Works of Faith

Parramatta Catholic Foundation proudly supports the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and Holy Spirit Seminary, which work to spread the faith.

The Holy Spirit Seminary forms young men for the priesthood and for a life of service, modelled on Christ. It does this by providing a holistic approach to developing seminarians spiritually, academically and in human virtue.

“We have three key areas of formation for our seminarians. The first level deepens their relationship with God. The second level enriches their relationship with family, friends and peers. And the third level expands their contribution to society. Integrating these three levels prepares our future priests for the demands of this ministry.”

Fr John Hogan, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine provides faith formation and Christian learning to students in State schools. The main areas taught are the teachings of Jesus, Gospel values and the Catholic Church.

The great fruit of this ministry is assisting students to encounter Christ.

“A reward from this work is to see students praying to God, sharing their joys and sorrows… I’m also moved when students freely approach teachers years later, recalling their SRE classes. Some of these students go on to become SRE teachers themselves.”

Cecilia Zammit, Director of The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

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News & Events

Chaplains’ gift of presence brings faith, hope and love

Many of us are blessed to experience the joy, expectation, and love that Christmas brings. However, it can also be a lonely and distressing time, especially if you’re in hospital.   This was the case for one young patient, Lucy*, and her family, who received news that she had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. They felt helpless not knowing if this would be their last Christmas together.

A day in the life of a Catholic Care Chaplain

When Yvonne Turner joined Catholic Care as a lay chaplain in 2022, she embarked upon one of the most rewarding journeys of her life. As part of our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal, supporting the ministry of chaplaincy, we spoke to Yvonne about her vocation. “I started my vocation as a registered nurse about 25 years ago and spent a lot of time in aged care and community-based care. In these environments, spiritual and emotional care are an important component of patient care. Over time, I decided to explore these roles more and look into chaplaincy,” she explains.

Fr Dado’s life of caring for the sick

The Feast Day of St Camillus De Lellis on 14 July is truly significant to Fr Dado Haber MI. A member of the Camillian Congregation—founded in 1582 by St Camillus to care for the sick—Fr Dado has devoted his life to the Order. “To me, it’s a very meaningful day because God has given us St Camillus who saw the need to care for someone who is sick,” Fr Dado said.

Putting more heart into the hands of others this Christmas

Many of us are blessed to experience the joy, expectation and love that Christmas brings. However, it can also be a lonely and distressing time, especially if you’re in hospital. Our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal is raising funds to help the 15 Catholic Care chaplains in our Diocese who provide care, comfort and support to people who are suffering. They minister to the sick in public hospitals and also visit people in prisons. They listen, connect, and endeavour to understand and comfort those who might otherwise feel abandoned.

The Catholic chaplain helping children in hospital

Abraham is a dedicated Catholic lay chaplain who provides support to young patients and their families at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. In the lead-up to our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal, supporting the ministry of chaplaincy, we spoke to Abraham to learn about his role, the people he assists, and what he finds most rewarding about his vocation.

Running the race for our future priests!

Last Sunday 13 August, 23 Holy Spirit Seminarians, priests and parishioners from the Diocese of Parramatta banded together and entered the City2Surf, with the aim of raising awareness of Catholic vocations and funds to support our Holy Spirit Seminarians’ education and spiritual formation.