Lord Jesus,

We humbly beg you for rain with thankful and humble hearts.

Amen

Monday 10 September 2007

The outlook for replenishment of water supplies to both country and city appear bleak indeed, according to a report in The Age on 7 September 2007.

Reporting on a briefing on the drought in Australia given at the Australian Science Media Centre, The Age's Rachel Kleinman reported that more than half of Australia's agricultural land, including all of Victoria's, is now drought-declared, costing the Federal Government $1.8 billion so far.

At 6 September 2007, Melbourne's water stores were at 38.7 per cent, 8 percentage points lower than the same time last year. They have risen by only 0.1 of a percentage point in the past 10 days.

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Heavenly Father
 
You see and know the need for rain in our beloved land.  Look not upon our sins and offences as we turn to you again in our need.

Please send us rain a-plenty.  
 
We ask this, through the intercession of Our Blessed Lady and Your Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever.

Amen.

Special thanks to Val M  for this prayer

Friday 20 April 2007

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson, is calling on all Australians to pray for rain as the drought continues to cause widespread devastation.

"Our hope is that the Lord will grant us adequate rains for our urgent needs," he said.

Monday 4 December 2006

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference have issued a pastoral letter to those suffering the ill-effects of Australia's drought.

The letter offers solidarity to those affected by the drought and asks for Catholics to continue to pray for rain.

Thursday 16 November 2006

By Catholic Communications Melbourne

A national day of prayer for rain will be held on Sunday 26 November 2006 to help break the current Australian drought.

The prayer day has been organised by Christian church leaders, who acknowleged the calls to pray for rain from various church groups at a meeting in Sydney last week.

Wednesday 8 November 2006

Prime Minister John Howard was told at an emergency water summit that Australia was in the middle of its worst drought in 1000 years, the Herald Sun reports.

Monday 30 October 2006 

Today's Age carries a report by Sasha Shtargot that Melbourne is about to record the driest October since 1914, a year in which there was a disastrous drought and a national wheat crop failure.  So far this month, there has been only 8.8 mm of rain with only a few showers expected today and tomorrow.

The report indicates that the Bureau of Meteorology says it is looking likely that in November and December, temperatures will be above average and rainfall below average.
 

Thursday 12 October 2006

Today's papers carry stories that indicate many farmers will have no farm income this year due to the current drought. Tim Colebatch's report in the Age suggests that the drought could be the worst ever experienced and could deepen further. Many areas have not actually recovered from the drought of 2003.