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The ACU Centre for Liturgy provides parishes and deaneries throughout Australia with specialised training and formation workshops, as well as a range of short courses.
"Mass cannot merely be listened to, as if we were just spectators of something that slips away without our involvement. Mass is always celebrated, and not only by the priest who presides it, but by all Christians who experience it. And the centre is Christ! All of us, in the diversity of gifts and ministries, join in his action, because he, Christ, is the Protagonist of the liturgy."
Pope Francis
General Audience 3 February 2021
Effective liturgical celebrations require well-formed liturgical ministers to serve the needs of the assembly. Our comprehensive online training program will prepare you to offer your gifts for the glory of God and the benefit of your local community.
Created by leading Australian liturgy specialists, this five-week program fosters and develops knowledgeable, well-prepared, highly skilled and hospitable Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. High-quality content is presented in an innovative and engaging way, and it offers quality liturgical formation in a supportive environment - no matter the size or location of your faith community.
While this program is designed for new ministers, those with many years of ministry have found it to be an outstanding way to refresh their skills and deepen their understanding of the liturgy.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion from the ACU Centre for Liturgy. This program is supported by the Bishops Commission for Liturgy of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
The next EMHC online training program will start on 13 August 2025.
To find out more and start the registration process go here
"There are so many areas of my faith that are taking on new meaning, additionally how the Holy Mass is celebrated, how it is so beautifully structured, many of the actions by the priest and procedures I have just previously accepted and taken for granted."
Those who are sick and frail need the special help of God's grace to sustain them in their time of suffering. A key way the Church shows its ongoing care for the sick and vulnerable is when members of faith communities reach out and minister Holy Communion to them. Those undertaking this ministry of care serve best when they understand their role well and are appropriately trained to accomplish it.
ACU Centre for Liturgy's new four-week online training program for lay ministers of Communion to the sick has been designed to extend the learning of those who have completed the Centre's Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion training program. It has been created by Australian liturgy specialists and covers theoretical and practical aspects of this ministry in a supportive, interactive and engaging learning environment.
The program examines a variety of settings for ministry, including visits to the home, places of residential care and hospitals, and it discusses in detail the differing ritual forms involved in ministering Holy Communion to the sick. Participants in this program will gain a greater understanding of the significance of the Church's ministry of care, learning how to minister Holy Communion to the sick and vulnerable, and how to respond to different needs and circumstances.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion from the ACU Centre for Liturgy. This program is supported by the Bishops Commission for Liturgy of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
The next COS program will start on 24 April 2025 for those who have already completed the EMHC online training program. (The next EMHC online training program starts on 13 August - see above).
To find out more and start the registration process go here
The Word of God, effectively proclaimed, transforms believers. Well-formed ministers are essential for the proclamation of the Word of God. Ministers of the Word become vessels of the Holy Spirit as they place their gifts at the service of the local community.
This four-week training program for Ministers of the Word has been created by Australian liturgy specialists in order to foster and develop the skills of new and existing ministers. The online program features quality liturgical content and offers practical exercises in a supportive and engaging environment. The comprehensive program is suitable for members of all communities, city or regional, large or small, school or parish.
While this program is designed for new ministers, those with many years of ministry have found it to be an outstanding way to refresh their skills and deepen their understanding of the liturgy.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion from the ACU Centre for Liturgy. This program is supported by the Bishops Commission for Liturgy of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
The next online training program will commence in August 2025.
To find out more and start the registration process go here.
"It would be hard to imagine a better program"
"I found this ACU course to be very engaging and thought provoking and had no trouble logging on or navigating my way around the content."
This formation and professional learning program is designed for Roman Catholic clergy, funeral directors, parish pastoral care and frontline staff (including pastoral associates, parish secretaries, youth ministers and family faith educators), teachers, APREs and school staff, and anyone interested in learning more about how Catholics prepare and celebrate funerals.
The Pastoral Formation Day investigates Catholic practices around burial and cremation, how to support those who grieve, and includes an opportunity to prepare a Catholic funeral for yourself or another person. It will facilitate a conversation between clergy and funeral directors, incorporating problem-solving, sharing experiences, and identifying best practice for Catholic funerals informed by expert advice.
Session 1: Dying, death and rites for the Journey to New Life
Session 2a: Celebrating the Order of Christian Funerals
Session 2b: Clergy and funeral directors working cooperatively (professional learning)
Session 3: Do's and don'ts of Catholic funerals: identifying best practice
Session 4: Planning your funeral
What Christians believe about sickness and sacramental healing becomes especially important when we are confronted with serious illness or the danger of death. The Catholic sacraments of healing exist to strengthen those who are being tried by illness or impairment, bodily or spiritual. Within the church’s pastoral approach to healing and caring for the sick, the Sacrament of Anointing raises up the sick person and strengthens their soul to sustain them while they are ill or approaching death. The Sacrament of Penance offers the opportunity to heal relationships with God, those who have been wronged, and the church community, while the Sacrament of Eucharist nourishes the sick person on their journey.
This pastoral formation day investigates Catholic beliefs about the healing power of prayer and sacraments. It looks at how we celebrate the healing brought about by reconciliation and forgiveness. Priests experienced in administering the sacraments of healing discuss how they care for the sick spiritually and sacramentally. All participants will engage in a consideration of how lay people can care for the sick by visiting them, and offering comfort, assistance and prayer. The day concludes with an exploration of Viaticum and how to minister Communion to the sick.
Session 1: What do Catholics believe about Sacraments of Healing: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick?
Session 2: How do Catholics celebrate reconciliation and forgiveness?
Session 3: How do priests, deacons and lay ministers care for the sick?
Session 4: Learn about Viaticum and how to minister Communion to the sick.
Our specialised training and formation workshops focus on a variety of topics, including:
As parishes across Australia contemplate the introduction or reintroduction of the chalice, ACU Centre for Liturgy is offering a face-to-face workshop for existing Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion on ministering the chalice.
Photo by Bob Roller, OSV News
This workshop:
In the lead-up to the workshop, advice will be provided for parish-wide catechesis to prepare the community for the introduction or reintroduction of the chalice.
ACU Centre for Liturgy can deliver this workshop to parishes, parish clusters, deaneries, dioceses, or other Catholic groups.
For further information on fees and scheduling, email centreforliturgy@acu.edu.au.
Interested in our programs ?
ACU Centre for Liturgy charges fees for its programs and services, operating on a not-for-profit basis consistent with ACU’s constitution. We are committed to providing our services at a reasonable rate.
We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday
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