The Catholic Weekly 8 May 2022

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 8, May, 2022 Call 02 9649 6423 or visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Consecrated lawns and chapels Sydney’s only Catholic crematorium Monthly mass for the Repose of Souls Funeral directors available for a Catholic service Bereavement pastoral care Serving the Catholic community for over 150 years FROM P1 In the federal electorate of Werriwa, once held by former Labor leaders GoughWhitlam and Mark Latham, the Carnes Hill parishioners say they are bitterly disappointed in what they see as a gross failure on the part of both sides of poli- tics to put bickering aside and work together to address the cost of living crisis. For young couple, Mario and Frances Isaac, the week- ly struggle to balance their household budget on a single income in the outer-suburbs of Sydney has definitely got harder this year. Mario is a teacher with stu- dents with special behaviour- al needs in Penrith and his weekly petrol bill has doubled from $60 to $120 each week, not to mention the $87 a week he pays in tolls to work using the M7 freeway. Frances is at home caring for their two young children, Isabel and Emmanuel and she said like many families, they’re struggling with the re- cent spike in grocery prices. “You come away from the supermarket with three or four bags of groceries and that will easily set you back $200 dollars”, she has told The Catholic Weekly. “A year ago we would be paying around $150 for our weekly groceries compared with easily $250 now for the same basket of goods”. The steep rise in the cost of groceries and other con- sumer goods is being driven by the highest growth in infla- tion in 20 years, as the floods in northern NSW push up the cost of produce, coupled with the economic uncer- tainty triggered by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic. While inflation has surged to 5.1 percent, wages are not keeping pace and many fam- ilies around Australia believe Parishioners of Holy Spirit Carnes Hill say sluggish wage rises, Cost crunch for they’re going backwards fi- nancially. “As a teacher, we’re pushing for a two percent pay rise, but if inflation is at five percent, then we’ll just keep going backwards until government steps in to address it”, Mario Isaac said. In its federal budget in late March, the Morrison govern- ment halved the fuel excise until 28 September in a bid to relieve pressure on consum- ers. But ongoing inflationary pressures and the lingering conflict in Ukraine leave some of the families sceptical about petrol prices in the longer term, regardless of who wins the May 21 election. Holy Spirit Carnes Hill pa- rishioner Muldoon Tofele has struggled with only sporad- ic work since the COVID-19 pandemic began and said he has been fortunate to secure a full-time job as a road safety I n this edition News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-11 10-11 24 28-29 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Kenny (02) 9390 5348 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 Adam Wesselinoff (02) 9390 5400 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5233 The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204. If I am to answer the question, “How would Christ solve modern problems if He were on earth to- day?”, I must answer it plainly; and for those of my faith there is only one answer. Christ is on earth to- day; alive on a thousand altars; and He does solve people’s problems exactly as He did when He was on earth in the more ordinary sense. That is, He solves the problems of the limited number of people who choose of their own free will to listen to Him.” - G.K. Chesterton QUOTABLE DOWNLOAD THE OUR FAITH OUR WORKS APP Your one-stop location for Mass and Confession times, spiritual reflections and meditations, podcasts, local Catholic news, the Go Make Disciples mission plan, and much more. To download the app visit ourfaithourworks.org/app or scan the QR Code. A year ago we would be paying around $150 for our weekly groceries compared with easily $250 now for the same basket of goods.” Frances Isaac