serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
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Using lessons learned from building health-competent faith communities and responding to the HIV and AIDS epidemic, African church leaders are doing their best to help their communities cope with the novel coronavirus. They are relying, in part, on practical guides and community-friendly reflections developed by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy Programme.
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International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every year on 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Here we bring you a complilation of multifaith prayers for nurses (and healthworkers) from the World’s Religions, along with the Nightingale Prayer, the flame of Florence Nightingale’s legacy.
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Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) invites you to be at the forefront of climate action in Australia. In this time of extreme adversity, people of faith can join together in the spirit of love, reverence and compassion.
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You are invited to tune into the online “Ramadan Conversations” organised by Affinity. Each episode will be hosted by John Cleary (Former ABC veteran broadcaster) and a Muslim assistant.
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In a message for the Buddhist feast of Vesak, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue invites Buddhists and Christians to promote a culture of compassion and fraternity. The Pontifical Council also gives a prayer for coronavirus, that all live with this difficult moment with hope, compassion, and charity.
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The Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils invites you to: eVesak ~ Coming Together in Kindness for the Buddha’s Birthday on Sunday 10 May 2020 from 4pm to 7pm Online ~ livestream https://www.facebook.com/buddhistcouncil/live/
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A quarter of adults in the UK have watched or listened to a religious service since the coronavirus lockdown began, and one in 20 have started praying during the crisis, according to a new survey. Dawn French reprised her role as the Vicar of Dibley for the BBC’s Big Night in – encouraging people to “praise the Lord and praise the NHS”.
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In times of crisis, humans have a tendency to turn to religion for comfort and explanation. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Daily data on Google searches for 95 countries demonstrates that the COVID 19 crisis has increased Google searches for prayer (relative to all Google searches) to the highest level ever recorded. This rise amounts to 50% of the previous level of prayer searches or a quarter of the fall in Google searches for flights, which dropped dramatically due to the closure of most international air transport. Prayer searches rose at all levels of economic status, inequality, and insecurity, but not for the 20% least religious countries. The increase is not merely a substitute for services in the physical churches that closed down to limit the spread of the virus. Instead, the rise is due to an intensified demand for religion: We pray to cope with adversity.
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The health of the Council’s employees, volunteers and the Greater Shepparton community is the Shepparton Council’s top priority. Council’s response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) is being guided by the latest advice from Commonwealth and State authorities.
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Debates began even before the start of Ramadan, and they continue, about how standard practices and especially prayer are affected during the holy month. Al-Jazeera has reported that scholars have generally agreed that Friday prayers should be conducted from home; this has happened as mosques have closed around the world in the past two months.
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The Department of Home Affairs has issued advice for religious services during coronavirus. These advices are in 26 languages. Together we can help stop the spread and stay healthy.
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Frank and pithy, these five reminders about the reality of impermanence and karma are attributed to the Buddha himself, as taught in the Upajjhatthana Sutta. Though they start with what is plainly “bad news,” contemplating the Five Recollections helps us accept life’s difficulties, motivating us to practice and be kind to ourselves and others.
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Council adopted the Greater Shepparton Affordable Housing Strategy: Houses for People 2020 at the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Tuesday, 21 April 2020.The Strategy builds on Council’s ongoing support for homeless and low-income households, providing a strategic basis for expansion of funding advocacy to the State and Federal Governments. It includes a range of actions that can be taken by Council to maximise efficient use of funding allocations and support increased availability and diversity in Affordable and Social Housing options for vulnerable groups.
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In Buddhist iconography, compassion is embodied in the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, who is said to manifest wherever beings need help. Engendering such compassion is not only good for others, says Christina Feldman, it is also good for us. By putting others first, we loosen the bonds of our self-fixation, and in doing so, inch closer to our own liberation.
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ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day is the anniversary of the landing of troops from Australia and New Zealand on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey, in World War I on April 25, 1915. Anzac Day has been commemorated in Australia since 1918 in Brisbane; on this Anzac Day of 2020 – in this time of pandemic, we will “Light the dawn“!
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On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day the XIV Dalai Lama told, our planet is facing one of the greatest challenges to the health and well-being of its people. And yet, in the midst of this struggle, we are reminded of the value of compassion and mutual support. The current global pandemic threatens us all, without distinctions of race, culture or gender, and our response must be as one humanity, providing for the most essential needs of all.
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Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim friends and colleagues. Our thoughts are to you and your families during this challenging time. The Victorian Government has prepared radio (audio) messages in 13 languages about Ramadan for individuals and communities to share during this individuals and communities to share during this holy time on the importance of managing Coronavirus together
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As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, and efforts to “flatten the curve” through physical distancing intensify, many of us find ourselves quarantined at home. The physical isolation and sudden departure from familiar routines can be jarring and disorienting. Settling in for the possibility of an extended shelter-in-place order, I wrote these six “Daily Quarantine Questions” to help me structure my days—and check in with myself, to make sure I’m doing OK. After I shared them on social media, I heard from thousands of people who said that these resonated for them.
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Australian Catholic University have developed a practitioner guide and parent guide for supporting shared parenting during COVID-19. There is an extensive list of organisations which assist parenting and parenting issues.
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The Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, gives a message to the Islamic communities of Australia on occasion of Ramadan 2020, albeit in a time of Coronavirus lockdown.
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