2000

10th July 2000
The Making of a Diocese Maitland, its Bishops, Priests and People 1866-1909
Tomorrow night (July 11) sees the launch of a new history of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, written by local Church historian, Dr Beverly Zimmerman RSJ.

The Diocese of Maitland (now known as Maitland-Newcastle) holds a singular place in Australian Catholic history. During the nineteenth century it was the premier diocese of the Catholic Church in New South Wales, when Maitland was the second most populous town in the colony. In The Making of a Diocese, Dr Beverly Zimmerman explores the lifestyles, interactions and faith life of the people, priests and religious men and women of the Diocese of Maitland between 1866 and 1909.

As the first resident bishop of Maitland, James Murray was pivotal in creating the Diocese of today. Zimmerman outlines Murray's work with his priests in the early years of the Diocese, his vision to bring three religious orders of women to Maitland, and the maturation and confidence that came to the Catholic community as the Diocese developed.

While the book highlights the significant contribution of the bishop and his clergy, it also gives voice to the people of the community - the often forgotten majority - by recalling their experiences and highlighting their important role in the history of the diocese. In telling the story of the people, Dr Zimmerman emphasises the role of women in the late nineteenth-century Church - figures who are virtually invisible in many Catholic histories.

Published by Melbourne University Press, The Making of a Diocese is a highly readable and perceptive book that makes an important contribution to the many-layered history of the Catholic Church in Australia.

According to Dr Zimmerman, "History is a vital and dynamic tool for understanding who we are, confronting us with serious truths about the human condition. A study of the past should neither endorse nor lament, but seek to comprehend. My account of the foundation and establishment of the Maitland Diocese has tried to do just that".

Beverly Zimmerman RSJ has a doctorate in history from the University of New England. She is presently a Religious Education Consultant in Secondary Schools at the Catholic Schools Office in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

"I dedicate this book to the past, present and future people of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. This is their story," Zimmerman said.

The Making of a Diocese will be launched by the Most Rev Michael Malone tomorrow night (Tuesday 11 July) 2000 at 7 pm, in the Toohey Room, Catholic Diocesan Centre, 841 Hunter Street Newcastle West.

All media are invited to attend the launch.

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