Catholic Development Fund (CDF), recently hosted its first Catholic Connect Workshop for 2025 exploring 'Leading with Hope in Uncertain Times.' The event, brought together in partnership with Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV), united Catholic organisation leaders to explore the intersection of leadership, formation, and hope.
The workshop's theme aligned perfectly with both International Women's Day and the Jubilee Year theme "Pilgrims of Hope," creating a timely opportunity to reflect on cultivating hope within communities and organisations.
The heart of the event featured an impressive panel moderated by Josh Lourensz, Executive Director of CSSV. The distinguished speakers included:
- Micaela Cronin, the Inaugural Federal Commissioner for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, whose career began in social work with organisations like St. Vincent De Paul Society and MacKillop Family Services,
- Annie Carrett, the Chief of Staff to the Archbishop of Melbourne and first female Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, bringing over 35 years of experience within the Catholic Church; and
- Sr. Joan Healy, a 90-year-old author, activist, and pioneer in family and child support models whose work over five decades continues to influence current practices.
Speakers (from left to right): Annie Carrett, Sr. Joan Healy RSM AO and Micaela Cronin
The workshop component of the afternoon created space for attendees to engage with these leaders' insights and wisdom while exploring the profound question: "Where do we find hope, and what role does hope play in leadership?"
After much discussion and thought-provoking conversation, the messages emphasised that Catholic organisations will continue to cultivate hope, and by coming together through shared values, reflection and storytelling, we each can build leadership capacity grounded in hope during uncertain times.
“It’s great to see how this collaborative workshop series has grown from a small customer connection program into a vibrant community-building platform. We are looking forward to bringing more insightful topics and valuable opportunities to our clients and those from the broader Catholic sector this year.”
Matthew Cassin
CDF Chief Executive Officer
Read more about the latest Catholic Connect event from Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne's latest blog post, '‘The wind in your sail’: women leaders on nurturing hope in uncertain times'.
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