Take a look at photos and scenery prior to 1989. Listen to the history of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn from its early settler days in 1862 right through to 1989 when Archbishop Francis Carroll called the 1989 Synod Coming Home in Christ. Instigated by Fr John Woods, this short video was to give an overview of our local history to those interested in contributing to the Synod discussions and is probably found more fascinating now than it was in 1989!
It discusses early church belief and Catholic experience, taking us from ‘obey, pray and pay’ right up to the encouragement of lay faithful to take part in the Synod, to have their discussions and thoughts heard with a new belief of ‘one people, one mission, different functions.’ This was a bit different to the 1949 Synod which involved Priests and Bishops only. The video gives a brief history of aboriginal and European settlement, the setting up of Education Boards and Catholic Schools, even mentioning the School Strike of 1962. From the first to the current, the names of our Bishops and their photos are included. The video then goes on to an overview of the five Deaneries and the parishes they include, showing pictures of churches and surrounding points of interest. Four main challenges of the day are discussed – De-personalisation; Secularisation; Crisis of Credibility and Erosion of Traditional Values. Watch this fascinating video for yourself!