Our Diocese was indeed no exception in 2024.
While many may associate change with a sense of uncertainty and trepidation, it could be argued that if you aren’t changing, you aren’t progressing.
The changes within our Diocese this year are varied, and their impact have likely been felt in different ways and to different degrees.
This might include valued team members retiring or moving on to other opportunities, or the addition of new team members and changes in our Pastoral Ministries team, or the evolution and implementation of various processes across all our Diocesan agencies.
Whatever the change may be, it’s been fuelled by our mission to serve all in the community so they may experience life to the fullest.
By the same token, doing things differently and evolving our practices can shake things up and provide some temporary discomfort.
As Bishop Michael writes on page 5, true happiness doesn’t just fall into our laps; it’s something we must work at. By approaching our work with genuine intention, guided by the trust in our mission, each of us has the power to embrace change and choose happiness regardless of the road ahead.
With more than 5,500 staff, we are one of the region’s largest employers.
With that, comes significant responsibility – not just to adapt to change but to lead it with integrity and purpose. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring our mission remains at the heart of everything we do, even when the path forward feels uncertain.
Change is inevitable, but it’s also an opportunity. It challenges us to rethink, improve, and grow. It invites us to step outside of our comfort zones and reaffirm our commitment to the work we do and the communities we serve.
As I look at the following summaries and the significant progress each of our agencies achieved this year, I feel a sense of pride in what’s to come.
Whether it be through establishing or improving our school and early education offerings, creating more housing opportunities, supporting parishioners in their faith journey, or creating jobs across the Hunter, our mission has always been, and will always be, to contribute to the region and provide access to services for people from all walks of life.
With this as our foundation and a strong faith in our collective vision, I welcome the 2025 iteration of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
In 2024, the Catholic Community Fund (CCF) has much to celebrate. It has been a year of strong performance, dedicated service, and impactful contributions to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and its wider community. Among the many highlights, the CCF for the financial year ended 30 June 2024 generated a record surplus of $13.3 million, reflecting the strength of its operations and commitment to financial stewardship.
A significant achievement was the distribution of $11.5 million to the Diocese and its agencies, which ensures the ongoing support of critical programs. This included $1 million allocated to CatholicCare’s essential services and $500,000 dedicated to supporting parish communities across the region.
Additionally, the CCF provided $51 million in loan funding to support diocesan projects, including acquisitions and the development of new facilities.
The CCF supported the work of the Catholic Schools Office through the funding of various school development projects which included the expansion of facilities over various sites including Catherine McAuley Catholic College Medowie, St Bede’s Catholic College Chisholm and St Francis Xavier’s College Hamilton. Furthermore, the CCF provided loan funding to support acquisitions by the Diocese for the future development of St Nicholas Early Education Centres and properties for use as social housing.
In all these achievements, the CCF remains dedicated to supporting the mission of the Church and serving the community.
This year, we continued to embrace our mission and commitment to excellence in education underpinned by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The new Religious Education curriculum continued to roll out with positive teacher feedback and increased levels of student engagement.
A highlight in Term 2 of 2024 was the re-launch of Positive Behaviour 4 Learning across our Diocese. This program has also generated positive staff feedback, with follow-up sessions to embed learning occurring in our schools.
ASPIRE, our creative and performing arts program, produced a variety of projects and performances. ‘Disconnected’ wowed over 5,000 audience members and included a host of popular music punctuating the storyline, with over 150 talented students uniting for a show that delved into various themes within our contemporary social landscape.
ASPIRE continues to grow its programming list, with major programs such as Song Competition, Junior and Senior Theatre Makers projects and the ASPIRE Concert Band, being joined by new initiatives such as the Manning Creative Arts Program, WOW Gallery and Choirs at the Civic – the first diocesan musical showcase featuring primary school choirs.
ASPIRE was nominated for seven City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDA's).
Additionally, ‘DioSounds’ created by the Secondary Music Teachers allowed interested students the opportunity to be part of a music showcase at the Civic Theatre.
Our sporting programs continued to offer opportunities for students to display and develop their talents at a school and diocesan level, as well as experiences to compete at state and national levels.
Work continued on the Newcastle secondary schools transitioning Years 7 to 12. The changes to school admissions and curriculum offerings began this year, with the first cohort of Year 7 students commencing at St Francis Xavier’s College, Hamilton. St Pius X, High School Adamstown is preparing for life as Trinity Catholic College in 2025, whilst San Clemente is preparing for the introduction of Year 11 in 2026.
The Growing Minds Inspiring Readers project continues to help students share in the magic of reading, culminating with St Pius X, Windale and St Paul’s, Rutherford students working with a children's author to co-publish their own books.
After the provision of free sanitary products across all Secondary Schools in the Diocese in 2023, the Period Positivity initiative has been rolled out across Diocesan Primary schools, from Term 4.
In recent years our Diocese has received unprecedented demand for school entry across our schools. This demand, combined with the desire to offer families a pathway for their children from kindergarten through to Year 12, led to the Diocese revising and adjusting the Enrolment Policy.
The new policy sets out the prioritisation for enrolment in schools and has resulted in enrolment increases across the board.
Supporting this growth is a commitment from the Diocese to ensure we have the buildings, facilities, maintenance programs, cleaning and physical assets and resources in place so our students and staff can continue to learn in the best possible environments.
The program of works in 2024 totalled over $100 million in costs and includes major refurbishment and capital works such as new buildings, classroom replacements, specialist rooms, playground areas, facilities and amenities.
Guided by the principles of compassion, dignity, and respect for all, CatholicCare remains dedicated to providing essential services to vulnerable individuals and families across the Hunter-Manning region.
Despite facing funding challenges, our Community Programs have continued to respond in 2024, addressing the pressing needs of those experiencing hardship across our region.
This year, our Community Kitchens served an incredible 85,000 meals, which is a stark reflection of the increasing challenges many families face due to the rising cost of living.
In response to these needs, our 2024 Make a Difference Appeal was a resounding success, raising over $16,500, which will directly support our unfunded services and help us continue this vital work in the community.
In February, we had the honour of presenting the Beyond the Gates program at the Catholic Social Services Australia conference. This innovative program showcases the power of cross-agency collaboration and sparked significant interest from dioceses and services across the country.
Additionally, our collaboration with St Dominic’s Catholic College provided valuable work experience opportunities for students in their Café Club, reinforcing our commitment to youth development and support.
With the support of Tim Crakanthorp MP, State Member for Newcastle, CatholicCare spearheaded an upgrade of playground equipment in the Hamilton South community.
In a concerted effort to respond to the growing need for foster carers in the Newcastle and Hunter region, CatholicCare partnered with Allambi to collaborate on a campaign aimed at increasing the number of available foster homes across the Hunter region.
Always seeking to meet the evolving needs of our community, CatholicCare successfully launched several new programs in 2024. Among these initiatives is The Rosewood Centre’s Family Assessment and Engagement Service, along with the expansion of Clinical Care Coordination into the Upper Hunter and Central Coast. A Specialist Aftercare Program and Local Support Services Safer Pathways Program were introduced, providing critical support to men who have experienced domestic violence, complementing our existing services for women and children.
Now in its second full year, Hunter Community Housing (HCH) has made significant strides in refining its operations and strategic planning. The focus has also been on expanding our housing portfolio and engaging in the community housing sector.
In July, we added 22 affordable properties into our tenancy management portfolio. These Newcastle properties were originally built by the Diocese in 2014 under the National Rental Affordability Scheme. Now that this scheme has ended, HCH and the Diocese have made a commitment that these homes will be retained as affordable housing, with existing rebates in place for current tenants for a minimum of 12 months – welcome news for these households.
Alongside affordable housing, HCH continues to offer a range of housing options including supported independent living for young people exiting out of home care, group homes for people living with a disability, as well as a market residential program.
The ongoing housing affordability crisis has meant increased funding opportunities on offer from both Commonwealth and State governments. Our team has been proactive in applying for various grants and tenders, ensuring that our housing development projects are ready to proceed as soon as new funding rounds are announced.
Our involvement in community engagement and sector advocacy work continued. We participated in NAIDOC Week celebrations in July, and were involved in the Hunter Homeless Connect Expo in August. With over 2,000 guests attending the expo to access support, it was clear that local housing needs are still a pressing concern locally.
Finally, the annual compliance report required for the Community Housing Registrar as part of our Community Housing Provider registration provided a timely opportunity to refresh our policies and procedures to ensure they remain relevant as our operations expand.
HCH remains dedicated to addressing the housing needs of our community through strategic growth, effective advocacy, and a firm commitment to housing affordability and support.
The results of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Safeguarding Audit Report conducted by Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd (ACSL) and Prolegis Lawyers were published in February.
The Office of Safeguarding (OoSG) was the lead agency in the preparing the Diocese for audit. Prior to it commencing, Bishop Michael met with ACSL and asked that the audit be particularly rigorous. Thirty-four per cent of the Diocese’s parishes were visited as were three schools and the Diocese’s head offices and over 100 people were interviewed.
Maitland-Newcastle was the first Diocese to be assessed against the revised (Version 2) Standards which includes indicators of safeguarding vulnerable adults as well as children. The Diocese achieved excellent results, with the NCSS assessment finding the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has fully implemented or has substantially progressed in the implementation of 96 (98%) of the relevant indicators.
In April representatives of the OoSG and Vicar General Rev Greg Barker participated in the Stronger Together – Roundtable on Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence for Religious and Community Leaders, hosted by the NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner and the NSW Children’s Guardian. In May the Director of Safeguarding was invited to participate in a Roundtable to Discuss Responding to Historical Allegations, which was also hosted by the NSW Children’s Guardian.
The OoSG continued to host the Promoters of Safeguarding Network Day, offering an opportunity for parish promoters of safeguarding and parish leaders to be provided the latest developments in the area of safeguarding. External presenters for 2024 included Prof. Darryl Higgins, Australian Catholic University, and Dr David Treanor, Director, Safeguarding and Compliance for ACSL.
National Child Protection Week 2024 saw another outstanding level of engagement within the Diocese and the ‘Decorate Your Space’ competition brought out highly original and artistic expressions of this year’s theme "Every conversation matters".
The year has seen another period of unprecedented growth in the level of demand for safeguarding services. The expansion of the safeguarding standards to include vulnerable adults was a contributing factor, as was an increasing rate of reports of self-harming, peer-on-peer abuse and exposure to family and intimate violence.
Pastoral Ministries found itself on a journey of discovery in 2024 as we explored our renewed approach to mission and evangelisation across the Diocese.
The team welcomed a new Director, complemented by a full revision and revitalisation of position descriptions and structural change within the group. The re-positioned, forward-facing posture of Pastoral Ministries, with a new name to come, reflects a culture of accompaniment, synodality and co-responsibility.
The call to missionary discipleship among the faithful “is based on our common baptismal identity and is rooted in the diversity of the contexts in which the Church is present”. The team has been exploring best practice across Australia and the world to ensure that all people of God in our region will have access to a consolidated handful of high quality and contextualised programs/initiatives that meet the emerging needs of parishes wishing ‘to grow’ and ‘share their faith’ with others.
Much of the well-embraced work will continue across a range of future-centred, parish-focused accompaniment in the areas of formation, worship, outreach, children’s ministry, special religious education, rural ministry and youth ministry.
Bishop Michael Kennedy has invited us all onto a journey that seeks to accompany and support the implementation of a vision where faith communities:
Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are strengthened by the encounter with Jesus as we embark on this deeper journey of mission and evangelisation into the future. Our journey has only just begun. We have great challenges in a secular and even post-Christian society. However, we have the assurance of the Lord who promised to be with us always to the end of time.
St Nicholas has seen continued growth and success in 2024.
One of our standout projects this year was the launch of the St Nicholas’ 'Commitment to Educators’ statement. This statement reinforces our dedication to creating an environment where our educators feel valued and supported through showing recognition and providing opportunities for career growth and professional learning.
A key moment came with the Catholic Schools of Maitland-Newcastle’s introduction of a new enrolment policy, prioritising children of St Nicholas Early Education families for school enrolment.
In 2024, we conducted our first-ever full-scale family feedback survey with our Early Education families. This initiative was an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from our families, gathering insights into their experiences and expectations of St Nicholas Early Education.
Professional learning remains a core component of our mission, and this year we launched a revamped professional learning program through St Nicholas Pathways. The new program offers regular, fully-funded professional learning opportunities that are available to all team members.
In August, we hosted our Evolve Conference, a unique gathering focused on embracing change, exploring new possibilities, and expanding horizons in early childhood education.
To further support families, we’ve streamlined several key systems, including our OOSH Vacation Care booking system and our re-enrolment process, to enhance ease of use and simplify interactions.
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