Catholicism is a widespread Christian religion that can be found all over the world. It dates back several hundred years and is a prominent faith today. In Australia, the Catholic Church has thirty-three dioceses, which are small areas governed by bishops of the church. Most towns in Australia have at least one cathedral, with the “”mother church”" being St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. All of the Catholic dioceses in Australia are part of the worldwide Catholic Church, which is operated under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope. Their site can be found at the Catholic Church of Australia webpage.
Catholicism was first established in Australia in 1788. The first Australian Catholics were mainly Irish and arrived with the British First Fleet, eleven ships with over 1,000 people which sailed from Great Britain to establish the first European colony in Australia. Amongst these settlers were 778 convicts, consisting of 192 women and 586 men. Although the Catholic faith in this country was dominated by the Irish for many years, after World War 2 more than a million Catholics came to Australia from nations such as Italy, Lebanon, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. In the most recent census, there were over 5 million Catholics in Australia. That represents approximately 26% of the overall population. Today, Catholicism is the largest church tradition in Australia.
In 1970, the Pope visited Australia for the first time. This was Pope Paul VI, who reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Since then several other Pope’s have visited Australia. In one of the most recent visits by Pope Benedict XVI, the very first Australian saint of the Catholic Church was announced. Her name is Mary MacKillop and she was canonized on 17 October 2010.
Catholic charitable organisations, healthcare facilities and the Catholic education system have played a strong part in the welfare and education in Australia for over a hundred years. The Catholic Church in Australia offers many services to both Catholics and non-members alike. They have hospitals and clinics, schools, and other charitable services that benefit over one million Australians every year. Churches are all over the country in Australia in big cities like Parramatta, Hobart and Sydney.
The Catholic church and Catholicism has played an important role in the history, development and present day humanitarianism, politics, and education of Australian society. They will continue to do so for many years as the Catholic faith grows amongst the people of Australia.”
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