News

Lockdown need not equal breakdown. Marriages and relationships are under stress from the vastly ramped-up pressures of the COVID-19 crisis, but help is at hand. People feeling the pinch are certainly not alone. Specialists in Australia and around the world report sharp spikes in the number of people experiencing relationship and mental health problems as…

CatholicCare Social Services is urging people experiencing financial stress during COVID-19 to seek help.   Executive Director Mr Peter Loughnane said the Coronavirus pandemic had not discriminated and people from all walks of life have found themselves unexpectedly without an income, or a reduced wage.   ‘This is incredibly stressful as people have families to…

If you are feeling the pressure on your family or relationship from the changes and uncertainty during COVID-19, please reach out for support. We have provided a link to our article in the Blue Mountains Gazette below: https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6753621/could-a-counsellor-help/

Peter Loughnane is the Executive Director of CatholicCare Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. With a passion for leading not-for-profit organisations and connecting communities, Peter joined CatholicCare in January 2020 bringing with him more than 15 years’ experience in aged care, community and disability services. Throughout his career Peter has been a leading voice for…

In a year which began with catastrophic bushfires and moved straight into the socially isolating effects of the COVID-19 virus, the need for a caring presence to help people with mental health challenges has never been greater, says retiring CatholicCare mental health chaplain Sue Robertson. Sue, not just a qualified and registered lay chaplain but…

At a time when coronavirus is keeping people apart, a church counselling service is bringing people together – virtually. The move to online counselling has been so well received, the Diocese of Parramatta CatholicCare’s could introduce video services permanently. Executive Director for CatholicCare Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains Peter Loughnane said video contact was…

On Friday 29th November we farewelled Sr Vivienne Keely, our Executive Director,  from CatholicCare Western Sydney and Blue Mountains. Staff gathered at Mamre Homestead for an afternoon tea and an opportunity to share stories and say goodbye. Sr Vivienne commenced at CatholicCare as the Director of Mission in 2017 and shortly after took on the…

Staff from CatholicCare WSBM took part in the inaugural Street Feast in Parramatta on Wednesday 20th November.  Street Feast offers members of Sydney’s disadvantaged communities an opportunity to share a meal and conversation with people from all walks of life. The Parramatta Street Feast was hosted by the Diocese of Parramatta and the event is…

  September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. That suicide is the most frequent cause of the death of young Australians, and particularly of young Indigenous Australians, it a disturbing thought. Apart from statistics it is appalling that young people whom we hope would look forward with so much energy and optimism to their future…

Thanks to a very generous donation from the Irish Famine Memorial Committee, a new program to help refugee families will begin later this year in Blacktown. Project Afriq will provide a space of safety and trust in which African and particularly Sudanese women can explore issues of parenting in a new culture. The members of…