Good afternoon. My name is Alison de Sousa and I am a member of the Sydney Synod Working Party.
I am also the Head of Religious Education at St Aloysius’ College, Milsons Point, and Secretary of Somascan Movement Australia, a lay apostolate supporting the work of the Somascan Fathers in Australia and beyond.
Mission comes from the root word missio, meaning “to send”, and in theological terms refers to God’s mission of sending the church into the world to continue Christ’s ministry.
This recognises that the work of mission is fundamentally God’s work, in which we are called to participate, with eternal significance.
Our church’s mission commands that we build a bridge for people who have no religious affiliation.
Not only are 90 per cent of those who identify as Catholic non-practising in terms of Mass attendance, sacramental life or active participation in parish life, but we are seeing only a small increase in people seeking out the Catholic faith, despite our booming RCIA programs over the last few years.
The question arises: what are we doing to help these new people find a home?
What are we doing to share our Christian faith with the thousands of others lacking faith, or seeking faith where the truth of Jesus Christ is unknown?
To speak about this third longing – to become a more mission-oriented church – I recognise that our church in Sydney stands at a real moment of opportunity.
For me, it is not about maintenance, but a call to rediscover the missionary pulse that has always been at the heart of the Gospel.
Painfully, this is not just about strangers. It is about my own family and friends – those who are spiritually curious, open to debate at our family barbecues, but not religiously committed.
That makes this call to reorient ourselves towards mission both challenging and urgent.
Even if the tide has started to turn, we know we still have a long way to go.
Jesus’ call to St Peter to become a “fisher of men” should challenge us. If we are to take that seriously, we must follow the first rule: a net that never leaves the boat does not catch anything. Open nets easily translate to open hearts. If we want to reach that 90 per cent of our brothers and sisters, we need to be in the water with them.
The stories I encounter in our parishes and schools are rarely neat or straightforward. I hear of long absences, fragile trust and deep wounds.
But I also witness something really beautiful: people rediscovering their faith through simple experiences of hospitality.
Sometimes it happens in our community café or through accompaniment alongside organisations like Settlement Services International.
I see how our faith can be rekindled when the church becomes what the late Pope Francis called a “field hospital” – meeting people in their isolation through outreach, meal hampers, soup kitchens and collaboration with others who serve the vulnerable.
One story that stays with me is that of a parent whose children attend the free basketball program held at Holsworthy on Friday evenings.
In that noisy gym where the children are known by name and welcomed without questions, they are free – if only for a few hours – to simply be kids again.
For this family, it is much more than a sport activity; it is the quiet reassurance that here is a space each week where they are known and cared for.
Living and serving in Sydney’s south-west, I often meet families who have left everything as refugees: their homes, their families and their country in search of a new life in Australia.
We all know how heavy loneliness can feel and how good it is when it quietly lifts because someone notices you and makes room. It is simple conversations. It is older children blowing bubbles with your toddler.
It is the priest settling your crying baby. It is being invited to cook your mother’s favourite dish to contribute to the stall that weekend.
It is common stories, shared food and people who remember your name the next week.
This work often awakens something tender: a sense of belonging, hope and curiosity that faith might once again have a place in their lives.
Mission is no longer “over there” but right here, calling us to reshape our landscape towards deeper relationship with Jesus, credible witness and a lifelong journey of faith beyond sacramental milestones.
I see how we are slowly shifting – from being program-based to being encounter-based. I am learning that mission is not just about running initiatives; it is about creating spaces where people – whether faithful, questioning or unfamiliar with Christ – can be welcomed and gradually become disciples.
And this fills me with tremendous hope for our church in Sydney.
