Good evening distinguished guests, Archbishop Costelloe, My Lord Bishops, colleagues, and friends.
And thank you Aunty, for that wonderful welcome and acknowledgement. Positioning our gathering here tonight in the context of country – a context stretching back millennia.
It’s a privilege to be with you all this evening.
Can I say these first five months have been quite the journey.
When I first accepted this role, a good friend sent me a text that simply – and quite cheekily – read: “Congratulations! Remember, no good deed goes unpunished!”
I’ve kept that message, partly because it makes me laugh, but mostly because there’s a grain of truth in it that resonates with anyone who’s chosen a path of service.
But five months in, I can honestly say that, while there have certainly been challenges, what has struck me most profoundly is not the punishment my friend jokingly warned about, but rather the privilege – the immense privilege – of witnessing the work of our member organisations across the country.
The Power of Encounter
Catholic Social Teaching speaks of solidarity – this idea that we are one human family, despite our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. It calls us to pursue justice and peace and to uphold the dignity of every person.
In my short time with CSSA, I’ve seen this teaching come alive in many ways.
I’ve witnessed our members creating spaces of encounter – genuine, transformative encounter – where people meet not as service provider and client, but as human beings recognising the divine spark in one another. I saw a most beautiful example at Shopfront, just last night.
And it reminds me of Pope Francis’ words: “Encounter is the beginning of a genuine relationship. It is not enough to open the door; one must go out through it to meet others.”
Our members go out through that door every day, reaching into places of pain and isolation, and they do so with remarkable courage and compassion.
Here I Am, Send Me
For some decades now, my very simple morning prayer has been “Here I am, send me.” It’s drawn from Isaiah.
At times, it can be difficult, can it not, to hear the quiet murmurings of the Spirit in response. The noise of the world, the demands of the day, the complexity of the challenges we face – all these things can drown out that still, gentle voice.
But sometimes, the response is loud and clear.
The Blanket of Hope
I’d like to share with you a story that exemplifies this clarity – a story from our members in Parkes, in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, in NSW.
In Parkes, there is a program called SistaCare. It brings together women who are survivor-victims of domestic violence – many of them – in fact – predominantly, First Nations women.
These women gather together to yarn, to support each other, and to love one another whilst learning and undertaking some practical activity like crocheting that facilitate engagement and belonging.
During these sessions, the women each crocheted a square. These squares were then stitched together to form a blanket. But what they did next is what truly moved me.
The blanket was donated to a shelter where women and their families escape domestic violence.
Picture the scene: a young woman with her family, has just fled an abusive relationship.
She is worried. Has she made the right choice? Does she have any control over or access to her money? Is the family pet safe? Where will her children sleep tomorrow night? What will she do?
She may have a black eye, or a bruised lip, or be emotionally fractured.
She is frightened, she is anxious. And she is very alone.
And then she receives this blanket that will cover her and her children that night, and with it, a message from her sisters that reads:
“The Parkes SistaCare Group sends their best wishes to you and your family. With every square, imagine one woman’s hopes for you and your children to have a brighter future. Some of our women have spent time in a refuge before. We want you to know that we are cheering you on and we want you to succeed. A safe and happy life is the sign that you have succeeded.”
She is no longer alone. She knows women have been through this, they understand all she feels, and they have her back.
As I said, sometimes the quiet murmurings of the Spirit are loud and clear.
Hope in Action
This story exemplifies what I’ve come to understand as the heart of our work: we are hope in action.
In a world that can sometimes feel fractured and hopeless, our members stand as beacons of possibility. They embody the belief that things can be different, that healing is possible, that dignity can be restored, and that no one – no one – is beyond the reach of compassion.
This hope isn’t abstract or theoretical. It’s tangible. It’s a crocheted blanket. It’s a warm meal. It’s a safe place to sleep. It’s a listening ear. It’s a hand reaching out in the darkness saying, “You are not alone.”
And this hope doesn’t come from nowhere. It is born of God’s Grace – His freely given gift that enables us to participate in His divine life and mission.
St Mary MacKillop, whose legacy we honour tonight, understood this profoundly. “Never see a need” she said, “without doing something about it.”
But she also knew that the strength to do something comes not from our own power, but from God’s Grace working through us.
Moments like these – the making of a blanket, the writing of a note, the reaching out across the divide of experience – these are Grace made manifest in our world. They are the evidence that we are not alone in our work. We are accompanied, guided, and sustained by the loving presence of God.
Stronger Together
As I reflect on these first five months, I am increasingly convinced that we are also stronger together. The challenges before us are too complex for any single organisation to address alone.
Like those squares in the blanket, we each bring our unique contribution. And when stitched together with care and intention, we create something beautiful and life-giving that can warm the cold places in our world.
Gratitude
So as I close, dear friends, I want to express my profound gratitude.
Gratitude to the members of Catholic Social Services for your support, and your dedication to the belief that we are stronger together and that together we can achieve great things.
Gratitude for your compassion – for the way you see the pain in our world not as something to turn away from, but as a call to action.
And gratitude for your love – not the easy kind of love that comes when things are going well, but the challenging, sacrificial love that persists in the face of difficulty, that believes in the worth of every person, that refuses to give up on anyone.
In the words of St Mary MacKillop, “We must teach more by example than by word.”
So thank you for teaching me, through your example, what it means to live with courage, compassion, and conviction.
As I continue in this role, I carry your stories with me – stories like the Parkes SistaCare Group and their blanket of hope, of the beautiful encounter I witnessed last night at Shopfront here in Perth.
They remind me that in the face of overwhelming need, small acts of love can make all the difference.
And they remind me that when I offer that prayer of “send me,” I am joining my voice with yours in a chorus of response to the divine call – a call to love, to serve, to hope, and to build a more just and compassionate world. Thank you, God bless.