Sian Owen

Resilience and Faith Communities

By Sian Owen / May 27, 2024
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In the past couple of years we have experienced extraordinary challenges as communities from pandemic to storms.  Much has been learnt particularly regarding how we support our community and collaborate with others.  Professor Paul Morris the co-convenor of the Religious Diversity Centre will lead this seminar where we can learn from the past, both what went well and opportunities to improve, and help establish ways forward to continue to build community resilience and support. 

Mary Mother of God

By Sian Owen / January 1, 2024
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On 1 January  we Catholics continue to celebrate the Christmas moment with another feast. A celebration of Mary’s role in bringing the Word to the world. The title “Mother of God” is a western derivation from the Greek Theotokos, which means “God-bearer”.Mary being chosen by God, to bring Jesus Christ into this world, and her willingness to do so is great cause for celebration. The honoring of Mary as the Mother of God can be traced back to the Council of Ephesus in 431. By the 7th century, January 1st was observed as a celebration of the Maternity of the …
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Baptism of the Lord

By Sian Owen / January 7, 2023
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Today is the great celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. The baptism of Jesus is considered an important manifestation of God in the person of Jesus, another epiphany. Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of his work to bring about the kingdom of God, his mission. Just as our Baptism makes us disciples of Christ and calls us to missionary life. This is the last day of the Christmas season yet we do not hear about  Jesus’ childhood. Instead we hear about   Jesus’ relationship to God: the Son of Mary and Joseph is also God’s own Son. This is the same …
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Ordinary Time

By Sian Owen / January 2, 2022
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Ordinary Time is the longest liturgical season.  It is not about being ‘ordinary’ as in the sense of plain and undistinguished but marks the  time between the two big festivals of the Church. Christmas Time and Easter Time highlight the key moments of salvation history, namely, the incarnation, death on the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time, on the other hand, are about how these festivals call us to participate in the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is …
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St Elizabeth Ann Seaton

By Sian Owen / December 26, 2021
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Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York in 1774 to a prominent Episcopal (a US branch of the Anglican Church) family. At 19, Elizabeth married William  Seton, a  businessman with whom she had five children. William died  in 1803, leaving Elizabeth a young widow.  William died in Italy and here Elizabeth experienced the Catholic community. Returning to the United States Elizabeth entered the Catholic Church. After some years bringing up her children, Elizabeth moved to Maryland, where she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, the first community for religious women established in the United States. She also …
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The Epiphany of the Lord

By Sian Owen / December 22, 2021
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Today is the day we recall the coming of the Magi. According to the Gospel narratives, thy brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh w. These gifts were very meaningful. Gold was a precious and expensive gift, and showed how important Jesus was. Frankincense is a sweet perfume which was often burned in the temple to worship God. It was a sign that of Jesus’ divinity. Myrrh was used to keep things fresh, and it was used by the women to anoint Jesus’ body when he died. By bringing it as a gift to Jesus, the wise men foretold his …
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Advent – Season of Graced Partnership

By Sian Owen / December 2, 2021
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A wonderful story is often told about an incident in the life of Poland’s famous concert pianist, Ignace Paderewski.* Advent celebrates the coming of God.  God who longs to be in partnership with us.  To join us in the harmony of our lives.  Advent reminds us that we are not alone.  That God longs is with us in partnership, surrounding us in our pilgrim journey, surrounding us with love.   Have a partnership filled advent! *That there was a famed concert pianist named Paderewski is certainly true.  He would later become the Prime Minister of Poland.  This particular incident, however, may …
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Mary Mother of the Church

By Sian Owen / June 1, 2021
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  Mothers In Catholic circles Mary Mother of the Church is the newest of the Marian Feast Days first celebrated in the universal Church in 2018.  The image presented is from John 19:25-31, which recounts how from the cross Jesus entrusted Mary to his disciples as their mother and entrusted his disciples to Mary as her children.  Mary introduced her son to the world.  He is known by a string of names, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and his name has spread throughout the world. Paul VI in 1964 formally bestowed the title of …
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