Diocesan councils, commissions and committees exist to help guide and provide the bishop with expert advice on a broad range of diocesan matters. Members of the councils, commissions and committees in the diocese serve selflessly to help the programs and business of the diocese run smoothly.
The terms of references are generally developed and approved by each council, commission and committee. Some positions are elected by representative bodies where appropriate and some are appointed by the bishop. Additionally, clergy and/or diocesan staff may resource the workload.
The Council of Priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the bishop in an advisory capacity in the governance of the diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have such a council. The council addresses matters concerning the pastoral welfare of the people of God in the diocese.
Provides pastoral support and independent advice to the director of CatholicCare in relation to programs and organisational initiatives, including strategic objectives and directions of CatholicCare.
Aims to ensure both the ethical management of CDF members’ funds and the wise use of resources to promote the pastoral works of the diocese. Members are drawn from a cross-section of Church, community and business personnel.
Established in accordance with Cannon Law and not engaged in the day-to-day financial administration of the diocese. It is a council of vigilance—advising the bishop on financial matters such as administration and its improvement where opportune.
Seeks to promote justice and peace, ecological concern and respect for life in society, in the light of the Gospel and the social teaching of the Church.
Considers the pastoral questions of our day and makes appropriate recommendations to the bishop. Acts as a significant form of collaborative dialogue and discernment in service of the pastoral needs of the diocese.
Diocesan Professional Standards and Child Protection Council
Assists the bishop to build and maintain a diocesan culture that focuses on the dignity and safety of each person, with a special regard for the young and vulnerable—including adherence to legislative requirements, accountability, awareness raising and education, direction, structure and guidance.
Advises the bishop on matters pertaining to parish and diocesan schools, including—the evangelising thrust of Catholic schools, religious education, learning and teaching, strategic planning and resourcing.
Parish SEDSO (School Enhancement and Debt Servicing Obligation) Council
Provides an income stream to ensure that contributions towards the costs for the construction, upgrade, maintenance and enhancement of parish primary schools are shared equitably among those families with children attending these schools.
Diocesan Development and Community Engagement Committee
Engages a broad cross-section of individuals, bringing together a greater depth of knowledge and expertise to the development of sustainable financial programs for the works of the diocese.
Each diocese in NSW is required to have a Diocesan Priorities Committee to determine priorities for applications made for Commonwealth Government Capital Grants.
Provides expert and independent advice regarding salaries to the Office of the Bishop, Catholic Development Fund and CatholicCare, and has oversight of executive level performance appraisals.
Addresses the rapid development in the Macarthur and Southern Highlands growth areas and the impact that this has on the diocese, parishes and agencies.
Account means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited.
Agreement means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us, including the direct debit request.
Business day means a day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a listed public holiday.
Debit day means the day that payment is due.
Debit payment means a particular transaction where a debit is made, according to your direct debit request.
Direct debit request means the Direct Debit Request between us and you.
Us and we and our means the Catholic Development Fund.
You means the customer(s) who signed the direct debit request. Your financial institution is the financial institution where you hold the account that you have authorised us to arrange to debit.
Debiting your account
By submitting a direct debit request, you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account according to the agreement we have with you.
We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account:
As authorised in the direct debit request; if the debit day falls on a day that is not a business day, we may direct your financial institution to debit your account on the following or previous business day. If you are unsure about which day your account has or will be debited, please check with your financial
Changes by you
If you wish to stop or defer a debit payment you must write to us at least 5 business days before the next debit day.
This notice should be given to us in the first instance.
Your obligations
It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made.
If there are insufficient clear funds available in your account to meet a debit payment:
you or your account may be charged a fee and/or interest by your financial institution;
you or your account may be charged a fee to reimburse us for charges we have incurred for the failed transaction;
you must arrange for the payment to be made by another method
Please check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct.
Dispute
If you believe that there has been an error in debiting your account you should call us on 1800 047 703 and confirm the details in writing with us as soon as possible so that we can resolve your query quickly.
Accounts
You should check:
with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your accounts offered by financial
your account details which you have provided to us are correct by checking them against a recent account statement; and
with your financial institution before completing the direct debit request if you have any queries about how to complete the direct debit
Warning: if the account number you have quoted is incorrect, you may be charged a fee to reimburse our costs in correcting any deductions from:
an account you do not have authority to operate; or
an account you do not
Confidentiality
We will keep any information (including your account details) in your direct debit request confidential.
We will make reasonable efforts to keep any such information that we have about you secure and to ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you, do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.
However, we may use your contact details to provide information about the fund. Should you wish this not to be the case, please advise the fund in writing.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
