Last Friday, in the dining hall of Sacred Heart Mission and in front of an audience of council members, bishops, member organisation leaders and life members, Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) hosted a cross-sector discussion panel prior to its Annual General Meeting pondering the question; what does a just housing future for Victoria look like?   Hang Vo, CEO at Sacred Heart Mission, moderated the discussion featuring Dannii de Kretser, Deputy CEO at Homes Victoria, Fiona Williams, CEO at CatholicCare Victoria Housing (CCVH), and Ingrid Langtry, Head of Place and Experience ..read more

Why do we have Catholic social services? How do we stay true to purpose in the way that we operate, offer services and consider our place in the world? How do we apply Catholic Social Teachings to our contemporary context? These are questions at the heart of the purpose of the CSSV Catholic Ethos and Identity Committee. This Committee was formed in 2008, initially as a Working Group, and continues to offer direction and oversight of CSSV’s work the area of Catholic ethos and identity, as we consider what are the best ways we can support member agencies to keep their mission, identity and purp ..read more

Register for the Mission Inspired Leadership Program Catholic Social Services Victoria is again offering the Mission Inspired Leadership Program in 2024. Inspired by gospel values, their dynamic Catholic ethos and identity and Catholic social principles, Catholic social service providers in Victoria work to combat poverty and disadvantage at the local, national and sometimes global level in solidarity with the excluded, while protecting nature, for the common good of all. To maintain integrity in a highly changeable environment, Catholic social services leaders, board members and expert pract ..read more

In the lead up to the national Catholic social services conference in Melbourne, from 21-23 February, Executive director of Catholic Social Services Victoria was interviewed by Michael McVeigh for EurekaStreet. In the conversation, Josh shares some of his most formative experiences in the social services space, how he came to learn about and engage with Catholic social thought, and where the energy and drive to ‘rebuild the commons’ will come from in today’s climate. Join our mailing list Keep up to date with latest news, information and upcoming events. We respect your privacy, as outline ..read more

In a spirit of joy and thanksgiving, those working in and with Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV), including some of its council, committee and member representatives, life and associate members, staff, and volunteers, gathered for an end of year celebration in East Melbourne, recently. The gathering provided an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and give thanks for the year that’s been. Throughout the year, CSSV has hosted and co-hosted a number of well-supported events including the launch of Fr Frank Brennan SJ’s book in March, An Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Considering a Constitu ..read more

As people gathered in silence, in a church in Melbourne’s CBD, a bell tolled 54 times—one toll for each woman known to have been murdered in Australia since 1 January as a result of domestic and family violence. The ecumenical service, Holding the Light, is an annual opportunity to remember and pray for victims and survivors of family and domestic violence. It is also an occasion to name out loud, those who have died in the past year. The service is one of a number of awareness-raising events held during the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, from 25 November ..read more

September 27th is the Feast Day of St Vincent de Paul — a French priest who ministered in the mid-1600s, and in 1883 was designated as the special patron of all charitable associations. ‘Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.’ St Vincent de Paul Today is also the Daniel Andrews’ last day as Premier of Victoria — and as St Vincent de Paul advised us, Catholic Social Servi ..read more

With less than a month to go before Australians vote in a national referendum on the question of whether to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Constitution, people on both sides of the debate are being encouraged to engage in respectful and informed dialogue. At a recent online webinar hosted by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) and featuring speakers from a number of leading Catholic organisations, they were also asked to make their decision in light of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. About 100 people attended the online webinar on 14 ..read more

Tuesday 19 March marks World Social Work Day. This year’s theme ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change’, speaks to the important role of social work in both meeting the needs of individual persons as well as the importance of this work in positively changing society and systems so that all may flourish. Catholic Social Services Victoria’s report released today maps out the work of its 40 member organisations in communities across Victoria and beyond, and discusses the importance of participative approaches, the vital role for cross-sector and values-based approaches, and the nee ..read more

In the lead up to the national Catholic social services conference in Melbourne, from 21-23 February, Executive director of Catholic Social Services Victoria was interviewed by Michael McVeigh for EurekaStreet. In the conversation, Josh shares some of his most formative experiences in the social services space, how he came to learn about and engage with Catholic social thought, and where the energy and drive to ‘rebuild the commons’ will come from in today’s climate. Join our mailing list Keep up to date with latest news, information and upcoming events. We respect your privacy, as outline ..read more