Venue: Xavier Conference Centre (adjacent to the cathedral)
Join us for a transformative evening of faith and truth.
Young adults of the diocese, it’s time to climb the highest peak and seek truth—and we invite you to do it with us at our third Summit Night, an event designed just for you! Whether you’re seeking deeper understanding or simply craving a vibrant community of like-minded young adults, this night is for you.
Event details
When
Saturday, 14 March 2026, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
Where
Xavier Conference Centre (adjacent to the cathedral)
Who
This is an 18+ event and primarily for young adults
Cost
FREE (donations on entry welcomed)
Speaker
Dr Robert Haddad
Topic
The Eucharist—The Medicine of Immortality
Dr Robert Haddad is a strong believer in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. However, he did not always firmly believe this. How did he come to change my mind? By reading the writings of the early Church Fathers. They were men who wrote between the years AD90 and AD749 and who were renowned for their sanctity and devotion to Christ and Church teaching.
What the Fathers wrote on the Eucharist especially astonished him, forever convincing him of both the Apostolic origins and truth of Catholic teaching on the Mass and the Eucharist.
Using his book, ‘The Medicine Of Immortality: The Eucharist in the pre-Nicene Church Fathers’, will give us some insights what the Church Fathers had to say, why the Eucharist is indeed is so central in our Church history.
What’s in store?
Wine and cheese reception: Begin the evening with great food, drink, and conversation. Connect with like-minded peers in a warm and welcoming environment.
Guest speaker: Dr Robert Haddad
Eucharistic Adoration: The evening will culminate in a powerful time of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, experience the peace and transformative presence of Christ in Eucharistic Adoration.
Why you should come
This Summit night is more than just an event—it’s a chance to encounter Christ, dive deep into the faith, and be part of a community that is committed to growing together in truth. Whether you’re new to faith formation or looking for ways to strengthen your spiritual life, this is the place for open, honest conversations.
Bring your friends, bring your questions, and be ready to experience a night that will leave you feeling inspired, encouraged, and closer to Christ.
Support the mission
While this is a free event, a donation to help cover the cost of this event and for future events like these would be greatly welcomed.
Dr Robert M. Haddad is an Australian Catholic educator, apologist and speaker based in Sydney, best known for his work in faith formation, youth ministry, and Catholic identity within school communities. He has held senior mission and identity roles with Sydney Catholic Schools, including leadership in evangelisation and Catholic identity initiatives.
He has worked in Catholic education for more than three decades, and event and diocesan profiles note a background spanning teaching, curriculum and adult faith formation, with experience connected to places such as St Charbel’s College and Catholic chaplaincy and catechetical work in Sydney.
Haddad is also a prolific author in catechesis and apologetics. His published titles include Defend the Faith! (a reference-style response to common objections to Catholic belief) and Answering the Anti-Catholic Challenge (as editor/contributor in a collected reply to anti-Catholic arguments), among other works.
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The Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Wollongong (the Fund) is required by law to make the following disclosure: The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable, religious and education works of the Diocese of Wollongong and for whom the consideration of profit are not of primary relevance in the investment decision. The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and any investment of the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed at www.cdfwollongong.org.au or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
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.
