Celebrating Jubilee A time to look back on the Story... our shared narrative

Transcription

1 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...

2 Jewel in the Crown of the Church Catholic Schools At e Crossroads... Bishops Pastoral Letter Catholic schools in Australia (2011) No. of Catholic schools 1,704 Students 25 years ago (1987) 586,757 in ,472 Total staff (including non-teaching) 83,112 Over 17,000 non-teaching staff

3 Public Instruction Act 1883 From here on all education will be compulsory, free, & secular - Henry Parkes Catholic clergy and Catholic parents had always seen the school as an integral partner in the transmission of faith e Catholic church decided to go it alone setting up its own schools. A TOUGH CALL: Relinquishing all access to any Government funding Sir Henry Parkes 7 th Premier NSW Died 1897 And thus it was from the 1880s until late 1960s

4 19th Century: A Springtime in the Church Birth of many Religious Congregations de oted to Catholic Education IRELAND (1775 Presentation Sisters) 1802 Christian Brothers 1807 Brigidine Sisters 1808 Patrician Brothers 1815 Sisters of Charity 1831 Mercy Sisters 1867 Holy Faith Sisters

5 FRANCE 1817 Marist Brothers 1817 Marist Sisters AUSTRALIA 1857 Good Samaritan Sisters 1866 Sisters of St Joseph

6 Late 19 th century & early 20 th 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

7 19 th Century deaths of young Irish Patrician Brothers Name Year Age Place Benedict McSweeney Maitland Malachy Dwyer Albury Regis Keogh Maitland Ambrose Ryan Armidale Aloysius O Leary Bathurst Lewis Hynes Goulburn Anselm Casey Wagga Wagga Timothy Dwyer Wagga Wagga James Ryan Wagga Wagga Stanislaus Meagher Orange Peter Gaynor Albury 11 Patricians died in 12 years...10 in their 20s Other Congregations similar sad stories

8 1958 Saturday Working Bee Sacred Heart Primary, Cabramatta Fr Kiely PP

9 Large classes the norm in Catholic schools well into the 1960s 77 students in one class in Yr 4 Patrician Brothers, Liverpool 1964

10 AGILE learning spaces had to be agile to get a seat!

11 Engaged Learning Listen to Brother!

12 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

13 Break through in 1968! Government per capita funding From State Government only: Annual Grants: K-6 $ $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.

14 Transition from Religious to Lay Staff in Catholic Schools Almost 100% Religious from 1880s to mid 1950s Between 1955 & almost 100% transition Religious > Lay Teachers in NSW Catholic schools CEC NSW 1965 Religious 3,654 69% Lay 1,628 31% 1985 Religious 1,168 9% Lay 11,688 91% 2005 Religious % Lay 17, %

15 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

16 Principals in NSW Catholic schools Religious (668) 100% Lay (0) 0% 1985 Religious (339) 56.6% Lay (260) 43.4% 2005 Religious ( 48 ) 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

17 Wide expanse of Sydney Archdiocese Maitland-Newcastle Central Coast Bathurst Diocese Katoomba Hawkesbury River PARRAMATTA Wollongong

18 1986 Restructuring of Sydney Archdiocese DIOCESAN BOUNDARIES (Approx only) Diocese of Broken Bay Katoomba Diocese of Parramatta Archdiocese of Sydney Cronulla Sydney divided Into 3 Regions --Eastern --Inner-West --Southern

19 Bishop Bede Heather Inaugural Bishop of Outer West Region Late 1970s Inaugural Bishop of Parramatta Diocese

20 Aengus (Outer-West) Sr Patricia RSC (Inner West) Br Tony Whelan (Southern) Ann D Clark (East) Br Norm Hart (Northern) Regional Schools Officers (RSOs) 1981 Regional Directors (RDs)

21 Development of CEO in Outer West Region Desk at Broadway part time presence in Region 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

22 Shirley Hall Terr y Keogh Aengus Carmel B. Computer Lady (1) 1985: Outer-West Office Staff (18) at Dunmore St Wentworthville

23 Development of Region Emergence of Diocese 1980s 13 New Schools in ONE Decade 1981 John Paul Senior High, Marayong 1983 Sacred Heart Primary, Sth Mt Druitt 1984 MacKillop Primary, Sth Penrith 1985 Holy Spirit Primary, St Clair 1986 St John Vianney Primary, Doonside 1986 Corpus Christi Primary, Cranebrook 1986 St Patrick s Primary new site...new buildings Blacktown

24 Development of Region Emergence of Diocese 1986 McCarthy Senior High, Emu Plains 1986 Bede Polding College, Sth Windsor 1987 St Madeleine s Primary, Kenthurst 1988 Emmaus College, Erskine Park 1989 Marian College, Kenthurst 1989 Immaculate Heart Primary, uakers Hill Status Upgrade From 7-10 to Gilroy College, Castle Hill 1985 Catherine McAuley, Westmead

25 First Diocesan Catholic Office Diocese of Parramatta Blacktown Opened as Regional Office in 1986

26 Ann D Clark Inaugural Executive Director of Schools Parramatta Diocese Died January 1997

27 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, Schofields- uakers Hill Holy Cross Primary, Glenwood

28 St Joseph s Primary, Schofields St Angela s Primary, Castle Hill Holy Family Primary, Emerton John XXIII & St Mark s Stanhope Gardens Our Lady of e Angels Primary, Rouse Hill Mother Teresa Primary, Westmead Status Change Years 7 10 to Years 7 12 St Columba s Nagle Caroline Chisholm Patrician Bros St Paul s McCarthy Years 11 & 12 to Years 7 12 Delany Years 7 10 to Years 7 12 & Co-ed

29 Keeping Pace with Needs Since the establishment of a Diocesan System of Schools in Parramatta January New schools Several school upgrading in status Establishment of preschools Extensive enhancement and expansion of facilities aided by BER grants Good Leadership by Executive Directors Ann D Clark RIP Anne Benjamin Greg Whitby MORE IMPORTANT THAN BUILDINGS what happens within

30 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. ey 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

31 Change Tsunami 40 shades of grey! However, NOW...the most professionally qualified leaders and teachers in the history of Catholic school education. 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 om now? Answer depends significantly on priority to policies and practices in faith formation of staff, now and in the years immediately ahead...

32 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 of Parramatta Diocese of Parramatta A fertile vineyard for the Good News

33 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