Catholic Business Connections

Rosemary shows us the way at Catholic Business Connections March 2021 luncheon

March 31, 2021

 

On Thursday 25 March 2021, 60 Catholic Business Connections (CBC) members and their guests gathered at Rydges, Campbelltown for the first CBC luncheon of the year, to celebrate community and welcome 10 new members.

The special guest speaker was Rosemary Kariuki, Australian of the Year 2021—Local Hero.

Rosemary is indeed a “local hero”, and our local hero, being a resident of our diocese and a parishioner of St Mary MacKillop Catholic Parish in Oran Park. Rosemary migrated to Australia from Kenya in 1999 to escape family abuse and tribal violence. Since then she has dedicated her life to aiding other migrants and refugees by helping them to connect with each other and their local community.

Rosemary spoke passionately about how, as a new migrant herself, she felt a strong need to connect with other new migrants and refugees in her neighbourhood, and how this eventually brought a newfound security and companionship to her and those she met. Her joy-filled presentation challenged and inspired everyone present to take the time to connect with new people in their local neighbourhoods.

Bishop Brian acknowledged the value of Rosemary’s work and her generous and infectious spirit, and thanked Rosemary, noting that she really was “the face of God”.

Rosemary’s work is the subject of the acclaimed documentary, Rosemary’s Way (www.rosemaryswaythefilm.org).

Rosemary has not forgotten the support that people in her homeland still need. She is a director of the Hannah Community Development Project—a community based organisation in Kenya founded in 2019 to support the local community within Kamukunji-Eldoret. Kamukunji is one of Eldoret’s largest slum settlement areas where the youth, women and elderly face many social and economic challenges (more information about this project can be found at www.hannahcommunity.com). As per Rosemary’s request, CBC donated her speaking fee to this project.

The next CBC meeting will be held on Thursday 27 May 2021 at City Beach Function Centre, Wollongong. The guest speaker is Damien Leith—Irish-Australian singer-songwriter who now calls Wollongong home. Further details will be announced shortly.

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