Religious Education and Social Justice

A Prayer for Peace in the Middle East

Pope Leo has called for an end to the spiralling violence in the Middle East. 

“Let us pray together that harmony may prevail in all conflicts throughout the world. Only peace, a gift of God, can heal the wounds between peoples,” he said.

Season of Lent

During the Season of Lent, we focus on raising money for Caritas Australia's Project Compassion. Donation boxes are in the Prayer Spaces in each Learning Community. The money raised will be sent to Caritas Australia at the end of Lent to support the wonderful work they do in Australia and around the world.

This week, we focus on the story of Manaini from Fiji.

Manaini's story, Fiji

Life was hard for Manaini and her children living in rural Fiji. With the support from Caritas Australia’s partner, FRIEND, she learnt food processing and gardening skills, improving nutrition and creating new income opportunities to support her children’s education. 

The family lived from what they grew, but meals were plain and often lacked nutrition. Store food was too expensive. At night, the village was in darkness, leaving children and the elderly unsafe.Almost one quarter of Fiji’s population live in poverty, and rates are higher in rural villages. Any extra income can mean the difference between children completing school, being able to buy medicine, or simply managing daily costs. This is what poverty looks like in rural Fiji – every dollar counts.  

Jane Wilkinson

Religious Education Leader