2023 National Assembly Resources
The 2023 National Assembly was held from Monday 31 July to Thursday 3 August 2023 in Sydney.
Theme
The theme of this year’s Assembly was ‘Daring to Dream,’ which follows that of last year ‘Daring to Lead with Hope and Gratitude.’ This year’s theme explored ‘dreaming’ in the context of discerning the synodal path, and ‘daring’ in the context of a vision for the future of Religious life. With this theme, the hope was to offer a conference programme that nourished Religious in their Gospel dreams and zeal and whole heartedness for Christ and the Church, so that they may continue to live and pray and minister in a spirit of prophetic hope.
About the Artwork
The image on the cover of the National Assembly brochure was painted by Aunty Vicki Clark OAM, who is a descendant of the Mutthi Mutthi /Wemba Wamba people and will be a presenter at the 2023 National Assembly. The image comes from her “two-way cross,” on which she has painted the symbols of the seven sacraments, symbolising gifts given to her by her Aboriginal culture and gifts from her Catholic identity. This is the fourth gift on the journey, which relates to the sacrament of Confirmation and which brings the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It captures the colours of a flame, reminding us of the Holy Spirit, and includes the sacred trees, rocks, waterholes and boora rings along Dreaming tracks, where ceremonies of initiation were practiced as age-old rituals.
Videos
Below, are three presentations from organisations interested in communicating with participants of the National Assembly.