Our Ministries

LIFE ASCENDING AUSTRALIA

Life Ascending Australia is part of an international spiritual movement for mature men and women. They have a commitment to coming together in friendship, deepening their spirituality, finding a joyful fulfillmnt through Christian witness through the three values of Spirituality, Loving Service, Friendship.

Spirituality: meeting the Lord in Scripture, sharing our love of the Faith, reflecting in prayer on what the Lord is telling us in the Sunday readings.

Loving Service: going out to others in the ordinary days of our lives, giving time in letter writing to those in need e.g. prisoners on death row, prisoners of conscience, those in mourning, helping with parish activities if able to do so.

Friendship: joining with each other in meetings, having a “cuppa” with other members and discussing what is important to us, finding new friends and new interests, social activities.

Those of us who can join in a yearly retreat of three days; there is a reflection/prayer day towards the end of each year and mini pilgrimages to local places of Christian interest.

The movement has been in Australia since October 1999 and we have approximately one hundred and thirty members from twelve groups, mostly in Sydney but there is now one in Wollongong. One group was set up in Melbourne and one in Gympie in Queensland. Members choose how often they wish to come together. Fortnightly or monthly are the usual periods. We’d love more groups!

Every four years there is an international conference at which delegates from the eighty member countries attend. I have been fortunate in attending two of these in 2002 at Bangkok and 2006 at Lourdes (France).

The movement has Papal approval and belongs to the Pontifical Council of the Laity.

Our Australian website is www.lifeascendingaustralia.catholicau.com.

The English group, called Ascent, is www.ascentmovement.org.uk.

Patricia Nichols OP

Reflection day at Mulgoa	Preparing newsletters

Return to Our Ministries main page