Christen Torres / Environment / Justice & Peace
by Christen Torres · Published December 6, 2018 · Last modified December 7, 2018
The SAFCEI is a “multi-faith organisation committed to supporting faith leaders and their communities in Southern Africa’’ on issues regarding the earth and the environment, according to the institute’s website. It aims to promote ‘’awareness, understanding and action on eco-justice, sustainable living and climate change”.
Christen Torres / Christian Leadership / Schools / Youth
by Christen Torres · Published December 5, 2018
IT costs up to R100000 to train a guide dog for the blind, and the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind (GDA) has various programmes to raise money for the training of the dogs.
The Prayer and Life Workshops programme—labelled as “a more vibrant and active presentation of Jesus, with greater adaptation to the necessities of today’s societies and what people really need”—will be offered to parishes in Cape Town next year.
Charity / Christen Torres / Christian Living / Christian Mission / Global Issues
by Christen Torres · Published November 18, 2018 · Last modified November 16, 2018
World Day of the Poor was first proposed in 2016 in Pope Francis’ apostolic letter for the Year of Mercy, Misericordia et misera, which calls on the faithful to “make a serious examination of conscience, to see if we are truly capable of hearing the cry of the poor”.
Christen Torres / Christian Leadership / Faith Life
by Christen Torres · Published November 15, 2018 · Last modified November 14, 2018
Bernadette Chellew’s Praying the Scriptures: 8 Chapters of Lectio Divina Reflections makes use of Judeo-Christian Scriptures, as well as the ancient Lectio Divina practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer, with the author promising to explore the “eight aspects of prayer” with readers.
Abuse / Christen Torres / Church Teaching / Global Issues
by Christen Torres · Published November 14, 2018
Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg has called for the excommunication of all priests who abuse minors, and spoke with concern about the anger of young South Africans at what he called “broken promises”.
A research paper by the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office gives an in-depth analysis of asylum seekers who need protection because of domestic abuse.
Christen Torres / Church / Youth
by Christen Torres · Published October 29, 2018 · Last modified October 28, 2018
A young Catholic in Johannesburg introduced her own fashion designs at a private show and is determined to become a runway model. Victoria Giuricich, 20, is a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Rivonia. Born in 1998, she has Down syndrome. The aspiring model will debut three of her own original designs on the ramps as part of South African Fashion Week.
Christen Torres / Church / Church History
by Christen Torres · Published October 24, 2018 · Last modified October 23, 2018
At least 80% of families in Kalk Bay, Cape Town, are believed to have traces of Filipino blood, and thus a Catholic heritage. This will be commemorated later this month when the 19th-century steps in...
Christen Torres / Politics / Women and the Church
by Christen Torres · Published October 18, 2018 · Last modified October 12, 2018
With renewed moves to decriminalise prostitution and the African National Congress at last year’s national conference pledging support for that, the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) has warned that there are no easy policy solutions.
Church / Parish Life / Sacraments
by Christen Torres · Published October 11, 2018 · Last modified October 10, 2018
First Communion at St Benedict’s cathedral in Eshowe diocese in KwaZulu-Natal.
Christen Torres / Christian Leadership / Crisis
by Christen Torres · Published October 9, 2018 · Last modified October 8, 2018
The brutal attack on a Pretoria study house in which a priest and a seminarian were injured in late September followed an onslaught of crimes against churches over the past few months—but “the Church will continue its work of ministry and service”, Archbishop William Slattery vowed
