I first became aware of the Catholic Family Welfare Bureau in the early 1970’s when a member of the staff gave an address at mass in St Bede’s Church, North Balwyn. My late wife, Patricia, and I were very impressed with the work the Bureau was doing supporting families, and we became regular donors.
I was surprised when asked in 1991 if I would become Chairman. The link was Fr B Fleming SJ, Assistant to Archbishop Sir Frank Little, with whom I served on the St Vincent’s Hospital Advisory Board. I accepted and suddenly from being an observer, I was now a participant. My background was in engineering, finance and management; I had little experience in social welfare. No matter the culture, the family is the core of society, and I appreciated the opportunity to be involved in the work of the Bureau.
I soon became aware of the dedication of the staff and the magnitude of the problems. Bureau counsellors were assisting families and individuals, and there was more demand for the Bureau services than resources. The Board worked with the staff to direct the funds of the Bureau to help as many in need as possible. Enlisting more donors and seeking support from the community was always on the agenda. It was primarily by raising funds that the Bureau was able to employ more professional counsellors and staff.
Recognition of the donors, the staff and those assisted by the Bureau, led to the Annual Mass of Appreciation at St Patrick’s Cathedral, supported by the Archbishop. This celebration has continued to the present and strong attendance at the Mass is a demonstration of the strong support for the Bureau, now known as CatholicCare.
I was intrigued to know who founded CatholicCare and discovered it was through the insight and determination of Norma Parker and Constance Moffit, two young Arts graduates from the University of Western Australia. They gained professional qualifications and experience in social welfare in the USA, came to Melbourne in 1932, and in 1935 convinced Archbishop Mannix to establish the Catholic Social Service Bureau. The early history is well documented in a PHD thesis by Damian Gleeson.
At that time, CatholicCare had no photographs of the two founders. After I retired from the Board in 2001, I was encouraged by the CEO, Fr Joe Caddy, to try to locate the missing photographs. In a book written by Fr JT McMahon, I found a suitable photograph of both women, which I was able to copy and enlarge for CatholicCare*. My only regret is that I did not visit Norma Parker CBE, acknowledged as one of our nation’s outstanding social workers. She died in 2004.
Living life to the full, quoted over many years by CatholicCare, has presented a dilemma to me. As we face illness, difficult relationships or disappointments, and currently COVID-19, life will always have its ups and downs, and you need to take time to adjust and seek assistance if the pressure is too much.
CatholicCare is there to help. It has been a great tribute to all involved that CatholicCare has been able to substantially expand its services over the past decade and build on the initiative of Parker and Moffit to assist families.
Phil Spry-Bailey AO
*Multiple copies of this photograph continue to hang proudly in CatholicCare offices.
“I was intrigued to know who founded CatholicCare and discovered it was through the insight and determination of Norma Parker and Constance Moffit, two young Arts graduates from the University of Western Australia."
Philip Spry-Bailey
Chair of the CatholicCare Board from 1991 to 2001
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