Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
28 Sep 2012
In the past 20 years the number of Catholic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has more than doubled growing from just 62,000 in 1991 to 125,000.
"What is even more exciting is the surge in young people with the average Indigenous Catholic just 21.5 years old," says Craig Arthur, National Administration of NATSICC - the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council.
The statistics released today by the Pastoral Research Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) comes on the eve of NATSICC's four-day Assembly to be held in Melbourne from next week from 1-4 October.
The Assembly, which is held every three years, has already received a large number of registrations from young Indigenous Australians and includes a range of special youth programs including workshops and keynote speakers as part of the four-day program.
"We knew there had been a surge in our young people proclaiming their faith and becoming involved with the Church but I don't think any of us realised the extent to which this has been happening," says Craig.
Elsie Heiss, respected and admired elder, and Executive Officer of the Archdiocese of Sydney's Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, is looking forward to the vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics will bring to this year's NATSICC Assembly.
"The increasing numbers of young Indigenous people proclaiming their faith and regularly attending Mass is partly due to Sydney's World Youth Day in 2008 and WYD in Madrid last year," she says.
Elsie believes young people feel embraced by the Church and as a result of World Youth Day in Madrid and Sydney, whether they attended or not, they were filled with pride in their faith and no longer shy about proclaiming it.
"It is wonderful to be at Mass at the Church of Reconciliation at La Perouse and look across the pews and see all these young faces," she says.
For NATSICC and ACMs across the country the findings of the Pastoral Research Office show a fast expanding Church with statistics that are quite outstanding, particularly when compared with statistics for the overall Catholic population.
"The average age of Indigenous Catholics is a little more than 21.5 years while the median age for all Catholics is far higher at 37.6 years of age," says Craig. "The increase in Indigenous Catholics over the past 20 years has also outstripped the overall population and has grown at a rate of 102 % against a national mean for all Catholics of just 2.3%."
NATSICC will have good reason to celebrate at its Assembly next week. But despite the overwhelming increase in numbers of young Indigenous Catholics, it wasn't until the previous NATSICC Assembly of 2009 that part of the program was specifically designed for young people.
"They were a big success and this year we have made sure we have even more activities and workshops for young Catholics," Craig says.
Along with workshops created for young delegates to the Assembly there will be a Youth Mass on Wednesday 3 October and a variety of tours to Melbourne's SCG and the National Sports Museum where Cathy Freeman's famous Olympics 2000 body suit and other mementoes of Indigenous sporting greats are on display.
More than 50 under 25s are expected at this year's Assembly with contingents of young people flying in from Queensland, NSW, the Northern Territory, Broome and other WA towns and communities, as well as from South Australia.
Taking "Culturally Enriched Through the Gospel" as its theme, the Assembly which will be attended by up to 300 delegates from dioceses and parishes across Australia has a line up of acclaimed national and international speakers.
Sister Kateri Mitchell from the St Regis (Akwesasne Mohawk) Reservation in upstate New York will give one of the keynote addresses. The first Native American woman to be appointed to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and in October 2011, Sr Kateri was also one of the 300 delegates representing leaders of Traditional Religions at the 25th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi.
Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, a trained teacher and art consultant with the Northern Territory Department of Education is another keynote speaker. Miriam-Rose whose primary language is Ngan'gikurunggurr but speaks four other local languages was the driving force behind the establishment of Darwin's Aborginal Women's Centre. She is a talented artist in her own right and active promoter of Aboriginal Culture.
Also addressing the Assembly will be New Zealand's Danny Karatea-Goddard, a member of the Maniapoto, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua tribal groups, and a member of the working party that translated the new Missal texts into the Maori language. He is also an executive member of the Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa (the New Zealand Maori Catholic Council.)
Others who will be keynote speakers over the four day Assembly include Fr Frank Brennan, social justice advocate and Professor of Law in the Public Policy Institute at the Australian Catholic University and visiting Professional Fellow at the University of NSW; Mark Bin Bakar, the Broome-based Indigenous musician, comedian, radio announcer and host of an SBS television variety show; Lee Malezer of the Butchulla/Gubbi Gubbi peoples of South Western Queensland, Chair of the Foundation for the Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, and delegate to United Nations forums on indigenous issues.
Bishop Christopher Saunders, Bishop of Broome and Chair of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council will lead a workshop of the Year of Grace with other leading figures in the Indigenous community conducting workshops in Scripture, music to sustain and raise the spirit, painting and healing.
To find out more about NATSICC's 2012 Assembly go to http://www.natsicc.org.au/v1/assembly_2012/assembly_2012_gi.html
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
28 Sep 2012
Many will celebrate through music and dance
"What is even more exciting is the surge in young people with the average Indigenous Catholic just 21.5 years old," says Craig Arthur, National Administration of NATSICC - the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council.
The statistics released today by the Pastoral Research Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) comes on the eve of NATSICC's four-day Assembly to be held in Melbourne from next week from 1-4 October.
The Assembly, which is held every three years, has already received a large number of registrations from young Indigenous Australians and includes a range of special youth programs including workshops and keynote speakers as part of the four-day program.
"We knew there had been a surge in our young people proclaiming their faith and becoming involved with the Church but I don't think any of us realised the extent to which this has been happening," says Craig.
Surge in numbers of young Indigenous Catholics
"The increasing numbers of young Indigenous people proclaiming their faith and regularly attending Mass is partly due to Sydney's World Youth Day in 2008 and WYD in Madrid last year," she says.
Elsie believes young people feel embraced by the Church and as a result of World Youth Day in Madrid and Sydney, whether they attended or not, they were filled with pride in their faith and no longer shy about proclaiming it.
"It is wonderful to be at Mass at the Church of Reconciliation at La Perouse and look across the pews and see all these young faces," she says.
Native American Sister Kateri Mitchell will address the NATSICC Assembly
"The average age of Indigenous Catholics is a little more than 21.5 years while the median age for all Catholics is far higher at 37.6 years of age," says Craig. "The increase in Indigenous Catholics over the past 20 years has also outstripped the overall population and has grown at a rate of 102 % against a national mean for all Catholics of just 2.3%."
NATSICC will have good reason to celebrate at its Assembly next week. But despite the overwhelming increase in numbers of young Indigenous Catholics, it wasn't until the previous NATSICC Assembly of 2009 that part of the program was specifically designed for young people.
"They were a big success and this year we have made sure we have even more activities and workshops for young Catholics," Craig says.
Along with workshops created for young delegates to the Assembly there will be a Youth Mass on Wednesday 3 October and a variety of tours to Melbourne's SCG and the National Sports Museum where Cathy Freeman's famous Olympics 2000 body suit and other mementoes of Indigenous sporting greats are on display.
NATSICC Assembly a celebration of faith, culture, music and dance
Taking "Culturally Enriched Through the Gospel" as its theme, the Assembly which will be attended by up to 300 delegates from dioceses and parishes across Australia has a line up of acclaimed national and international speakers.
Sister Kateri Mitchell from the St Regis (Akwesasne Mohawk) Reservation in upstate New York will give one of the keynote addresses. The first Native American woman to be appointed to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and in October 2011, Sr Kateri was also one of the 300 delegates representing leaders of Traditional Religions at the 25th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi.
Indigenous musician, comedian and radio personality Mark Bin Bakar
Also addressing the Assembly will be New Zealand's Danny Karatea-Goddard, a member of the Maniapoto, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua tribal groups, and a member of the working party that translated the new Missal texts into the Maori language. He is also an executive member of the Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa (the New Zealand Maori Catholic Council.)
Others who will be keynote speakers over the four day Assembly include Fr Frank Brennan, social justice advocate and Professor of Law in the Public Policy Institute at the Australian Catholic University and visiting Professional Fellow at the University of NSW; Mark Bin Bakar, the Broome-based Indigenous musician, comedian, radio announcer and host of an SBS television variety show; Lee Malezer of the Butchulla/Gubbi Gubbi peoples of South Western Queensland, Chair of the Foundation for the Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, and delegate to United Nations forums on indigenous issues.
Bishop Christopher Saunders, Bishop of Broome and Chair of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council will lead a workshop of the Year of Grace with other leading figures in the Indigenous community conducting workshops in Scripture, music to sustain and raise the spirit, painting and healing.
To find out more about NATSICC's 2012 Assembly go to http://www.natsicc.org.au/v1/assembly_2012/assembly_2012_gi.html
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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