Religious communities have played a vital role in the Church in Australia since the mid-19th century. The first religious profession in Australia occurred in 1839[1], and eventually the first Australian religious congregation, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, was founded in 1857[2]. Religious sisters were heavily involved in education in Australia, with 815 sisters teaching in schools by 1880, and more than 5,000 teaching by 1910[3]. Since then, religious communities have continued to contribute significantly to Catholic education in Australia, and, in more recent times, have been at the forefront of the Church’s efforts in areas of social justice.
While the number of religious men and women in Australia has decreased over the past few decades, religious communities still hold an important place in the Church in Australia.
Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) is now the peak body for Catholic Leaders of Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life who are resident in Australia. Leaders of more than 150 congregations of sisters, brothers and priests living and working in all States and Territories of Australia are members of CRA. Our religious congregations of CRA comprise more than 5,000 Catholic religious women and men. CRA members and their lay colleagues work in education, health care and social services. CRA works with indigenous people, refugees and asylum seekers, people surviving on the margins and many others.
Networks
[1] https://www.sistersofcharity.org.au/s/The-First-Five
[2] https://www.goodsams.org.au/who-we-are/our-story-2/
[3] https://www.catholic.au/s/article/Catholics-in-Australia-History