Last week staff across the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle were lucky enough to see our communities in action during Bishop’s Staff Week.
Eleven different groups visited a number of locations across the Hunter-Manning region to get involved and understand what the Diocese and its different agencies do.
Some of the activities included tending to community gardens, volunteering at a Community Kitchen, visiting schools, meeting parish communities and so much more.
I was lucky enough to go to two events – one at Taree and another in Mayfield – and found that both days gave me a real insight into the impactful work we do supporting students at schools, or those in need at CatholicCare, and how important the church is to the lives of people in our community.
So, what did other staff think of the week? I asked a few attendees, see what they thought below.
Kiara Southwell – Talent Partner Human Resources – Mayfield
The day has been amazing. It’s really good to interact with the other agencies, put faces to names and get amongst the places we work with every day such as St Dom’s, CatholicCare and the Refugee Hub. To learn about all the different programs they offer has just been incredible.
One of my highlights has been going to St Dominic’s Centre, one of the schools I work closely with, and seeing the programs they have for these kids and giving them so many opportunities in the community.
Alexander Foster – Marketing and Communications Coordinator – Chisholm
Bishop’s Staff Day has always been one of my favourite work moments of the year. It provides an opportunity for me to step away from the busyness of everyday work and experience what our Diocese does first-hand. As a marketing and communications professional, it’s vital that I understand our agencies and their services so that I’m able to properly support them, so I find it extremely valuable to get that immersive experience.
It’s not often we get to experience the work of the Diocese outside of our immediate scope of work, but Bishop’s Staff Week provides that opportunity. To be able to engage with a community in a holistic way – from the parish to the early education centre, to the primary school, and the secondary school – helped me to see the bigger picture; to understand why we do what we do.
Gina O’Brien – Business Partner Risk and Resolution – Blackbutt North
My experience on Bishop’s Staff Day was one of joy. I absolutely loved seeing the students in action. It was wonderful to have them show off their talents.
The day gave me a broader understanding of our schools and just how much the children are learning and doing every day.
Kate Crncevic – Pastoral Ministries Admin Assistant, Leadership and Structure – Taree and Forster
It was lovely to get out in the areas I have not been and meet the locals.
Meeting the Parishioners from Taree was the highlight of the day for me – they were so warm and inviting and were a wealth of knowledge about the Parish Cathedral construction and its symbolism. I especially loved hearing about the ladies and the Prayer Group they started in the late 70s / early 80s and how it became a support network for them all, back in a time when these things were not so readily available, and people didn’t talk openly about their troubles with one another.
Kate popped together this video to summarise her day in Forster.
Gemma Hunter – Marketing and Communications Coordinator – Chisholm
I think Bishop’s staff week is a great idea! Everyone was so welcoming. It was really impressive to see our agencies in action and it’s also a fantastic opportunity to meet colleagues from Shared Services.
The highlight of my day was the student tour at St Aloysius, Chisholm. The students were so friendly and passionate about their school – it was lovely to see. Of course, the rest of the day was also wonderful.
It was interestingseeing how each community is so unique, but also that no matter where you go, our Diocese can support people in their community during any stage of life.
Adam Frost – Education Officer, Formation Religious Education and Spirituality Services – Mayfield
I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the Diocese does, you see the names of people and the different places we have but unless you go there and see them in action, it’s difficult to really get a grasp of what the Diocese actually does as a whole.
A highlight for me was seeing the wonderful work that’s happening at St Dom’s and the teachers and how much passion they have for their role and the way that they are looking after those kids with varying different needs – the creativity and the energy that the teachers have is wonderful to see in action.
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