious congregations, are sharing their experiences of interculturality as part of a Catholic Religious Australia initiative to support congregations in preparing for the future.
The Interculturality: Leadership, Community Life and Ministry initiative is part of CRA’s Emerging Futures program.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was among the special guests who attended the vibrant and colourful Multicultural Fiesta at St Mark’s Parish, Inala, recently.
The day was a celebration of the many different cultural groups who make up the St Mark’s community and included a multicultural Mass, followed by entertainment from different groups and the sharing of food from the many cultural groups present.
The new Director of the Janssen Spirituality Centre in Boronia, Fr Thien Nguyen SVD, says he is looking forward to helping bring to life the vision of the Centre as being a peaceful gathering place for people to share and celebrate their faiths and cultures.
Fr Thien says he will be working with the team at JSC to build on the work already underway to develop the original vision for the Centre as a place of welcome for interfaith and intercultural relations.
Pope Francis’ call for Church communities to provide a welcoming presence for migrants and refugees came to vibrant life at the SVD’s Marsfield community recently with the celebration of Multicultural Sunday.Pope Francis’ call for Church communities to provide a welcoming presence for migrants and refugees came to vibrant life at the SVD’s Marsfield community recently with the celebration of Multicultural Sunday.
The day began with Mass, followed by cultural performances by different ethnic groups. The celebration ended with a multicultural banquet under a clear blue sky.
Rector of the Marsfield Community, Fr Mikhael Loke says the day was timed to fit in with the worldwide celebration of Refugee and Migrant Sunday.