NATSICC is the Peak Advisory Body to the Australian Catholic Bishops on issues relating to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholics
NATSICC is the Peak Advisory Body to the Australian Catholic Bishops on issues relating to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholics
There are over 130,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics
in Australia and it is the youngest and fastest growing demographic.
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135,680+
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics
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12
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministries in Australia
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200+
Delegates attend the NATSICC Assembly every 3 years
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186%
Growth in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics since 1986
News
Centacare SA has officially opened a Cultural garden at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Stepney, South Australia. The garden is a place for all that visit the centre, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to come together, surrounded by creation.
Flanked by the Torrens River the garden features seating, a fire pit, a traditional shelter and ’Totem poles’ designed specifically for the Adelaide location.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) proudly announced the recipients of its 2025 Service to Community Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions across several categories. Elder Awards. Adult Awards. Non-Indigenous Awards for their meaningful service and dedication.
This year, we come together under the theme: “Sent Forth in Strength and Hope.” It is Christ who sends us to walk together in faith, grounded in the deep spirituality and culture of First Nations Peoples, strengthened by the Gospel, and filled with hope for the future God is leading us into.
In its 2025 statement, NATSICC acknowledges the complex and often painful significance of Australia Day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and calls for national unity through celebration on a day that is inclusive of all Australians. To support thoughtful engagement, the council has developed a new resource for Catholics to reflect on the meaning of Australia Day personally and in relation to First Australians.
Indigenous Australians experience the most severe health disparities in the country, often requiring unplanned hospital stays far from home, leaving many without essential personal items. In response, NATSICC, in partnership with the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Adelaide and St Vincent de Paul’s, provides tailored toiletry bags for men, women, and children, including optional spiritual materials. For longer-term patients, artwork bags are also offered to support creative expression during recovery.
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Upcoming Events
Past Events
Join us in Galong, NSW for the 2024 NATSICC Spirituality and Formation Retreat. Open to all (both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those that work in Ministry alongside us), the retreat will provide an opportunity to pray, heal and grow in faith with one another whilst surrounded by the peace and stillness of country NSW.
200 delegates from across Australia travelled to Townsville, the land of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba Peoples, for the 2022 NATSICC Assembly. The event was particularly significant because it was the first opportunity for communities to once again come together following COVID.
By embracing technology, we were able to share in rich visual reflections which allowed participants to explore their own journeys of faith from the comfort of their own home. The virtual yarning circles were something that we had some reservations about, however the enthusiasm of the participants combined with the skill of the facilitators meant that they too were a great success. By randomizing the yarning circles in each session, participants had the opportunity to meet new people and listen to different stories.
In the words of the Plenary Council: Together, we are on a journey of listening to God by listening to one another. We invite all Australians to engage in an open and inclusive process of listening, dialogue and discernment about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.
Held on Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), the 2017 Retreat will bring together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics (and those who work with us) to discuss culture, faith, scripture and prayer.
NATSICC hosted a group of young Aboriginal Catholic leaders at the 2017 NATSICC Youth Gathering - incorporating the Catholic Youth Festival as part of its commitment to fostering and encouraging the next generation of leaders in the Church. The Gathering program included learning about the local people, sharing faith and building confidence.
Held on Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), the 2017 Retreat will bring together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics (and those who work with us) to discuss culture, faith, scripture and prayer.
50 people working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry come together in Alice Springs for the first NATSICC Formation retreat to renew their spirit and receive formation of their faith. We were welcomed by local Elder Felicity Hayes and were blessed to have several other Elders share the week with us, including MK from Santa Teresa. Their wisdom and spirituality provided us with a wonderful foundation for the event.
NATSICC Sponsored five young people to attended the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Adelaide. The Festival drew over nearly 3000 young Catholics and was an enriching experience for the NATSICC group.
The Youth Assembly attracted 50 young Indigenous Catholics from every State and Territory. It ran separately from the main Assembly with a specific program focused on faith formation, issues facing the youth on a day to day basis and sharing through the medium of music.
The 2015 NATSICC Assembly attracted over 300 people to Kormilda College in Darwin.
Delegates from every State and Territory in Australia enjoyed the keynote speeches, live music and displays of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture is complemented by CatholiC Faith.
Indigenous Catholic Youth from every State and Territory converged on the Adelaide, the City of Churches, for the 2014 NATSICC Youth Leadership Gathering.
The 2012 NATSICC Assembly – Culturally Enriched through the Gospel - was held in Melbourne from 1-4 October. Sunshine greeted the 260 delegates from every State and Territory, including the 60 youth that attended the concurrent Youth Assembly.
30 young Indigenous Catholics attended the 2010 Leadership Gathering in Brisbane from 13-16 May. The Australian Catholic University were kind enough to sponsor the event by allowing us to use their facilities and their staff were very generous with their time.
The Bardon Conference Centre perched atop Brisbane’s Mt Coo-tha was the venue for NATSICC’s 2009 National Assembly. Entitled ‘Holy Spirit in This Land’, the event drew over 190 people to enjoy a time of sharing and workshopping the future of Indigenous people in the Catholic Church.