Dear Friends,

As we navigate the hustle of end of financial year tasks that I know are keeping everyone extraordinarily busy, I wanted to take a moment to share some reflections from my recent travels and engagements with our remarkable member organisations.

The past month has been one of profound inspiration. Attending the FRSA Conference in Sydney, I was deeply moved by the presentations from our CSSA members. The passion, expertise and unwavering commitment displayed in sharing your innovative approaches to supporting vulnerable Australians left me not just proud but genuinely touched by the depth of care evident in your work.

I was incredibly happy to spend a week with our members in Western Australia. The conversations we shared and the programs I visited reinforced how our network continues to respond to community needs with both creativity and compassion.

At the CSSWA annual dinner, I had the privilege of sharing the story of SistaCare, the extraordinary program run by CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes. This initiative, which provides culturally appropriate support to Aboriginal women and their families, exemplifies how understanding, respect and genuine partnership can create meaningful change in communities facing complex challenges.

These experiences have reminded me of what truly distinguishes our work – the ability to recognise the divine spark in every person we encounter. In each interaction, whether with a client seeking assistance, a colleague sharing insights, or a community partner collaborating on solutions, we are called to see beyond immediate circumstances to the inherent dignity and potential that exists within each person. This recognition transforms our service from mere assistance to profound accompaniment, where we walk alongside others not simply as service providers, but as fellow travellers acknowledging the sacred in one another.

While in Western Australia, I had the privilege of attending Archbishop Timothy Costelloe’s St Mary MacKillop Oration, which I’ve attached for your reflection. His thoughtful address explored the complementary legacies of recent popes – Benedict’s focus on the “what” of our faith (orthodox teaching), Francis’s emphasis on the “how” (accompaniment and mercy), and how these foundations might shape our future under Pope Leo. The Archbishop cautioned against becoming “just another NGO” without the faith dimension that distinguishes our work. Most meaningfully for our context, he reminded us of Mary MacKillop’s dual wisdom: “Never see a need without doing something about it” and “Never forget who it is you are following.” I strongly encourage you to read his insightful exploration of how these principles can guide our ministries, particularly his emphasis that the “how,” “who,” and “why” of our service are as essential as the “what” we do.

As we close another financial year, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your perseverance, dedication and the myriad ways you bring hope to communities across Australia. Your work embodies these principles daily, and I am continually inspired by how you translate faith into action.

Read full speech by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB: St Mary MacKillop Oration_Archbishop Costelloe SDB (2).pdf

Read Jerry's St Mary of the Cross Mackillop Oration Pre-Dinner Address.

SAVE THE DATE

Agency Heads Meeting and Advocacy Event 2025

CSSA's Annual Agency Heads Meeting is coming up in October! 

Date: 28-29 October 2025

Where: Canberra

More details to come.

Centacare Family Services Geraldton Inaugural Gala Dinner

When: Saturday, 26 July 2025

Where: QEII Centre Geraldton

Booking:Centacare's Community Gala - CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Our advocacy and engagement work continues at pace as we build and nurture relationships across government, the sector, and our Catholic networks.

We have written to the Prime Minister and all incoming Ministers with relevant portfolios, extending our congratulations and requesting meetings in the near future to discuss matters important to our members and those we serve.

Our collaborative approach continues through regular meetings with ACOSS and other key stakeholder groups. Recently, ACOSS facilitated an initial discussion with the new Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek. It was heartening to hear the Minister's early thinking, and we look forward to building a productive working relationship in the months ahead.

Engagement with the Department of Social Services remains strong through our ongoing participation in the Community Services Advisory Group (CSAG), where we continue to represent the interests of Catholic social services.

We're also actively contributing as members of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council (ACSJC) and are delighted to be supporting the development of upcoming Social Justice statements from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC).

In other news, Jerry recently met with former Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney for a productive discussion about developing a common good approach to policy making – an important framework as we advocate for those most vulnerable in our communities.  We have upcoming meetings scheduled with former Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Scott Morrison.

We'll continue to keep you updated on these engagements as they progress.

Jerry and The Hon John Howard AC

Advocacy

We continue with regular meetings alongside ACOSS and other key sector partners. We joined an initial discussion with the new Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, and look forward to a constructive relationship ahead.

We continue to represent members through our participation at the Community Services Advisory Group (CSAG), Department of Social Services, and we are also contributing to the development of the Social Justice Statement as part of our role in the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council (ACSJC).

Submission

We completed a submission to the Fair Work Commission on the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Service (SCHADS) Award supporting systemic change for the sector. Thank you to all members who contributed to the response.

In summary, our submission responds to proposed changes aimed at addressing gender-based undervaluation. While we support fair pay for the sector, we've raised concerns about the disability-centric nature of the new classification structure, potential financial disadvantages for employees, and the viability of implementation without corresponding increases in government funding. Click the link to read the full submission.

Expressions of Interest: Community of Practice (CoP) Co-Convenors

We are currently seeking passionate co-convenors to help guide each group. If you or someone in your organisation would like to help shape agendas, facilitate discussion, and connect peers with resources, we would love to hear from you. This is a great leadership opportunity to strengthen our collective impact.

The refreshed Community of Practice model designed to support both operational excellence and thematic expertise across our network. With lunchtime sessions throughout the month the new structure consists of:

• Three Monthly Operational CoPs (first three Tuesdays each month at lunchtime):
o Grants and Funding
o Governance and Compliance
o Digital Transformation and AI

• Rotating Thematic CoPs (fourth (and occasionally, fifth) Tuesday each month), including:
o Health and Wellbeing
o Early Learning/OSHC
o NDIS,
o Family Services
o Housing/Homelessness

For further information, contact Jerry at [email protected]

A Tribute to Dale West

With deep sadness we inform the network about the recent passing of Dale West who was the longest serving Director at Centacare Catholic Community Services, following his battle with leukemia. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dale's family and friends and colleagues at Centacare. The funeral service will be held on Monday 23 June, 2:00pm in Norwood, South Australia.

More about Dales here: Remembering Dale West: A… | Centacare Catholic Community Services

We take the opportunity to give a shout-out to Ron Johnson, Government Relations and Policy Officer and former Acting Executive Director, who has moved on to greener pastures. We are grateful for Ron’s contribution and dedication in strengthening CSSA’s positioning in the sector, and we wish him all the very best.

Ron recently contributed to an article published by the Bishops Commission Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace. You can read the article Social Justice Trends: Accord for The Common Good here.

In May, we distributed five media releases and the research work in partnership with UWA Centre for Public Value was featured in Eureka Street. If you missed our media releases last month, click the links below to read our news.

CSSA Congratulates Albanese Government on Historic Election Victory

CSSA Rejoices at the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Catholic Social Services Australia Welcomes Appointment of Tanya Plibersek to Social Services Portfolio

CSSA Congratulates Sussan Ley on Historic Leadership Achievement

Electricity Price Increases Heighten Concerns for Vulnerable Australians

The quiet collapse of Australia's social safety net: In conversation with David Gilchrist in Eureka Street

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube to stay connected, share your voice, and amplify our collective impact. We would love your support in expanding our online community!

Youth Formation Ministries Lead - Diocese of Broken Bay (NSW)

Wellbeing & Health Officer - Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea

Executive Director Mission and Ethos - MercyCare

Strengthening Rural Communities – closes on 24 June 2025

Local Investments Funding Grant Opportunity – closes on 30 June 2025

The Honda Foundation – closes on 11 July 2025

Forecast opportunities:

Multicultural Grassroots Initiatives – Round 2

Alcohol and Drug Information Network