Silver Jubilee - Our
Story
Reflection by Br Aengus Kavanagh FSP
Celebrating Jubilee
A time to look back on the Story... our shared
narrative
As Christians and as Catholics we are
especially...
A People of the Story &
We are called to tell the
story
of God’s love
‘We come to tell our story...’
‘Jewel in the Crown of the Church’
olic Schools At The Crossroads... Bishops’ Pastoral Le
Catholic schools in Australia (2011)
No. of Catholic schools
1,704
Students
25 years ago (1987)
in 2011
723,472
586,757
Total staff (including non-teaching) 83,112
Over 17,000 non-teaching staff
Public Instruction Act 1883
‘From here on all education
will be compulsory, free, &
secular’
Catholic clergy and Catholic- Henry
parents
Parkes
had always seen the school as an
integral partner in the transmission of
faith
The Catholic church decided to ‘go it
alone’ setting up its own schools.
A TOUGH CALL: Relinquishing all
access to any Government funding
And thus it was from the 1880s until late 1960s
19th Century: A Springtime in the
Church
Birth of many Religious Congregations devoted to Catholic
IRELAND
Education
(1775
Sisters)
1802
1807
1808
1815
1831
1867
Presentation
Christian Brothers
Brigidine Sisters
Patrician Brothers
Sisters of Charity
Mercy Sisters
Holy Faith Sisters
1817
1817
FRANCE
Marist Brothers
Marist Sisters
AUSTRALIA
1857
Good Samaritan
Sisters
1866
Sisters of St
Joseph
Late 19th century & early 20th century many
Religious came from Ireland to work in
Catholic schools...also some from Europe.
Along with local Sisters of St Joseph and
Good Samaritan Sisters, there was a large
non-salaried workforce in Catholic schools
by the early 1900s.
Great sacrifices... great goodwill
• Pioneer Religious
• Local Catholic Communities
19th Century deaths of young Irish Patrician
Brothers
Name
Year
Age
Place
Benedict McSweeney
1885
24
Maitland
Malachy Dwyer
1885
20
Albury
Regis Keogh
1886
22
Maitland
Ambrose Ryan
1889
23
Armidale
Aloysius O’Leary
1890
20
Bathurst
Lewis Hynes
1891
27
Goulburn
Anselm Casey
1892
28
Wagga Wagga
Timothy Dwyer
1894
24
11 Patricians died in 12 years...10 in their 20s
Wagga Wagga
similar sad
James Ryan Other Congregations…
1896
23 stories
Wagga
Wagga
Stanislaus Meagher
1896
34
Orange
Peter Gaynor
1897
26
Albury
1958 Saturday
Working Bee
Sacred Heart
Primary, Cabramatta
Fr Kiely PP
77 students in one class in Yr 4
Patrician Brothers, Liverpool
1964
1960s - Near Breaking Point!
• Huge Classes
• Goulburn Strike
• Major Curriculum restructure Wyndham Report
• Very difficult to get trained lay
Catholic teachers
• Restlessness in society and in
Church
• Decrease in Religious
• BUT… the line was held
Break through in 1968! Government per capita
funding
From State Government only:
Annual Grants: K-6 $12.00 7-12 $18.00
Towards a system of schools
• Mainly autonomous up to mid 1960s
‘CEO’…
staff of about 6 part-time mainly Religious &
Priests
+ Mons Slowey (Director)
• Expansion to Broadway staff build-up. CEO
take-up of policies & admin from mid 1970s
onwards. Establishment of CEC.
Transition from Religious to Lay Staff in Catholic Schools
Almost 100% Religious from 1880s to mid 1950s
Between 1955 & 2005... almost 100% transition
Religious > Lay
Teachers in NSW Catholic schools 1965 -2005 CEC NSW
1965
Religious
3,654
69%
Lay
1,628
31%
1985
Religious
1,168
9%
Lay
11,688
2005
Religious
165
0.9%
Lay
17,835
91
1981- 1986
Decentralisation of Sydney Archdiocesan
System of schools
Setting up of 5 Regions to correspond
with existing 5 Pastoral Regions
1986
Regions:
Eastern, Inner-West & Southern
become Sydney Archdiocese
Northern Region becomes Broken Bay Diocese
Outer-West Region becomes Parramatta Diocese
Principals in NSW Catholic schools 1965 2005
1965
Religious (668) 100%
Religious (339)
2005
Religious ( 48 )
Lay (0)
0%
56.6% Lay (260) 43.4
8.2%
Lay (537) 91.8%
NOW (2012) OVER 99.5% Lay
Opening of Diocesan Catholic Education Office
Parramatta Diocese in January 1987
Principal ratio in the Diocese
1987
Almost 50% Religious 50% Lay
Now (2012) 3 Religious Principals in systemic
schools
Maitland-Newcastle
Diocese
Wide
expanse
of Sydney
Archdiocese
prior to
1986
Central
Coast
Hawkesbury
River
Bathurst
Diocese
PARRAMATTA
Katoomba
Wollongong
Diocese
1986 Restructuring of Sydney Archdiocese
DIOCESAN BOUNDARIES
(Approx only)
Diocese of
Broken Bay
Diocese of
Parramatta
Katoomba
Archdiocese
of Sydney
Cronulla
Sydney divided
Into 3 Regions
--Eastern
--Inner-West
--Southern
Bishop Bede
Heather
Inaugural Bishop of
Outer West Region
Late 1970s -1986
Inaugural Bishop
of Parramatta
Diocese
1986 - 1997
Aengus
(Outer-West)
Ann D Clark
(East)
Sr Patricia RSC
(Inner West)
Br Tony Whelan
(Southern)
Br Norm Hart
(Northern)
Regional Schools’ Officers (RSOs) 1981
Regional Directors (RDs) 1982-1986
Development of CEO in Outer West Region
1981-1982
Desk at Broadway… part time presence in Regio
1982-1985
Regional ‘CEO’ Wentworthville
Staff build-up to 18
Dec 1985
Regional CEO Blacktown (‘DAC’)
Major Challenges
• More schools/upgrade of schools
• Building-up of a community of schools
• Support services for learning & student care
Shirley Terry
Keogh
Hall
Aengus Carmel B.
Computer
Lady (1)
Development of Region… Emergence of
Diocese1980s 13 New Schools in ONE
Decade
1981
1983
1984
1985
1986
1986
1986
John Paul Senior High, Marayong
Sacred Heart Primary, Sth Mt Druitt
MacKillop Primary, Sth Penrith
Holy Spirit Primary, St Clair
St John Vianney Primary, Doonside
Corpus Christi Primary, Cranebrook
St Patrick’s Primary…
new site...new buildings Blacktown
Development of Region… Emergence of
Diocese
1986
McCarthy Senior High, Emu Plains
1986
1987
1988
1989
1989
Bede Polding College, Sth Windsor
St Madeleine’s Primary, Kenthurst
Emmaus College, Erskine Park
Marian College, Kenthurst
Immaculate Heart Primary, Quakers Hill
Status Upgrade From 7-10 to 7-12
1984
Gilroy College, Castle Hill
1985
Catherine McAuley, Westmead
A Diocese on the move...
New schools in recent
decades
Holy Family Primary, Luddenham
Trinity Primary, Kemps Creek
St Francis of Assisi Primary,
Glendenning
Loyola Senior High School, Mt Druitt
St Clare’s High School, Hassall Grove
Chisholm Catholic Primary, Bligh Park
Bethany Catholic Primary, Glenmore
Park
Terra Sancta College, SchofieldsQuakers Hill
Holy Cross Primary, Glenwood
t Joseph’s Primary, Schofields
t Angela’s Primary, Castle Hill
oly Family Primary, Emerton
ohn XXIII & St Mark’s Stanhope Gardens
ur Lady of The Angels Primary, Rouse Hill
other Teresa Primary, Westmead
tatus Change
ears 7 – 10 to Years 7 – 12
t Columba’s
Nagle
Caroline Chisholm
atrician Bros
St Paul’s
cCarthy
Years 11 & 12 to Years 7 – 12Delany
ears 7 – 10 to Years 7 – 12 & Co-ed
Keeping Pace with Needs
Ann D Clark
Inaugural Director
of Schools
Parramatta Diocese
1987 – 1997
Died
January 1997
Looking back over 50 + years
Transition in staffing from 100% Religious > 100% Lay
Regrets? NO! A work of the Holy Spirit?
Today for many teachers & leaders...
serving
in Catholic education is beyond a job...
It’s a Vocation
‘...the role of the laity in the Church. They should
not be considered merely as ‘collaborators’ of the
clergy, but as people truly ‘co-responsible’ in the
work of the Church.’
Message of Pope Benedict XVI to
International Forum of Catholic Action 23 August 2012
Change Tsunami… 50 shades of grey!
However, NOW...the most professionally qualified
leaders and teachers in the history of Catholic
schooleducation. As a system, we will not be found
wanting in the educational and professional stakes.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Will Catholic Schools Be Authentically
Catholic 25 years from now ?
Answer depends significantly on priority to
policies and practices in faith formation of staff,
now and in the years immediately ahead...
Parramatta & Beyond…
Places of growth and exuberance
• Infrastructure investment - M2 M4 Rail &
Bus
• New sports teams - Western Sydney
Wanderers,
Greater Western Sydney (AFL)….
• Demographic heart of Sydney moving
west
Diocese
of
Parramatta
of Parramatta
A fertile vineyard for the Good
News
Today, we remember in gratitude the GIANTS
on whose shoulders we stand in Catholic
school
education... We are now called to be the
GIANTS on whose shoulders future
generations of teachers and
leaders in Catholic school education will stand.
Let us ‘pay forward’ the rich legacy
we now hold... especially in this
Diocese of Parramatta