CATHOLOSISM

The history of the catholic church in Australia

OUR QUESTION

• Outline some key events in the history of the Catholic Church in

Australia

CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN AUSTRALA

• The Catholic Church in Australia, as always, looks forward to working in

partnership with the new government and with indigenous

communities to improve the situation of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander peoples throughout the nation.

http://www.catholicaustralia.com.au/page.php?pg=austchurch-ACBCindigenousstatement

CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN AUSTRALA

• The areas for continuing action include:*tackling key causes of child abuse and poverty such as housing; poor employment opportunities, substance abuse and community breakdown;*going beyond a law-and-order response to provide a full range of culturally appropriate support services

to foster strong families and communities; *respecting indigenous culture and identity through full and genuine partnership with Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal leaders and Church and community organisations working with Aboriginal communities;*providing adequate funding to secure these goals;* paying attention to the concerns raised by indigenous leaders and others about the compulsory land acquisition provisions in the Emergency Response laws;

Australia• Australian catholic church- Irish (many were convicts, arriving on fleet)• Church of England only was accepted (COE)• Catholic church was nurtured in families/neglected• Fr. James Dixon =(NSW) 1800, mass, confession catholic community• Catholic missionaries from Europe began schools • Church groups- main providers of wealth (aid)• Missionaries still are present in today's society• 1838 sisters came to Australia (5) visited prisoners, supervised orphanages, taught in schools

• There are approximately 5,001,624 or 26.6% of Australia’s population are Catholics.• Of these Catholics, 15.3% go to mass on Sundays or once a week.• There are 32 dioceses in Australia this means that a section of the Church is entrusted to the

leadership of a Bishop.

AUSTRALIA• The first Catholics in Australia arrived with the first fleet in 1788 most were

Irish convicts and other settlers coming to the lucky country. The first Catholics mainly convicts were transported to Bottany Bay.

• However though they were Catholic not many were practising Catholics at the time.

• The first Catholic schools were established in the early 19th century, however until Father Therry and Connoly arrived in Australia as priests that significant development took place.

• The first religious orders established in Australia were known as sisters of Charity and the Good Samaritan sisters.

• Australia has 1363 parishes, 3126 priests, 1973 diocesan with 1153 belonging to religious orders.

• There are 6400 religious sisters and 1080 religious brothers.

Other Information

• 1820, Father John Joseph Therry and Father Phillip Conolly arrived in the colony and started working with the catholic community.

• Together, the helped with sacrements, establishing schools and caring for those facing death.

• Governor Thomas Brisbane exaggerated in the 1820’s when he claimed ‘ every murder or diabolical crime, which has been committed in this colony since my arrival has been perpetrated by Roman Catholics.