Two of the Australian Catholic Church’s most influential figures discussed the significance of faith based education within the context of a Catholic university environment with staff from the University of Notre Dame Australia recently.
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and Bishop Anthony Fisher OP of Parramatta were welcomed to Notre Dame to present the university’s staff formation series of lectures. The series aims to further understanding among the university’s staff of Catholic tradition and identity.
On November 6, more than 150 members of the Notre Dame community gathered from across the country to hear Bishop Fisher explore the relationship between faith and reason, and what it means to be a “witness to Christ” in a modern Catholic university.
Bishop Fisher delivered the talk at the Sydney campus, which was video-linked to staff in Fremantle and Broome. Following his presentation, Bishop Fisher commended the university for its commitment to professional development in Catholic faith and morality.
“It means that the University of Notre Dame Australia walks the talk of its mission statement, ensuring that academic, professional and general staff know what the university is about and can commit themselves to it,” Bishop Fisher said.
“I was particularly impressed to find the audience included people from all faith traditions and that we were able to have a very open and frank discussion about the identity and mission of a Catholic university in contemporary Australia.”
The importance of a Catholic university in the Archdiocese of Perth was the focus for Archbishop Costelloe when he addressed staff at the Fremantle campus on October 17.
He discussed why the Church was committed to and engaged in both the teaching of education and health care, saying the Church could contribute to the well-being of society by using its resources to make essential services accessible for everyone.
“The fact that so many people, both those who are Catholics and those who are not, choose to make use of Catholic schools, Catholic hospitals and, we could add, Catholic social service agencies, indicates how much the Church’s contribution to these areas of our society is valued and appreciated,” Archbishop Costelloe said during his presentation.”
“Every human person is precious to God, worthy of reverence, and deserving of respect in every way.”
“In the Catholic world view, no-one is unworthy of dignified and reverent care and attention.”
“That Catholic hospitals and health care facilities need to be places where this world view informs everything that happens and every decision that is made explains why we need a Catholic university to form our nurses, our doctors, our social workers, our pastoral care workers and, yes, our receptionists and our administrators and our support staff as well.”