OUR STORY
The National Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW) was established in December 2000, initially as a Commission, by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC). As stated at the time: it exists to ensure the dignity of women is honoured and their gifts are given space to flourish for the sake of the life of the Church’s life and mission. [ACBC 2017]. This Council became an advisory body to the Australian Bishops’ Commission for Church Ministry in 2006.
A branch of the CACW was first established in the Wagga Wagga Diocese in 2003, initiated and fully supported by Bishop Gerard Hanna, who appointedMary Crimmins as the first chair and there were two representatives from each deanery. Since 2003, CACW has held nine Spirituality Days in Wagga Wagga, Albury and Leeton and a number of adult faith formation training days.
In November 2019, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference decided to subsume the Office for the Participation of Women and CACW into the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. This meant that in its 20th year CACW was made redundant.
In February 2020, the current CACW Executive thought it was important to continue the work of CACW in this Diocese. This was discussed with Bishop Mark Edwards in September 2020. Bishop Mark was very interested in the history and work of CACW and was very supportive of this continuing. The Executive then discussed a new name and logo for this stand-alone group, modified the Guiding Principles and began the design of this website.
Some Key Events in the History of the CACW
In 1996 The ACBC commissioned a major research project studying the participation of women in the Catholic Church. A report on this research was published in April 1999 entitled, Woman and Man One in Christ Jesus. In September that year the ACBC published the Social Justice Sunday Conference which endorsed the Report with 9 decisions: N0. 8 to establish a Commission for Australian Catholic Women: N0. 9 – to establish an office to assist the Commission (OPW) and appoint a Executive Officer. The Statement included 31 proposals which “bishops might wish to consider”. In December the Commission for Catholic Women was announced which was formally commissioned in June 2001 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.
In 2003 the Wagga Wagga Diocesan Commission for Australia Catholic Women [CACW-WW] was established with a constitution, policies and procedures. There were 9 members. There was an annual “Voice of Women” gathering held in the Diocese in March each year and to where the chair presented the annual report . Deanery representatives were selected and attended regular diocesan meetings. Parish representatives were elected by each parish and attended the annual meeting.
An early activity for the Council was to launch the book: And the Dance Goes on, An Anthology of Australian Catholic Women’s Stories.
In May, 2006 the name of the group was changed from Commission to Council which was to be a permanent advisory body to the Bishops’ Commission for Church Ministry and the Bishops’ Commission for Pastoral Life.
Between 2006 and 2010 a Spirituality Day was held annually, the venue being in a different parish centre each year. In the years between 2013 and 2016 representatives from the diocese attended CACW events held nationally. However, it was believed that the work of the Council in the diocese needed to be rekindled. With Bishop Hanna’s support a meeting was held with this intent in February, 2014. Subsequently another Spirituality Day was held in September that year. For the next two years representatives again attended national events.
From 2010 to 2013 the group went into recess.
In February, 2017 CACW-WW was formally reactivated. Another Spirituality Day was undertaken. The Council began work in the next year on preparation for the Plenary Council, Listening and Discernment submission. prepared and submitted.
In 2019 representatives attended the National Colloquium and a Spirituality Day was held. In November the final project of the Office for the Participation of Women, marking 20 years since the research into women’s participation in the Catholic Church in Australia, Still Listening to the Spirit, was published. The ACBC disestablished the CACW and OPW. Their responsibilities were delegated to the Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry and the National Centre for Evangelisation. Having sent their Listening submission to the Plenary Council in March, the CACW-WW met in February, 2020 and evolved into the Spirit Weavers - Contemplative Active Christian Women which was endorsed by Bishop Mark Edwards upon his appointment in 2020 The Committee decided to survey members seeking their ideas on the future of the CACW-WW, including Spirituality Days, and to develop a website and explore social media possibilities.
DAYS OF SPIRITUALITY AND PRAYER
