Bishop Terry Brady, auxiliary bishop of Sydney, will celebrate Mass at the parish of St Canice in Elizabeth Bay to mark the first World Day of the Poor on November 19.
Pope Francis added the day to the Church’s calendar earlier this year, with a message explaining that it is one of the fruits of the Jubilee Year of Mercy which ran from 2015-16.
“At the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, I wanted to offer the Church a World Day of the Poor, so that throughout the whole Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need,” he wrote.
Service to the poor “is certainly one of the first signs of the entrance of the Christian community upon the world’s stage”.
St Canice is a parish which punches above its weight when it comes to meeting the needs of its diverse inner city community. It is home to several initiatives including a 300-volunteer community kitchen offering daily lunchtime meals.
The Mass for the World Day of the Poor will begin at 10.30am followed by refreshments.