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Helping the Sydney community with relationships, parenting, ageing, disability, pastoral services and mental wellbeing.

CatholicCare Celebrates 80 Years of Caring

This year, CatholicCare Sydney proudly celebrates 80 years of caring for people in need!

It is not without the inspiring work of our four founders, and passionate social workers – Norma Parker, Eileen Davidson, Constance Moffit and Elvira Lyons – who, back in 1941, advocated for the welfare of children and young people to the Archdiocese of Sydney and petitioned to improve its services. Thanks to these four influential women the Catholic Welfare Bureau was established, now CatholicCare Sydney. 

The statement below was made by one of our founding partners back in the 1940s, and unfortunately today this statement still rings true. CatholicCare Sydney continues to provide vital support to those people living on the margins of society, just as we have since our inception. 

Elvira Lyons quote c.1940 CatholicCare

Sharron Matayalo, Executive Manager of Family Services, has been an employee at CatholicCare for 32 years and reflects warmly on her time with the organisation.  

“CatholicCare has been an amazing organisation to work for. I started in a Family Support role working on the front line supporting our clients. From there, CatholicCare has supported me to move into a variety of roles from out of home care, specialist services roles, to working with perpetrators of domestic violence. I’ve been presented with career opportunities that allow me to follow my passion to care for those most vulnerable in our community, especially children. 

“The ethos and the people of CatholicCare are the biggest things that have kept me here. Our services do so much to help people who are disadvantaged in our community and the staff are so dedicated and focused on providing the best services for people in need.  

“I’m proud to be a part of such a well-respected, committed and trustworthy organisation,” says Sharron. 

We wish to take this opportunity to thank you, our valued members of the CatholicCare community, for your ongoing support. We also wish to acknowledge and thank all the volunteers, donors and employees that have been part of the CatholicCare journey – we wouldn’t be able to help so many without your support.