Prayers for the use of students undertaking exams can be found here. As some of you will be preparing end of year liturgies, don't forget the Prayer of St Brendan which is very suitable for these occasions. This liturgical planning site is very helpful when preparing any school liturgy including end of year liturgies.

Public Forum  Reflections on Pope Benedict's Encyclical on Human Development, Caritas in Veritate. Archbishop Philip Freier, Julie Edwards, CEO Jesuit Social Services and Rufus Black, Master of Ormond College. Thursday 19th November 7.30 at 1 Morrison Close Parkville. 98901077.

Parliament of World Religions This December Melbourne will play host to the largest and most diverse multifaith gathering of religious and spiritual communities in the world, the Parliament of the World’s Religions. December 3-9.

Advent Festival Sunday 13th December, All Saints, King William Street, Fitzroy. Eucharist at noon, world music, international food, kids' fun, Christmas gifts, meditation. All welcome.

Sacred Icons and Other Images Exhibition, Burge Building, Trinity College Melbourne. 30 Nov-11Dec. Free. 

Advent begins on Sunday 29th November. This reflection could contribute to staff /student reflection on the first season of the new liturgical year. Further Advent sites are mentioned below.

As well as checking the many useful sites on Advent customs like the Advent Wreath and the Jesse Tree, you might like to look over these: 

The English REEP/Culham Institute's multimedia Advent Calendars from 2001 to 2008 are very fine though they are naturally quite Euro-centric. There should be a new one for 2009 but it does not come online until Advent begins. Many themes: social justice, the environment, customs and traditions are explored through the lens of Advent/Christmas. See also Refuel Advent.

For those who are responsible for preparing daily school bulletins, some of the brief Advent reflections on this site might help. 

A 36 page Irish document contains lots of Advent prayers and activities for primary students while an American site makes a plea for the spirit of Advent to be respected in its own right, not just as a prelude to Christmas

Finally, the  Buy Nothing site has lots of ideas to help people de-commercialise Christmas.

The boatload of Tamil refugees whom Australia is refusing has reignited the debate about asylum seekers and Australia's response to them. The effort to control people smuggling also impinges on this debate.    

Australian Christians are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the signing of a joint statement with the Lutherans and the Uniting Church on the topic of Justification which was one of the core theological issues of the Reformation.