Social Justice Statement – Current
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference release a Social Justice Statement every year
Signs of hope in social justice statement
The experience of people living with the challenges of homelessness and mental ill-health has been highlighted in the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s 2025 Social Justice Statement.
Each year since 1940, the Conference has released a statement for reflection and discussion ahead of Social Justice Sunday on a key issue in Australian society.
This year’s statement is Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving People Living in Homelessness and Mental Ill-Health.
The Ballarat Diocesan Social Justice Commission celebrated the launch of the
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement 2025-2026
“Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving People Living in Homelessness and Mental Ill-Health”
with a Webinar on Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Your can watch the Webinar below:
The Statement was launched officially on Wednesday, August 13 at an event in Queanbeyan, NSW with
Bishop Timothy Harris – Chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service and Bishop of Townsville
Fr Peter Day – Home in Queanbeyan Founder
Rose Beynon – St Vincent de Paul Society National Director for policy and research
Peter Arndt – Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace Director
Susan Connelly – Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Chair
The launch event took place at Home in Queanbeyan, a 20-unit community facility just outside Canberra, which was used to illustrate the Social Justice Statement. The community for people with an enduring mental illness who are at risk of homelessness began as an idea 15 years ago out of a parish prayer group.
Bishop of Townsville Tim Harris (pictured below at the launch) was elected as chair of the commission in May, taking over the role from Bishop Vincent Long.
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe’s foreword:
Prayer for the Social Justice Statement 2025-2026
A Prayer for Pilgrims of Hope
O God, Source of all Life,
you created earth as our home
and us in your image, out of love.
Set our hearts astir with that same love,
that we might build a culture of encounter
and systems that justly serve
those living in homelessness
and mental ill-health.
Jesus our Brother,
you noticed those living on the edge,
listened, healed and served them, out of love.
Move us from our embarrassment or discomfort
by those who show us your suffering face.
Instead, may we be taught by them,
offer our loving friendship
and share your good news together.
Holy Spirit, Source of all Hope,
you inspire our relationships
with transforming power, out of love.
Deepen our vision and enlarge our hearts
so that the fear and isolation
of homelessness and mental ill-health
may be countered by love’s warmth and certainty,
that we might walk together as pilgrims of hope.
Amen.