We are a community of communities, drawn from many languages and cultures who—through Baptism and the Holy Spirit—are committed to knowing, loving and serving Jesus Christ in the modern world.

Led by our local bishop, Brian Mascord, we are today some 191,000 baptised Catholics in the Illawarra, Macarthur, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands regions of NSW, Australia.

Our diocese has been blessed with a rich diversity—traditional Aboriginal custodians, old settlers and newly-arrived migrants; rural, urban and industrial environments; coastal and highland settings; established townships and some of the fastest growing suburbs in Australia. Our diocese was established in 1951 from elements of the Archdiocese of Sydney and Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The first parishes in the diocese—Campbelltown (1835), Appin (1837) and Wollongong (1838)—date back to the early days of European settlement.

Although our diocese has a young history, the foundations of our Church go back 2,000 years to the person of Jesus Christ. The beauty and fullness of this Tradition has been handed down to us—and some3,000 other dioceses around the world—in an unbroken line of popes from StPeter to Pope Francis. Together, we are one in Christ, seeking to be bearers of his saving love.

Giles Denise