About Catholic Social Services Australia
Catholic Social Services Australia is the Catholic Church's peak national body for social services in Australia. Our 63 member organisations provide social services to over a million Australians a year, delivering services in local communities in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.
We are committed to an Australian society that reflects and supports the dignity, equality and participation of all people. Catholic Social Services Australia's mission is to promote a fairer, more inclusive society that gives preference to helping people most in need. We work with Catholic organisations, governments, other churches and all people of good will, to develop social welfare policies, programs and other strategic responses that work towards the economic, social and spiritual well-being of the Australian community.
Catholic Social Services Australia is a commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference , reporting to the Bishops through a Board of 9 persons appointed by the Conference.
Catholic Social Services Australia seeks to embody and promote the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching:
Dignity of the person
Our vision for society springs from our understanding of the fundamental dignity, sanctity and worth of every human life.
Common good and community
People are fundamentally social beings, and how we organise socially, politically and economically has implications for our capacity to grow in community.
Preferential option for the poor
The most important measure of the success of our community is the manner in which we direct our resources to assist those people most in need.
Rights and responsibilities
Our participation in community brings with it both a range of rights and protections and a range of duties and obligations.
Catholic Social Services Australia's National Office in Canberra operates a policy and research unit that is informed by an extensive service delivery network.
