Flourish: Check out the latest news

Happy 40th anniversary, Samaritans!

There were celebrations at our Emergency Relief centre in Broadmeadow last week as Samaritans marked 40 years of service to the local community.

Samaritans President Bishop Peter, Diocesan Chief Executive John Barriga and Emergency Relief Coordinator Beth Hanna were joined by local media to acknowledge the milestone.

We also announced the early launch of our Samaritans Christmas Appeal to highlight the growing demand for support at this time of year.

Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference to the lives of those we support.

Read more here

Don't forget to also check out our special Samaritans 40th anniversary edition of Encounter magazine.

Encounter magazine

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Knowing people for who they are

Bishop Peter advocates for Equality bill

You might have seen Bishop Peter in news coverage of the highly-publicised NSW Equality legislation. What you might not know is Bishop Peter has been a tireless advocate of the changes, working closely with Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich behind the scenes.

Bishop Peter was recently invited to NSW Parliament House to speak to Premier Chris Minns about the importance of equality for the LGBTIQA+ community, representing people of faith who take an inclusive stance.

He was also part of a select group invited to join Alex Greenwich at a media conference, before the bill was presented to parliament. (pictured above)

We're pleased to report the bill has been passed, affording more protections for LGBTIQA+ people, including the ability for transgender people to change their birth certificates without undergoing surgery.

Read more from Bishop Peter here

Celebrating World Teachers' Day

This Friday, our four Newcastle Anglican schools will celebrate World Teachers’ Day.

Ahead of the celebrations, Newcastle Anglican's Director of Education and principal of Lakes Grammar, Deb Clancy, shares a message to acknowledge the vital role of our educators.

“The teachers at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, Lakes Grammar, Manning Valley Anglican College and Scone Grammar work tirelessly to provide outstanding opportunities for our students, both in and out of the classroom.

From delivering exceptional classroom teaching, to attending camps and running a wide range of co-curricular activities, our teachers are instrumental in enabling our students to flourish.

While our students are at the centre of what we do in our schools, it is our passionate teaching staff who are the driving force behind their successes.

Our staff go above and beyond in seeking superb experiences for our students and I deeply appreciate all that our dedicated staff do in our schools.

On behalf of Newcastle Anglican, our students and our communities – thank you!”

Schools come together
for Blessing of Year 12

All four Newcastle Anglican schools gathered at Christ Church Cathedral last week for the annual Blessing of Year 12.

Bishop Peter and Bishop Charlie were present for the special event, which recognised the significance of the last year of school. Bishop Sonia was in South Australia leading a retreat.

We wish all of the students the best of luck in 2025.

The group image shows all of the current Year 12 students who have attended their chosen school since Kindergarten.

Historic church's milestone

Wonderful community spirit was on display for the 152nd anniversary of St Mark's Anglican Church, Mitchells Island.

The historic church was at capacity as visitors came from near and far to enjoy the celebrations.

Bishop Charlie led the service, which was followed by a picnic lunch and entertainment.

St Mark's Anglican Church was commissioned in 1872 and was originally known as the Scotts Creek Church.

Congratulations to the parish and local community on this milestone.

Bishop diary dates: Keeping you in the loop

Keep up to date with the happenings of Bishops Peter, Sonia and Charlie.

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