A time to connect at CSSV Annual Dinner - Catholic Social Services Victoria

More than 150 organisational members, associate members, life members, and friends of Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) joined together on the evening of Friday, August 8, for the 2025 CSSV Annual Dinner.

The State Library of Victoria’s Conversation Quarter provided a sense of occasion for colleagues, friends and supporters from across the Catholic social services community for reflection, recognition and connection. The evening included light-hearted moments, reflections by Alice Pung OAM on the impact of our services and our ways of working, the induction of two new life members, and a chance to be encouraged in our work.

It was a delight to hear from Alice Pung, a lawyer and an award-winning author, in conversation with Michael McGirr. Alice generously shared about her family’s story, beginning by challenging the label of refugee:

You know that the act of fleeing is a verb, and so to me, the state of being a refugee is a transient one,’ she said. ‘It’s a verb, and once the action is complete, it’s no longer a state that we should occupy forever.

I am not a refugee … I come to you tonight as “an arrival”.

Expanding the idea of how we understand refugees, Alice pointed to the definition as someone forced to flee because of persecution or violence and asked the audience to consider others who might fall into this category: ‘Now when a woman flees an abusive household, she is a refugee, she falls within that definition. When a child leaves home because a part of them is innately or inherently unacceptable to their family, they are a refugee.’ She went on to explain how these people, too, should not be contained by such labels: ‘The woman who escapes may also thrive as a mother, or grandmother, an employee, a mentor, a community leader. And you hope that child will not be defined by their verb to flee. You hope that the woman, the child, thrive and be who they want to be, and never have to revisit their refugee status ever again.’ Alice went on to make the point that all people should be given the opportunity to flourish in this way, without having to tell their stories, justify themselves or be singled out for their experience of fleeing.

In sharing some of the ways she and her family have personally been assisted by social services, Alice acknowledged the central role these services play in society, particularly for people experiencing hardships and upheavals: ‘your organisations have shaped my life, from its very beginning, in enormous ways’.

CSSV’s Newest Life Members

A highlight of the evening was the induction of two new Life Members: Fr Bruce Duncan CSsR and Sr Mary O’Shannassy SGS OAM. Life Membership is conferred by the CSSV Council in recognition of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the mission of CSSV and the broader social services landscape in Victoria. We congratulate Fr Bruce and Sr Mary on this appointment, which is a reflection of the impact their work has had on social services, policy and people in Victoria.

Fr Bruce Duncan has long supported CSSV’s strategic work through contributions to research, advocacy, publications, programs and events. As a teacher and researcher at Yarra Theological Union and inaugural Director of the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy, Bruce has contributed to a deeper understanding of the work of justice and service as core to the Gospel. He cofounded Social Policy Connections, a testament to his dedication to promoting social justice informed by Christian social principles in the public arena. Since 2016, Fr Bruce has also served as chaplain for Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Victoria, promoting and walking with First Peoples in the Church.

Sr Mary O’Shannassy was awarded life membership for her ministry of service as one of Victoria’s longest serving prison chaplains, providing thousands of prisoners with emotional, spiritual, sacramental and pastoral support. For more than a decade, she managed Victoria’s Catholic Prison Ministry, overseeing staff and volunteers, and helping to establish sacred chapel spaces in Victorian prisons. Mary has contributed to collaborative advocacy and awareness for the issues people in prisons are facing, and was a valuable contribution to the CSSV Research Steering Committee formed to support the 2020 research report: Prisoner-caregiving Programs: Supporting Older Prisoners.

We thank everyone for joining us for a vibrant evening and hope that the dinner offered not only the chance to celebrate remarkable individuals and stories, but also to reconnect as a community of service, strengthened by a shared commitment to building a just and compassionate society.

Thank you to the Catholic Development Fund and the Australian Catholic University for generously supporting this event.