2019 NATSICC Awards
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) is very proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Service to Community Awards.
Designed to recognise the unheralded and share the gifts that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring to the Australian Catholic Church, NATSICC was blessed with an abundance of quality nominations from every State and Territory.
Stories of people working in communities for over 30 years were common, as were young people going above and beyond to support and inspire their people in the development of faith and culture.
For 2019, NATSICC, with the blessing of his family, have renamed the Elder Award to the Deacon Boniface Award. Deacon Boniface Perdjert touched the lives of everyone that he met—and those he didn’t—through his words and writings.
The idea to pay tribute to our first ever Deacon occurred to the NATSICC Council whilst we were collating the nominations for our annual Service to Community Awards. What better way to acknowledge the shared goals and vision of our Elders?
The nominations for the 2019 Award were amazing. The council is buoyed by the fact that there are people working quietly in communities, sometimes for decades, bringing the person of Jesus Christ to the lives of others every day of the year. Designed to promote the good stories, the 2019 Awards have indeed unearthed another batch of worthy winners that the council is proud to share with the Wider Catholic Community. The Awards are presented by the local communities at local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday Masses.
As a lead-up to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday, NATSICC will be featuring an award winner on our Social Media platforms each day next week. We will be using #natsiccawards for all images and stories.
Visit the NATSICC Facebook page and Twitter @natsiccofficial for the stories of our wonderful award winners.
Category winners
Deacon Boniface Award for Elders - Awarded to 7 Inspirational and Spiritual leaders
For the first time, the NATSICC Council has decided to award 7 Elders with the Inaugural Deacon Boniface Award.
Elsie Heiss
Aunty Elsie is a strong Wiradjuri woman and a highly respected Aboriginal elder. Elsie is also a founding member of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Sydney. Elsie worked for many years at the ministry and Reconciliation Church La Perouse and is still assisting the ministry in many ways. The Reconciliation Church is a living testament to the tenacity of Aunty Elsie, from the iconic Stations of the Cross by Richard Campbell to the unique altar—both of which were organised by our inspirational Elder. Elsie was a long-time member of NATSICC and a successful Chairperson of the Council.
Dolly Hankin
Edith ‘Dolly’ Hankin is a Mabuiag Island woman who has lived and worked in Mount Isa on Kalkadoon Country for over 20 years. She is a recognised Aboriginal and Islander Catholic Council (AICC) member blessed by Bishop Michael Putney (Townsville Diocese) and a longstanding employee and member of the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish.
Her humility, strong faith and spirituality is a source of wisdom and hope to many in the Mount Isa community. Aunt Dolly works tirelessly for the Good Shepherd Parish overseeing and directly involved in many outreach programs designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the community.
Ivan Wellington
Uncle Ivan Wellington is a Wandu Wandian man from the South Coast of NSW and his mother is from Culengatti (Coolangatta) in Southern Queensland. He grew up during the mission days, learning language and culture from the Elders as a boy. He has travelled and lived in many lands around Australia and learnt from them all. Uncle Ivan is so well loved in his community because of his work drawing people together to help us all understand what has been lost and how the culture is still well and truly alive. He listens to, helps and mentors his people while educating Non-Aboriginal people with warmth, humour and gentleness.-
Vicki Clark
Vicki is a descendant of the Mutthi Mutthi Nation of southwest NSW; her home country is centred on the Mungo National Park area. Vicki is the former coordinator of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Victoria, where she provided 25 years of committed service. Vicki’s contribution to the Australian Catholic Church, Catholic Education and Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has been profound over this time. Vicki is one of two former Chairs of NATSICC to be presented with the Deacon Boniface Award in 2019.
Elaine Walley
Elaine Walley is a Yamatji, Wadjarri Elder who lives in Three Springs, a small town of about 400 people north of Perth and southeast of Geraldton. She has become an extraordinary woman and community leader who is recognised in her local community. Elaine is a living and authentic witness of the Catholic ethos. She is the leader of all that now happens in the faith community in Three Springs and as such is a woman whose faith continues to grow, through her commitment to daily prayer and good deeds, and by living out her commitment to God and God’s people, not only in the church but in the local community and beyond.
Brenda Lester
Brenda was born in Port Augusta in 1955. Her mother was Emily Lester (who lived in Colebrook Home in Quorn) and father Achee. Brenda returned to live at Amata with her young family on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in 1985. Brenda retired due to ill health and left Amata in 2015 and now resides in Port Pirie with her daughter Naomi and grandchildren. Brenda herself witnesses in her relationships to Tjukurra/God and hence responds to everyone with both unconditional love and genuine care for their dignity.
Deacon Ralph Madigan
Deacon Ralph was ordained by Bishop James Foley on June 7, 2009 in St Thomas of Villanova Church in his hometown of Mareeba. He works in the diaconate ministry in the parish and also together with Fr Rob Greenup and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics in the Diocese of Cairns in an association called ‘Indigenous Connections.’ His Catholic faith is supported by what he has learned of his traditional Muluridgi belief and culture from his parents and grandparents telling traditional stories. These stories of creation bring a shared belief in the spiritual world—a world that was real to him.
Young Adult – Josh Sly
Josh Sly is an Aboriginal Education Worker at Jarara Indigenous Education Unit, Diocese of Parramatta, and is an inspirational young man who continually contributes to the Catholic Ethos through his dedication to sharing his culture with students from all walks of life.
Josh is a very passionate advocate for those falling behind and does everything in his power to build their capacity to reach their full potential. This includes mentoring young boys in how to embrace their identity through art, dance, and music. Josh also guides students on how to improve communication and social skills. He embraces his role with a real sense of social justice and never leaves a stone unturned to address the needs of his young charges.
Adult – Cecilia Kelly
Cecilia is a member of the Catholic Parish in Mt Magnet, a remote mining town in Outback Western Australia, and is 350 km east of Geraldton, which is on the coast in the mid-west of the state.
Cecilia is a proud Yamatji woman living on Badamia country. She is the mother of two children and grandmother of one. Each Sunday at Church, Cecilia conducts the Acknowledgment to Country as well as Proclaiming the Word and any other ministry she is called upon from time to time. Cecilia actively contributes to the weekly morning tea and table conversation after Church. She bases her day-to-day life on how Jesus lived: with kindness and compassion.
Non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander – Catherine Jones
Catherine Jones is an active member of St Bridget’s Parish Mt Magnet, where she serves as a member of the Parish Board. Her journey took her from Sydney, where she was a Good Samaritan Sister, to the Jones family of Boogardie Station and a dedication to the land, culture, language, and history of the Yamatji people.
Her service as Principal of Cue Primary is infused with Gospel Values, where she makes Jesus present in the lives of her teachers, students, and their families.