Anne Benjamin. Adjunct Professor, Centre for Creative and Authentic Leadership, Australian Catholic University, NSW, Australia

Anne Benjamin. Adjunct Professor, Centre for Creative and Authentic Leadership, Australian Catholic University, NSW, Australia

Today s poorest Catholics do not choose Catholic schools, despite the strong discourse around having a priority for the poor. Word of context: contemporary efforts to honour the commitment How does our history inform contemporary challenges relating to access of the poor to Catholic schools?

As Catholic educators, we live and work in the worlds of both Church and State, and often find ourselves the servants of two masters. We address ethical dilemmas that require us to differentiate between not the good and the bad, but to choose the better of two goods, or the lesser of two evils. (Conference Promotion) The contemporary issue of Catholic schools at the service of the poor poses a significant ethical dilemma that cuts to the heart of our faithfulness to Jesus and the Gospels.

To what extent was inclusion of the poor an issue for Australian Catholic schools prior to 1972? How did Catholic school leaders respond to inclusion of the poor? How did school leaders speak of their mission to the poor? What is some of the legacy of that history?

1. Early years and Denominational schools: 1806 1860 s 2. 1860 s: The Education Question 3. Schools and Religious Congregations: 1870 s 1945 4. Post World War II: 1946 1970 s

Survey of selected Religious Congregations Interviews with Congregational representatives Primary sources from Congregations and Australian history Secondary sources, including Congregational websites

(Taken from Fogarty, p 109)

Early schools and lay teachers Denominational schools Bishop Polding, 10 June 1845 Early Religious Congregations, 1838...

1860 s: the Education Question Bishops Pastoral Letter, 1862, on the public education of your children, and especially of the children of the poor... Sydney Archbishop & Clergy s Petition, 1866, on debarring Catholics from their share of public aid for elementary education and the consequent assault upon their religious liberty. The Bishops Pastoral Letter, 1869 (one of several on the Education Question)

Post 1872: Religious Congregations Early Congregations Christian Brothers: question of pay schools Good Samaritans Mary MacKillop and SoSJ Growth of Catholic education

New (20th Century) Funding debates and social justice Science labs Goulburn Strike Systems

The Bishops and a question of the Faith Archbishop Polding: local families, Aborigines

Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of Saint Benedict, first Australian home grown congregation of Catholic religious women. Founded by Archbishop John Bede Polding OSB, Australia s first bishop, in 1857. Good Sams draw inspiration from two key sources: wisdom of Benedictine spirituality parable of the Good Samaritan. http://www.goodsams.org.au/who we are/good samaritan benedictinespirituality/good samaritan benedictine values/

We, Sisters of Charity of Australia are women religious who have been serving the people of Australia since 1838 Within the mission of the Catholic Church, we are committed especially to service of the poor and disadvantaged, and have a commitment to social justice and to the environment. Our Congregational charism is to bring to each person the love, the tenderness and concern of Christ for the poor, seeing Christ in everyone we serve. (Constitutions: Religious Sisters of Charity of Australia.) From January 1839 the Sisters lived at Parramatta and visited the Female Factory where many women convicts lived and worked for the government. The Sisters main concern was religious instruction and care of the sick poor. http://www.sistersofcharity.org.au/

How do the changed circumstances of our time affect the issue of Catholic education for the poor? Is this the right question?

Option for poor and inclusion was NOT an issue for our predecessors: it was taken for granted. Option for the poor continues to be a priority for Australian Catholic schools and their leaders. Issues relating to inclusion are larger and more complex than the good intent and actions of individual schools and their leaders. The circumstances and context in each period in history are unique and cannot be extrapolated to other contexts. This paper has not begun...