A number of Principals, Religious Education Coordinators and Catholic Identity Officers representing the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn have accompanied the Archbishop on a ‘Leading the New Evangelisation’ (LNE) study program in England and Rome.

The program run by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) and the La Salle Academy provided leaders with a unique professional learning opportunity to experience a rich variety of formation experiences over a two- week period.

The group spent six days in London visiting significant Catholic locations, including the Westminster Cathedral and the Shrine of Martyrs at the Tyburn Convent. Participants also gained valuable insight into formation and mission initiatives at leading schools within the Westminster Diocese.

Leaders undertook lectures at the ACU Rome campus and attended site visits at the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica, St Paul ‘Outside the Walls’ and the Rooms of St Ignatius. The retreat concluded with a retreat in Assisi.

Religious Education and Faith Formation Officer, Bernadette Scott, said that the program provided the opportunity to dialogue about the contemporary context of the Church and current ways of fruitful renewal and evangelisation.

“The dialogue explored the Church’s teaching and understanding of renewal and was well led by all our lecturers, broadened through discussion with our United Kingdom and Wollongong colleagues,” she said.

“Being immersed in the beauty of the Christian story, culture and faith and how this has been expressed across the centuries, and is experienced today, has been invaluable to my learning.”

St Vincent’s Primary School, Aranda Religious Education Coordinator, Luke Maher, said that the program was a transformational professional development opportunity as a teacher in a Catholic school.

“The theme that ran throughout the two weeks was about the formation of the ‘Head, Heart and Hands’, and this is a perfect way to describe the fruits of the program,” he said.

“It began with the head at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and moved through the heart and into

the hands in Rome and the hills of Assisi.”

“This program helped develop and grow the understanding of the New Evangelisation and the vocation that is teaching in Catholic Education.”

Religious Education and Faith Formation Officer, Lisa Mamolitti, said that she experienced deepest encounter and reflection at the places of simplicity, peace and tranquillity.

“The LNE experience was one of renewal and personal formation that reaffirmed my role in Catholic Education as a vocation,” she said.