AUSTRALIA : CATHOLIC EDUCATION RECEIVES PRAISE


Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
9 Feb 2012
The Shadow Treasurer, Hon Joe Hockey praised the Catholic education system and said he also had been a great beneficiary. Mr Hockey was a special guest at the official opening and blessing of Tenison Woods House at the Australia Catholic University's North Sydney campus.
The Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell blessed the latest ACU acquisition which has been named after Fr Julian Tenison Woods, who along with the now St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph.
The 22-storey building purchased last year, will allow ACU to continue with its expansion program by providing library and learning space for new courses in Allied Health, Law, Global Studies and Business.
Joe Hockey, Federal Liberal Member of Parliament for North Sydney, said ACU was an important part of the North Sydney landscape and described the university as a "wonderful institution" with its students providing growth and energy throughout the community.
"My family were also beneficiaries of Catholic education and continue to be," he said and spoke of a nephew who will shortly graduate from ACU.
Not only was this young man the first in his immediate family to attend university, but as he proudly told those present, the final year student had already secured a position as a graduate with highly-regarded international professional services network, KPMG.
"This illustrates the opportunities ACU is providing to people, many of whom may not have previously ever had the chance to attend university," the Shadow Treasurer said.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop is patron saint of ACU and its five campuses across Australia. But until now full tribute has not been paid by the university to Fr Tenison Woods who not only helped found the Sisters of St Joseph but was instrumental in helping establish the first Josephite school in Penola, SA.
Vice Chancellor, Greg Craven says naming the 22-story building - formerly NRC House - after Fr Julian Tenison Woods was a unique opportunity to recognise a man he described as "one of the greatest figures in the history of the Australian Church."
"He was a great priest and a scholar," Professor Craven said. "The range of his academic work was such that he could, if he were alive today, walk into any chair at any university in Australia. He wrote multiple books, hundreds of scholarly articles and was a member of numerous royal societies, with a range of knowledge and research covering everything from biology to geology, history and geography. He also had a particular interest in Australia's indigenous people."
Together with students, Chancellor of ACU, former Defence Chief General Peter Cosgrove AC MC and Cardinal Pell, those who attended the official opening and blessing of Tenison Woods house included members of the Tenison Woods family.

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