Introduction

This century offers a new landscape for the Church in Australia. There are fewer people going to Sunday Mass, while Catholic institutions in general are tackling questions of how to maintain their identity as the number of non-Catholics on staff increases. More broadly, issues of abuse and violence in the name of religion have seen many turn away from faith traditions entirely.

However, for millions around the world religion remains a source of hope. World Youth Day two years ago showed that young people are still interested in being connected with a community of faith. Religious organisations continue to devote enormous resources to improving the lives of those in need around the world. Meanwhile, people of faith continue to challenge governments and other leaders on issues of social justice.

The Jesuit Lenten Podcast Series will feature interviews with people from a range of backgrounds about Catholic faith in this new landscape. Presented by Australian Catholics editor Michael McVeigh and experienced broadcast journalist Catherine Marshall, the podcasts will explore areas where religion and secular society overlap, and ask how the Catholic Church can continue to offer witness to God in the world.

The Catholic Church is facing a number of issues, including declining numbers of clergy and congregations. However Jesuit Bishop Greg O’Kelly argues that it’s in a non-religious world that voices of hope that shine loudest – offering a meaningful alternative to a life of quiet desperation.

In his speech at the Jesuit Lenten Series Breakfast in Melbourne last week, Bishop O’Kelly echoes the words of St Augustine, arguing that if the times are bad, then it’s up to us to be better.

The Catholic Church and hope (18:05)

In the third podcast of the series, Catherine Marshall looks at how the Catholic Church is reaching out to young people in the aftermath of World Youth Day, using modern tools such as social networking to encourage them to explore more deeply the meaning in their lives.

Marshall talks with Chantelle Ogilvie, from the Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, and James O’Brien, from the Ignatian Young Adult Ministry, MAGiS.

The Catholic Church and young people (10:39)

In the second podcast of the series, Catherine Marshall explores the challenges facing Catholic education, particularly as schools become increasingly made up of people with no other connection with the faith.

Marshall talks with the Director of the Catholic Education Office in Sydney, Dr Dan White, and Colin Newell, a teacher from Loyola Senior High School in the Sydney suburb of Mt Druitt, about what Catholic schools offer for the education sector in Australia.

The Catholic Church and education (10:05)

In the first podcast of the series, Catherine Marshall explores the Catholic Church's continuing role as a provider of social services both in Australia and overseas.

Marshall talks with Caritas Australia CEO Jack de Groot and Michael Maxwell from Jesuit Social Services about what makes the Catholic Church's contribution to social outreach unique, and why it will remain an important player in these areas into the future.

 The Catholic Church and social outreach (9:53)