Showing the Way to God at St Canice’s

By David McMahon, Communications Manager, Society of Jesus in Australia

It’s midday and Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ has just wrapped up a meeting with fellow Jesuits at Peter Canisius House in Pymble, Sydney. But the pace is about to pick up quite considerably. Yes, it’s a Saturday but it’s the middle day of the long Australia Day weekend and the traffic is heavier than normal.

This photo captures a remarkable meeting between Fr General and Charlie, a familiar figure at St Canice’s Kitchen, the outreach service that has been providing meals to the underprivileged for 35 years. Charlie was chosen to address the General in a packed room. Shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other, he introduced himself and said, “I’ve been homeless all my life.” After his speech, he confessed to a sleepless night because he didn’t know what he was going to say. Then he asked softly: “Do you think the General would allow me to take a picture with him?” Not only did they get a picture together, they spent several minutes in conversation and he presented the General with the black folder visible in the lower part of the frame. It contains, he said simply, the story of his life.

One apt description of St Canice’s Kitchen is that it is a beacon of light for the street community, walking alongside people of all descriptions and backgrounds as they navigate their own personal challenges. Some of the familiar faces at the Kitchen were gathered unobtrusively around this table while Fr General spent several minutes talking to all those who wanted some of his time and a picture with him. But as soon as he could, he strode purposefully to sit with the people who rely on the Kitchen, so that he could listen to their stories and ask them questions about their own lives.

Fr Jose Magadia SJ, one of the Curia-based Jesuits, displays a packet of Tim Tam biscuits that a well-wisher presented to Fr General during the open-air tea and snacks after the formal speeches and presentations. The three young people in the picture are all volunteers with St Canice’s Kitchen. The one nearest Fr Magadia is an American who has only been in Australia for a month. He is wearing a JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) T-shirt that has the country name ‘Luxembourg’ printed under the logo.

Fr David Braithwaite SJ, the parish priest of St Canice’s. Named after a sixth century Irish monk, St Canice’s is a Jesuit parish in the heart of Sydney and its parishioners span both sides of the spectrum, from the well-heeled to those who literally have no idea where their next meal is coming from. Deeply committed to Catholic faith and values, the parish seamlessly blends worship as well as service to people from all walks of life, creating more doorways to encounter the Heart of Jesus.

St Canice’s in Sydney: A Parish and More!

Meet Fr David Braithwaite, the enthusiastic parish priest of St Canice’s, who’s reinventing the concept of the parish!

St Canice’s is known for its soup kitchen, which is a hub of social interconnectedness and a pathway to a more financially sustainable future.

The parish is also bridging the gap between the kitchen and the parish through ‘Curious Grace’, a drop-in centre model offering various group activities for all people.

Fr David shares how St Canice’s aligns with the Universal Apostolic Preferences, particularly ‘accompanying young people’, and offers opportunities for service, intellectual, and spiritual engagement.

One example of the impact of St Canice’s is ‘Pat’, a non-binary trans person who found a safe place of welcome in the Kitchen, and ‘Nick’, a young man drawn to the beauty of the neo-gothic church and intrigued by the mystery of faith.

Join us in celebrating the Ignatian spirit of St Canice’s and the UAPs!