Gavin Abraham is the Media and Communications Director for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He has worked in journalism, media and communications roles since 1998 and within the Church since 2005, including as editor of New Zealand’s national Catholic newspaper, media manager at Catholic Health Australia and communications manager at the National Catholic Education Commission.

Marilyn Bellett began her journey of Faith in Action as a student leader for the Australian Young Christian Students in the Parramatta Diocese (PYCS), following her return from the 2013 World Youth Day that took place in Rio. In 2014 she was one of the YCS spokespeople for the End Child Detention Coalition (ECDC) Art installation when it travelled to Sydney and this is where she first encountered the work of Catholic Mission.

After leaving high-school she got involved as a leader for the local Young Christian Workers Movement (PYCW) in Parramatta, while pursuing a degree in Biodiversity and Conservation. It was through running a Volunteer Leadership Program for the YCW that she was able to bridge her faith and her connection to Social Justice and the issues that affected the realities of young people in her local community.

Recently she has been an active leader for the Australian Young Christian Workers (AYCW) by helping to rebuild the YCW in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs and by helping to build a bridge for other student leaders in YCS to continue their faith and leadership development in the YCW as a means of lifelong formation.

In her new role at Catholic Mission she seeks to foster the relationship of young leaders in the YCS and the YCW and to inspire young people across Australia, to translate their faith into positive and sustainable action.

Lyndall Brown is a Sister of
St. Joseph whose life has been enriched in the various ministries she has been involved in, beginning with Education. For many years Lyndall has been involved in working with adults, enabling them to enrich their lives through retreats, workshops in spirituality and personal group, and through Spiritual Accompaniment.

Mr Ken Bryant is currently the Head of Catholic Life, Education and Mission Services within Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong. He has a significant background in education as a teacher, Religious Education Coordinator, and School Leader in both Catholic and Departmental schools. Ken has served as a School Principal in three Parish Primary Schools within the Wollongong Diocese. In recent years Ken has co-lead the implementation of Educating With A Mission Lens, a staff formation program that imbues school staff with a deep mission consciousness to inform all  aspects of their work.

Christine Carolan is the Executive Officer of ACRATH, a national counter trafficking collaboration of Catholic religious and their partners. ACRATH work to raise awareness, support people trafficked into Australia, and to advocate for systemic change. Christine has worked on the issue of human trafficking since a global Catholic sisters' call for action in 2001. Christine learnt the Christian commitment to social action from her days in the See-Judge-Act world of the Young Christian Students movement while she was at school and university. Christine learned social justice and advocacy during the long campaign for East Timor's independence. Christine has taught in secondary and tertiary settings in Australia, Timor Leste and the USA for over 20 years. Christine was awarded a Centenary medal for her work in a community campaign for and with East Timorese asylum seekers.

Shaykh Wesam Charkawi was born and raised in Australia. From an early age, he sought the path of knowledge in the traditional Islamic sciences. Having studied for the past 12 years in various parts of the world including Syria and Lebanon, Shaykh Wesam is currently undertaking his masters in Sacred Islamic Law.

Sh. Wesam now works in a Sydney based school as the chaplain and works at grass roots mentoring and assisting the young through their journey in life.

In 2003 he founded the Abuhanifa Institute which teaches the essential sciences of Islam to young Muslims. Its ultimate focus is generational change.

Sh. Wesam continues to work and participate with organisations and events that strive for social cohesion and is a keen advocate of reaching out to the wider Australian community.

Lisa is a young woman with disabilities who shares her positive and personal experiences with others. She faces the challenges and overcomes the difficult situations she encounters by moving forward and enjoying life without fear. She follows her instincts and right directions of life. Lisa has a passion for issues around mental health, is an advocate and support for people with disabilities. Lisa always believes in faith.

Sr Michele Connolly rsj is a Sister of St Joseph of Lochinvar in the Hunter Valley. She taught in Catholic Secondary Schools of the Maitland Diocese, including a stint as an R.E. Co-ordinator, for about ten years. She studied theology at YTU Melbourne, and in the USA, graduating in 2008 with a PhD from GTU, Berkeley, CA. Michele’s principal area of interest is the Gospel of Mark. In 2018 her doctoral thesis was published by T&T Clark, under the title, Disorderly Women and the Order of God: An Australian Feminist Reading of the Gospel of Mark. Michele has taught in Sydney since the 1990s at CTU, Hunter’s Hill and since 2001 at Catholic Institute of Sydney, Strathfield. Michele speaks regularly at seminars and conferences on the role of Scripture in our lives.

Noel Connolly is a Columban missionary priest. He worked in Korea, was Rector of the Pacific Mission Institute, Vicar General of the Columbans world-wide, and Director of the Columbans in Australia and New Zealand. He is presently Head of Mission and Culture at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and member of Catholic Mission’s Adult Formation Team. He has also been appointed by the Australian Bishops as a member of the Facilitation Team for the Plenary Council 2020. Besides mission theology, his major interest is in growing our increasingly multicultural Australian Church. He has worked with numerous Dioceses to help welcome and enable overseas priests and religious.

Before entering the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity in Sydney, an Institute of Consecrated Life, in 1998, Kylie completed a Bachelor Health Science (Rehabilitation Counselling). She underwent two years of Initial Formation before commencing her theological studies. In 2007 she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) with Bachelor of Theology and fulfilled the requirements for the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology. She took her public Profession of Perpetual Vows in 2009.

Throughout her academic years Kylie was dedicated to her specific charism of prayer and ministry of the Word. She participated and assisted in facilitating spiritual retreats, schools of the Word, schools of formation, and sacramental programs in the parish. Between 2004 and 2008, Kylie lived and worked in Wollongong, assisting the Chaplain at Wollongong University in setting up the Catholic Society on Campus and introducing Catholic Faith orientated activities. Between 2008 and 2010 Kylie lived in the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity in Salamanca, Spain.

Since 2015 Kylie has worked for the Catholic Immigration Office directing the effective management of 27 migrant chaplaincies in the Sydney Archdiocese. Pastoral Care to the Sudanese women, support and counselling to those arriving from Syria and Iraq, along with pastoral care to the priests of the Archdiocese are some of her many responsibilities. In 2018 Kylie completed a Graduate Diploma in Pastoral Care of Human Mobility from the Scalabrini Institute of Migration Studies. She also works as a Diocesan Outreach Assistant for Aid to the Church in Need.

Andrea Dean grew up in the small gold mining village of Adelong on the south western slopes of New South Wales. After training as teacher she worked in various fields of education for more than 30 years.

Initially she taught in rural New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. A highlight was the time she spent living in Papua New Guinea where she worked in the Vanimo district from 1993 to 1996.

Eventually settling in Canberra, Andrea has been involved in leadership, facilitation and teaching through the Catholic Education Office, the Australian Catholic University and the University of Canberra. In 2004, she received a Churchill Fellowship and visited the USA to investigate programs in teacher formation. For a time, Andrea worked as an independent consultant and retreat facilitator in her business, Future Matters. Currently Director of the Office for the Participation of Women and the Office for Lay Pastoral Ministry within the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, she is passionate about making a difference in the world and in the Church.

Joel Duval is currently the Education Officer for Youth Ministry, working in the Catholic Life, Education and Mission Services within Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong. He has a significant background in education as a teacher (both Primary and Secondary), middle leader and Religious Education Coordinator. Joel holds a Bachelor in Education, a Masters in Theology (from BBI) and is enrolled in the ACU course, Leading the New Evangelisation. Joel has a deep passion for Youth Ministry and strives to create genuine opportunities for young people to have a deep and personal encounter with the person Jesus Christ. Having recently returned from co-leading the Wollongong Diocesan group from WYD in Panama, Joel was reaffirmed in his faith when Pope Francis spoke the words “You, dear young people, are not the future but the now of God”.

Shane Dwyer is the director of the National Centre for Evangelisation: an agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. His central concern is to find and refine a meaningful language with which to engage the postmodern seeker of truth with the depth and breadth of the Catholic spiritual tradition. He often fails.  An experienced teacher, lecturer and mentor, Shane’s background includes the creation of adult faith formation resources, writing and delivering theological courses at tertiary and vocational levels, and leading faith formation seminars, reflection days, and retreats. A trained spiritual director and pastoral ministry supervisor, he was appointed Director of the National Centre for Evangelisation and the Catholic Enquiry Centre in 2016.

Steff Fenton identifies as a gay Christian. She has been part of the Anglican Church in Australia for 30 years. Steff is currently studying a Masters of Divinity at Trinity College Theological School and undertaking a Ministry Formation Project at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Dulwich Hill. She hopes to be ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia in 2021.

In 2016 and 2017, Steff was the Coordinator of Youth Parliament of the World’s Religions, the largest interfaith event for young people in Australia, during her time as Media, Networking and Events Officer at Columban Mission Institute’s Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.

Steff is currently the Co-Chair of Equal Voices Sydney, the local branch of a national ecumenical grassroots movement of Australian Christians working to build an LGBTIQA-inclusive Australian Church. Steff is the Co-Founder of Made.Known.Loved, Australia’s first inclusive and safe LGBTIQA+ Christian youth camp. Steff shares some of her experiences on her blog, queervangelical.com.

Denis Fitzgerald is Executive Director of Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV), the peak body for some 50 Catholic social services organisations. He has been in that role since March 2008.

Denis' academic qualifications are in philosophy, accounting and public policy.

His career has included work in international relations, public policy, and the delivery of Government services.  As an Australian diplomatic Denis served as Australia's High Commissioner to Nauru, and worked in the UK, Solomon Islands and at the World Bank in Washington DC.

Denis advised the Victorian Government on taxation, and on consumer protection, and administered a number of programs in these areas.

At Catholic Social Services Victoria Denis works with its members in public policy, advocacy, strengthening cooperation within the sector, and reflecting with members on Catholic identity and its implications.

He chairs the Victorian Interchurch Criminal Justice Taskforce, and is a member of a range of Government and advisory forums, including the Victoria Police Interfaith Advisory Council and the Premier’s Multifaith Advisory Council.

Denis is a parishioner at St Dominic’s, Camberwell. He is married with six adult children and five grandchildren.

Patricia grew up in Box Hill, Victoria, and attended Primary and Secondary schools run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion. After school she worked in a bank and trained as a Primary school teacher before entering the Sisters of Sion in 1969. Patricia studied law at the University of NSW in the 1980s and worked in Legal Aid and the Footscray and Broadmeadow Community Legal centres in Melbourne before volunteering to go to the Philippines in 1990. In the Philippines Patricia worked in a diocesan justice and peace group for five years. She became the central Luzon regional coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, a mission partner of the Association of Major Superiors in the Philippines. In 2000 she was elected national Coordinator in 2000. More recently Patricia has worked in a legal centre for agricultural cases and then with the agricultural workers union before having to leave the Philippines last year.

Patrick has studied widely and extensively in areas including theology, education, music, philosophy, international development and cross-cultural studies. He has lived in the United States of America, Italy, Guatemala (in both Indigenous and Latino Communities) and Singapore and has travelled extensively. Fluent in five languages, Patrick’s most recent work has been throughout Asia working with multi-national companies in cross-cultural relationships and communications.

Marion is a Sister of St Joseph and her current ministry is as a member of the Congregational Leadership Team. Prior to that she spent a number of years in other leadership roles including Provincial in South Australia, a member of the NSW Josephite Leadership Team and also Principal of Josephite schools. At this time Marion is the Chairperson of the Australian Mission Network, the group made up of members of Catholic Religious Australia and which works in collaboration with Catholic Mission to bring you our bi-annual Mission Conference. Marion is inspired by all those who have worked so hard to bring the Conference together and hopes it will be a life giving experience for all participants.

Ellen Geraghty has recently joined the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea as Executive Leader Mission Integration. Prior to this she held the role of Executive Officer at Rahamim Ecology Centre, an environmental education, spirituality and advocacy ministry of ISMAPNG.

Before joining Rahamim, Ellen worked and/or volunteered in aged care, disability services, with vulnerable women and children (in Australia and in Mexico), and in care of the Earth (in Australia, the Netherlands and France), however the bulk of her professional career has been spent in law – most recently with the NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, the Law Council of Australia’s Environment and Planning Law Group, the National Environmental Law Association and the Australian Earth Laws Alliance.

With her faith firmly rooted in the Catholic and Quaker traditions, Ellen has found great joy in the Mercy ethos and in working with ISMAPNG and the broader Mercy family.

Trained as a lawyer, Richard Haddock spent much of his commercial career as an investment banker with an international French Bank. He then worked as a Non-Executive Director in the commercial sector as both a Director and Chair of both private and public companies, including ASX listed companies.

Richard has been on the board of several not-for-profit organisations, including Catholic Church organisations such as Caritas. He is presently Chair of the Australian Catholic Superannuation and Retirement Fund, CatholicCare, Sisters of Charity Foundation and St Vincent’s Curran Foundation. He is a Director of Catholic Church Insurance, Aid to the Church in Need and the University of Notre Dame.

Lawrie grew up in Gippsland before moving to Melbourne where he worked on the Diocesan Youth Apostolate (1986-87). Having completed a Social Work degree he then worked in mental health.

For the past 22 years he has lived in Newcastle, NSW, where he has been active within the Church and worked in management of NGO mental health and aged care.

Since 2017, Lawrie has been employed as Executive Officer with the Association of Ministerial PJPs and been a member of the Board of Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT). These settings enable him to pursue his passion for social justice, environmental sustainability and best practice governance.

Maeve Louise Heaney, VDMF is a consecrated member of the Verbum Dei Community and Director of the Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at Australian Catholic University. A theologian, musician and composer, she writes and presents on themes of theological aesthetics, music and spirituality. She lectures in Systematic Theology at ACU and at Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary, Banyo, and is secretary of the Australian Catholic Theological Association (ACTA) and Vice-President of INSeCT, The International Network of Societies of Catholic theology.

Josephine Heesh is a solicitor with 40 years’ experience. She worked in private practice and as a member of the in-house legal team at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia where she acted for the bank in the sale of the Polding Centre to the Archdiocese of Sydney. Josephine joined Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in 2009.

When working with religious orders, charities and not-for-profit clients, Josephine sets up structures, designs governance and management systems and advises on tax and charity law issues and risk management. She is a member of the Professional Users Group of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

Josephine is a past member of The Catholic Weekly Newspaper board and Kincoppal Rose Bay School board. In 2015 she completed 21 years serving as a member of the Sancta Sophia College Council, University of Sydney, ten of them as its Chair. She is a present member of the management committee of Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Overseas Aid Incorporated.

Married for more than 30 years Tony and Annette Hoban have three adult children. Tony is a permanent Deacon, ordained in 2009.

Tony is Director of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Parramatta and on the National Executive of the National Association of Deacons. He is also involved in prison ministry with Kairos.

Bishop of Parramatta, Vincent Long, appointed Tony as Pastoral Director of the Parochial District (future parish) of St Luke’s, Marsden Park from January 2018. Marsden Park is a rapidly growing new suburb in the north-west of Sydney. St Luke’s Catholic Faith Community celebrates Mass at St Luke’s Catholic College, Marsden Park, a new school which commenced in 2017.

In the leadership of this community Tony and Annette are supported by an advisory group which was formed shortly after their move to Marsden Park.

Tony, Annette and their children had been parishioners at Christ The King Parish, North Rocks, for 15 years before this appointment, with Tony as Deacon for the final 8 years.

Tony moved to this role after a career which spanned many areas, from starting out as a newspaper journalist, to working as Media and Government Relations Manager with NRMA, to senior business management roles in a number of organisations, such as Business Manager for CatholicCare Social Services in the Diocese of Parramatta, as Executive Officer for St Vincent de Paul Society, Parramatta, a short time with Catholic Mission and establishing campus ministry services nationally for staff of Australian Catholic University.

Tony has a Bachelor of Theology degree, a Master of Business Administration and a Company Directors’ Diploma and has recently been undertaking studies in Pastoral Counselling.

Annette has worked for the Federal court reporting service and in retail, service and education roles.

Both Tony and Annette have served as President of the North Rocks Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Bernard is an educator and advocate with 22 years’ experience as a Primary School principal in rural, remote and metropolitan schools including ten years as foundation principal of St Mary MacKillop School, Birkdale.

After being awarded a Churchill Fellowship and travelling extensively researching ecology programs and the sustainable built environment, Bernard worked with Brisbane Catholic Education on their response to ecological conversion in schools and their new schools. He was then appointed as Director of Eco Schools based in Copenhagen, coordinating the largest environmental education network globally, operating in 64 countries.

In recent years, Bernard has worked in both education and advocacy roles in a number of organisations to drive sustainability in the areas of agriculture and transport.

His entry into the Catholic Earthcare role as Director sees him connecting to a loosely affiliated network of animated champions across Catholic agencies and growing this into a coordinated response on Laudato Si for the Catholic Church in Australia.

Bernard holds a Master of Education and Master of Business Administration and Grad Dip in Religious Education.

Clare V. Johnson is Director of the ACU Centre for Liturgy and Professor of Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology at Australian Catholic University. Clare has taught liturgical studies, sacramental theology, preaching, liturgical music and systematic theology at the University of Notre Dame (USA), Michigan State University (USA), the University of Notre Dame Australia (Fremantle) and Australian Catholic University. Her academic research in liturgy, liturgical music, ritual studies, liturgical theology and liturgical inculturation has been widely published and she has received several teaching awards. She holds a mandatum to teach Catholic theology. Clare is Chair of the National Liturgical Music Board.

In recent years, Peter has created a series of audio-visual sequences for live presentations and DVDs. Two of these sequences are about his 700+km walks along Camino pilgrimage paths in Spain and France. Others, 'The Kerry Way' and 'Surprising Ireland, Deeper Home', are about walks in Ireland. With his Irish wife, Madge O'Brien, Peter has enjoyed many lengthy stays in Ireland.

As a songwriter, Peter has been called a pioneer in contemporary religious song. His earliest hymns 'Fill My House' and 'The Beatitudes' published in 1966 became internationally known. From 1982 Peter made music his work. As well as writing and publishing he has toured in all Australian states and overseas in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the USA to present his workshops and concerts.

To date, fifteen albums of his songs and hymns have been published. His compositions have been included in many hymnals. His 'This Is Our School' has been adopted as a school song by hundreds of Australian schools.

Peter's earthy songs of justice and compassion have been recognised as a distinctive contribution to the modern Church. Many of his songs were inspired through a forty-year friendship with Father Ted Kennedy. Ted became well known as a great friend and fierce advocate for Aboriginal people in St. Vincent's Parish, Redfern in Sydney.

The 'big work' of Peter's creative life is 'Good Morning Good People', a musical-narrative on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Peter has performed this work in many Australian concerts, also in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Jo Kenny taught in Catholic primary schools in the Wollongong diocese for 16 years before working as part of the Catholic Life, Education and Mission team within the Catholic Education Office. In this role she was responsible for leading and mentoring RECs and other leaders and supporting the Catholic identity within the system. Since 2015 this work involved leading a more contemporary understanding of mission in everyday life and particularly in Catholic education.

During 2018 Jo worked for Catholic Mission in the role of Mission Formation Educator.

Jo has facilitated retreat and formation opportunities for RECs and school staffs in Wollongong diocese, Wagga diocese and Parramatta diocese as well as with clergy groups and other Catholic community groups in Brisbane and Sydney.

In 2019 Jo’s role has become a shared one, continuing the partnership between Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong and Catholic Mission, to expand the influence of the “Educating with a Mission Lens” programme throughout the system of Catholic education in line with contemporary missiology, towards measurement of Catholic identity.

Manh was born in Vietnam and raised in Núi Đất- Long Tân. In 1991, aged twenty he migrated to Inala, just outside Brisbane under the Family reunion policy.

Manh joined the Divine Word Missionaries in 1994 and trained in Epping New South Wales. He completed a Masters in Theological Study and spent two years completing his overseas placement working with people who are homeless in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After ordination Manh returned to Brazil where he continued working as a missionary for thirteen years, including five years in the Amazon.

Mary Leahy began her working career over 30 years ago in the Catholic system as a high school music teacher. During her career she has worked with students, teachers and leaders from early childhood through to tertiary. She has also worked as an Adviser, Education Officer in the Sydney Archdiocese and Senior Education Officer, Head of Primary and as part of the Consultancy team in Strategic Leadership in the Broken Bay Diocese. She also worked for four years in the education section of LEGO where she collaboratively developed a National Professional Development strategy.

Mary studied in Sydney and London in the areas of education, adult learning, leadership, and governance. She also holds qualifications in the areas of executive coaching, mentoring and mediation.

Mary has worked as a consultant for 14 years, ten of which she served as chair of an Independent School Board during a period of significant change. During this time she was privileged to facilitate the Broken Bay Synod under Bishop David Walker in 2011-2012.

In 2017 Mary established Xenia Pneuma Consultancy (Greek for ‘generosity of spirit’). She and her colleagues accompany leaders of organisations to facilitate authenticity – a way of being and doing consistent with their vision, mission and values and ultimately supporting them to bring about cultural change.

Mary brings her passion for the creative to the potentially dry areas of strategy, governance and policy development. Her work is underpinned by her faith and her ability to connect with a range of leaders and leadership styles.

Elizabeth (Liz) Lee is a Spiritual Director who is drawn to offering spiritual accompaniment with those in the fringes. Following eight years of life-giving and privileged ministry in MRRC, a remand jail for 1000 men, and Matthew Talbot Hostel, a large men's homeless hostel, Liz recently undertook a three and a half month sabbatical during which time she visited examples of spiritual accompaniment in the fringes in the USA and the UK.

Originally a Food Technologist, Liz has been a Research Scientist, Museum Curator, Community Development Worker and Teacher of Science and Religious Education as well as Chaplain and Pastoral Care Officer. She holds a Master of Arts in Theology, a Masters of Education and a Bachelor of Science (Honours). Liz is a member of the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction and is its Sydney Regional Representative, as well as an active member of The Grail, an international women’s spirituality movement.  She is married to John and has three adult children and a granddaughter.

Gaye has had considerable experience living and working in cross cultural situations. Since her profession as a Sister of Mercy she has been involved in consultancy and facilitation using her skills in the areas of education, community development, spiritual formation and spiritual direction. She has lived and worked in cross cultural settings in Pakistan, refugee camps in Thai-Burma border and Papua New Guinea. Her experience includes monitoring projects in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and with Indigenous communities in Australia. In the early stages of the Institute, Gaye sat on the initial Institute Mission Implementation Committee and then went on to be involved in the Institute Mission Team.

Gaye helped research and set up Mercy Works Goroka/Mt Hagen and starting the Mercy Works Education Program. Gaye holds a Masters in International and Community Development, a Bachelor of Education, a Diploma in Missiology and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. A country girl at heart, Gaye grew up with her family on a farm near Delungra, NSW. She has a love for reading, art and her dog Solly!

Richard Leonard is a Jesuit priest. He has degrees in arts and education, as well as a Master’s degree in theology. Fr Richard did graduate studies at the London Film School and has a PhD from the University of Melbourne. He directs the Australian Catholic Office for Film & Broadcasting, is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Catholic University; has been a visiting scholar within the School of Theatre, Film & Television at UCLA and a Visiting Professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Fr Richard has served on juries at the Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Montreal, Brisbane and Melbourne International Film Festivals and he has lectured on faith and culture all over the world. He has been published in America Magazine, Eureka Street, US Catholics, is regular columnist with The London Tablet and is a regular guest on ABC Radio. He is the author of ten books, the next one Hatch, Match & Dispatch: A Catholic Guide to Sacraments will be released in February 2019.

Stephanie Lorenzo is the Communications Director of a global initiative, Voices of Faith that works to empower and advocate for women's leadership and decision making roles in the Catholic Church. She is the project lead for a new digital campaign titled 'Overcoming Silence', where Catholics from every continent are encouraged to upload their photo and message of support for female representation at all levels of decision making within our Church. The goal is to get at least one million messages to share with Pope Francis by the end of 2019 and show that this issue is one of significance and importance to people of faith around the world, as well as for the longevity of the Church. Stephanie was also the Founder of anti-human trafficking charity PROJECT FUTURES and is on the Board of Loreto Normanhurst and The Generations Foundation.

Father Brian Lucas is a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the National Director of Catholic Mission. He holds postgraduate qualifications in law, jurisprudence, theology, religious education and general studies, and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Prior to his appointment at Catholic Mission in 2015, Brian was for 12 years the General Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He also served as Secretary and Financial Administrator of the Archdiocese of Sydney from 1990-2002, and held parish appointments at St Mary’s Cathedral and Sydney.

Brian was an official media spokesman for the Archdiocese of Sydney for over 17 years. He has been a director of Catholic Church Insurance Limited and is an adjunct professor of the Australian Catholic University. He is a co-author of the Church Administration Handbook (St Paul Publications 2008) and Celebrating with Children (St Paul Publications 2012), and the author of Pleasing to God – The Call to Church Administration (St Paul Publications 2015).

He currently lives in Sydney.

Fr Peter Maher is a Sydney Diocesan Catholic priest. Peter has a Bachelor of Theology Degree from The Catholic Institute of Sydney and a Masters degree in Adult Education (University of Technology Sydney). He has worked in parish ministry, hospital chaplaincy and university chaplaincy. He has been in ministry with LGBTIQA+ Catholics, their families and allies for over 25 years. He is a Pastoral Supervisor and Supervisor Trainer.

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney is a Columban priest. He was assigned to Pakistan for over twenty years.  He is Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.  He offers courses on Islam and Interreligious dialogue at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and the Broken Bay Institute TAITE, participates in interfaith conferences and organisations, and gives talks on Christian-Muslim and Interreligious Relations to a wide variety of audiences.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) is the peak advisory body to the Australian Catholic Bishops on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics. The Council was founded in 1992 and the Secretariat is based in Adelaide. Each State and Territory nominates a representative via their local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry. The Council meets monthly via teleconference and twice yearly on a face to face basis. NATSICC advises the Bishops Commission for relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics. NATSICC is a not for profit organisation that is funded by the Catholic Church and Caritas Australia’s First Nations program. For more information on representatives www.natsicc.org.au

Mark Raue is a Professional Assistant to the Director of Schools in the Catholic Education Office in Wollongong and leads Strategic Planning & Policy for the system of schools. His current responsibilities include overseeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and the system response to Laudato Si.

Apart from developing the strategic direction for the system of schools, Mark is also responsible for designing the School Review and Improvement Framework and as such he has a keen interest in the integration of mission and for assisting schools to measure indicators of mission and Catholicity.

Born and bred in Wollongong NSW, Beth has worked in Catholic Education for 30 years. She has been a Primary teacher, Religious Education Coordinator, Education Officer in Catholic Life Education Mission and is currently Education Officer (Special Projects) in Strategic Planning & Policy/Office of the Director (SPP) at the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong. Beth has also contributed to the continuing partnership with Catholic Mission begun in 2015 working within the adult formation team.

Beth is passionate about enlivening religious education and Catholic School communities so that they are relevant to both students and teachers and works to help schools read the ‘signs of the times’ so that they can be communities of justice, inclusivity, sustainability and hospitality.

One of Beth’s key roles is leading the system response to the Papal encyclical Laudato Si' through building staff capacity in ecological conversion with particular emphasis on creating links with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Spiritualities. Areas of her work include the development of resources for schools and providing professional learning experiences in environmental education, ecological conversion and influencing system policy development ensuring alignment with Laudato Si’.

Previously Beth coordinated the Religious Literacy Assessment Project for Primary students across the Wollongong diocese. She has also been involved in RE curriculum and assessment, faith formation initiatives and programs for both students and teachers. Beth’s qualifications include Diploma of Teaching (Primary), Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts (Theological Studies).

Paul Roberts is from the diocese of Parramatta and is currently director of the Institute for Mission and parish priest of Emu Plains. He enjoys rejuvenating with a bit of motorcycling and since recently moving near to the Nepean River hopes to do some paddling.

Paul and the small team at the Institute for Mission facilitate nourishment for life in faith and aim to offer support for people’s leadership in mission and ministry. Before being a priest Paul lived in the suburb and parish of the high school where he was a young teacher and sees that as influential on taking up priesthood since 1993.

Paul believes that the most valuable thing he can do in ministry in various ways, is to accompany people in their stories and in the encouragement that we are all receivers and channels of God’s grace.

Charlene Robson grew up in the small country town of Leeton, which is located in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales.

Charlene has worked in Catholic schools within the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales for nine years. After commencing as a Primary teacher she progressed into the roles of Religious Education Coordinator and Curriculum Coordinator. Currently she is employed with Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga as an Education Officer in the area of Faith and Care.

Currently studying a Masters of Theology and Leadership, Charlene is passionate about sharing practical ways to integrate faith and culture into Catholic schools at a system level for Primary and Secondary students.

Sr Noelene Simmons is a Marist Sister. She has a background in secondary teaching with twenty four years’ experience in secondary schools in Sydney, Queensland and New Zealand. She has held various administrative roles within her congregation and in secondary colleges. Currently she holds the position of President for Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH).  Her work with ACRATH includes giving presentations to raise awareness about human trafficking, advocating on behalf of those affected by this crime, managing the ACRATH website and social media platforms, networking with other Australian NGO’s working in this field and facilitating ACRATH’s links with a number of international anti-trafficking organisations.

Camilo Velasco also goes by the name Donnie (it’s a cultural quirk from his Filipino background), moved to Australia with his parents and three siblings in 1991 aged three. Married to Mei for the last four years, they attended the same local Catholic school and parish, the latter of which they continue to engage with through music, youth and young adult ministries.

Donnie has worked at the Institute for Mission (IFM) – Diocese of Parramatta, for the last five years. One current notable initiative that he is leading, and which Director Paul Roberts was instrumental in creating and shaping, is The FaithFeed – a network for those around the ages of 25 to 39 that celebrates life, faith and action in the world.

Beyond the work space Donnie finds joy in playing music, regular exercise, going on short hikes or simple camping weekends and hosting guests with Mei in their home.

Stancea Vichie is a Missionary Sister of Service, an Australian congregation founded by Father John Wallis in 1944. She has worked in urban, rural, and outback parts of Australia and short stints overseas, a mission which has included pastoral work, Congregational leadership, adult faith formation, advocacy with asylum seekers, people who are victims of human trafficking.