Have you noticed that ‘the Diocese' is always somebody else? It is ‘them'. I have never found anybody who will admit they are ‘the Diocese'.

Sydney's inner west has a new parish that extends the length and breadth of cosmopolitan Darling Street. The new parish, aptly named Darling Street, combines the old parishes of St Mary's, Balmain and Rozelle Lilyfield, and officially came into being earlier this year.

Bishop Robert Forsyth has announced that the Rev Deryck Howell will be the new Archdeacon of the South Sydney region in the Diocese of Sydney.

GEOFF ROBSON wonders why Christians need to speculate on the real relationship between U2 and God.

Former Sydneysider the Rev Atsushi Shibaoka recently returned to the city he left 30 years ago to take up a new post as Senior Associate Minister at St James' Church, King Street.

Had I been born into a comparable socio-economic class in almost any other time in human civilisation, I would have kept slaves. I was repeatedly struck by such realisations as I read Christianity on Trial. It is an excellent reminder that those of whom we read in church history were real people, working hard to live out the gospel in their own culture.

Sitting on the best seller lists for the past six months, Holy Cow is undoubtedly Australia's best read ‘spiritual' book at present. This real life story is a thought-provoking and entertaining roller-coaster ride into the spiritual mindset of a growing section of Sydney's population.

This year more Sydney parishes took groups to Men's Convention, and many first-timers were among them