On Monday night, Archbishop Peter Comensoli delivered the fifth annual Patrick Oration on the feast day of his patron, St Patrick.
The Patrick Oration is an annual opportunity for the Archbishop to address the wider community, and this year was also streamed by Channel 31 and over YouTube.
Opening with a reflection on the life and beliefs of singer Nick Cave, the Archbishop took his audience through a look at the current religious practices of young Australians, who often label themselves as 'spiritual but not religious'. He noted, “Around two-thirds of Australians say they believe in God or some “higher being, but fewer than one in ten are actively engaged in religious practice.” So while young people, in particular, might not be strongly religious, “the desire for a life of meaning remains”
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The event was attended by a variety of guests, including Josh Lourensz, the Executive Director at Catholic Social Services Victoria, representatives from the Catholic Development Fund, and our CEO, Agnes Sheehan.
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You can watch the Archbishops full address below.