News Item Details

Cathrine Muston – Community Development Officer

The story so far…

Cathrine has been in the Gippsland Diocese for quite a while. However, on Thursday the 27th of October 2016, she took up the challenge to serve at Anglicare as the Community Development Officer. In this time, Cathrine has had a profound impact in this role. Many parishes and people have mentioned the amazing work that she is doing. Some of this includes:

1. Prisons. Cathrine has been into Fulham Correctional Centre each week (courses are 7 weeks each term) to run Being A Dad. She has also been working on gathering volunteers to support the Get Out For Good pastoral care program for post-release prisoners. This means recruiting volunteers, organising training and liaising with the criminal justice dept.
2. Reconciliation: Cathrine is the co-chair of Anglicare’s local RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) which means that she works with a team to improve understanding among staff at Anglicare about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and issues in order to further reconciliation. She also liaises with parishes and local government and has been building relationships with local Indigenous leaders. She is working with St Paul’s Grammar to get a RAP launched there, she has run a cultural awareness course at Warragul Anglican Church (using the Australians Together resource – an excellent resource!).
3. Young People. Cathrine has been building relationships and connections in the Wonthaggi area in order to build a program to address career and life aspirations in teenagers. Part of that is a hike to Maria island and being part of a community group to establish a youth hub. Anglicare has recently employed a youth worker to take on some of this role and so Cathrine is now guiding and directing her while she does the ‘on the ground’ work.
4. Presentations. Cathrine has spent time speaking at community groups and churches on the programs that Anglicare have (interestingly, most community groups are fascinated by the work in prisons). She is also involved in enabling parishes to apply for small grants in order to undertake programs in their local area (such as Mainly Music/Brick Club/Community meals). Cathrine also gets involved in Anglicare events and promotions and has enjoyed getting to know so many of the staff at Anglicare.
5. Purpose. Cathrine’s belief is that God is in the business of reconciliation. Her role is to encourage, resource and enable communities in Gippsland to reconcile with one another, to include the outcast and ultimately to be reconciled to God. The vision of community that she believes Jesus shows us is one where all are reconciled with one another and with God. She is chipping away at it and appreciates the opportunity that Anglicare has provided for her to do this, and the immense encouragement that the local Church has given her in this.

Please continue to pray and support Cathrine in her ongoing work.