Our Stories. Our Lives. Our Mission.

This resource celebrates consecrated women and men and their tremendous contribution to the life, heart and mission of the Church.

It aims to shine a light on the beauty and power of consecrated life – especially for the young who, living in an increasingly secular Australian society, are less likely to hear about Religious congregations, beyond movie stereotypes and sometimes negative publicity.

Containing the stories of more than 60 religious congregations, it reveals the kaleidoscope of religious life evolving from the creative energies of each founder and his/her founding partnerships, reflecting different historical periods, societal needs, ethnicities, cultures and personalities. Meanwhile, the charisms and paths of congregations continually intersect and interweave; now separating, now converging; now expanding, now contracting; responsive to new circumstances and the Spirit’s lead, all joining through their prophetic voice.

A hard-copy is accompanied by a digital version with links to congregational websites and web-based classroom aids. Our hope is to place this resource in the hands of those actively engaged in the day-to-day task of forming young people – parents, teachers, catechists, youth ministers and vocations personnel.

MEDIA RELEASE (ACBC Media Blog)

Our Stories. Our Lives. Our Mission shines a light on the human face of Religious life in the Catholic Church in Australia. Through narrating the unfinished chronicle of Australian Religious communities, the book provides myriad examples of the witness to the gospel. Many Australians will be aware of the work of Religious in schools and hospitals, but the book also brings to the fore the many paths that Religious walk to accompany those on society’s ‘peripheries’, where Pope Francis calls the ecclesial community to minister the mercy and grace of the loving God.

Richard Lennan

Professor of Systematic Theology Chair,

The Ecclesiastical Faculty

Boston College - School of Theology and Ministry, Boston, USA