Society Reflects on Social Justice Sunday 2025

In recognition of Social Justice Sunday, celebrated each year by the Catholic Church in Australia on the last Sunday of August, the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland joins with communities across Australia to reflect on the theme “Signs of Hope on the Edge”.

This theme is a call to recognise and respond to the deep challenges of homelessness and mental ill-health in our society.

Inspired by the Gospel story of Bartimaeus, we are reminded that every person—no matter how marginalised—deserves to be seen, heard, and supported with dignity and compassion.

At St Vincent de Paul Society, we witness daily the resilience and courage of those living on the edge, and we are committed to walking alongside them with hope and practical support.

Almost 40 per cent of people who have slept on the streets at some time had a mental health issue and since 2011, the rate and proportion of homeless people with a mental health issue has increased each year.

We know that the twin crisis of housing availability and family and domestic violence are the main reasons for those with mental ill-health seeking assistance from homelessness services. 

The Australian Bishops Conference has released the 2025 – 2026 Social Justice Statement – Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving People Living in Homelessness and Mental Health

The Statement provides real insights and powerful stories about what life is like for people living in homelessness and mental ill health and the difficulty in providing adequate support for them.

We support and continue to advocate for practical action outlined in the Statement, which you can read more on in the Statement available here, or at the end of this message.

We invite all Queenslanders to take a moment this Sunday to reflect, pray, and act. Whether through volunteering, advocacy, or simply listening with empathy, each of us can be a sign of hope in someone’s life.

Together, let’s build a more just and compassionate Queensland.

Sincerely,


Patricia McMahon and James Hodge

State President and Director of Mission
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland

Practical actions to address homelessness and mental ill-health include: 

• A significant increase in supported accommodation places and affordable housing.
   
• Recruit and retain a larger mental health workforce.
   
• Integrate mental health services with housing and homelessness support.
   
• Increase funding to ensure no one is turned away by homelessness services.
   
• Fund specialised healthcare services for homeless people.
   
• Develop a national strategy to prevent people becoming homeless after leaving hospitals, mental health facilities, and prisons and detention centres.
   
• Enhance tenancy protections, including limiting “no grounds” evictions.
   
• Provide tenancy support services for people with mental illness in both social and private housing.
   
• Increase access to financial security measures, such as the Disability Support Pension.
   
• Raise the rate of income support payments such as Job Seeker so that people do not have to make choices between paying rent or other essential services.

 

What is Social Justice Sunday?

Social Justice Sunday is an annual observance in Australia, held on the last Sunday of August. In 2025, it falls on August 31st. It is a day for reflection, advocacy, and action on pressing social issues to advocate for fairness, promote equality, and support those in need.