Diocesan News
The aim of National Families Week is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society.
CatholicCare Family Week – May 11 – 17, 2026 – Family Week is a great time to reflect on the vital role of all families, in whatever form they take. It is a time to celebrate and strengthen family relationships.
Families Australia – May 13 – 19, 2026 – Led by Families Australia, National Families Week recognises the vital role families play in our lives and our community. It’s a time to celebrate with your family, connect with your extended family and friends and share in the enjoyment of family activities within the wider community.
Family Week aligns with the UN International Day of Families on May 15 to celebrate the vital role families play in the community.
Read stories from around the diocese:
Noeline Hogan – Birchip
National families Week is a timely reminder to stop and acknowledge what our families mean to us. I have a children’s book called “The Family Book” by Todd Parr. It mentions many different types of families in society today; big, small, mixed coloured, blended, fostered, single parents and so on. Parr points out that all families, regardless of subtleties, can have many things in common. For example; the love they have for one another, they are sad when they lose someone they love, they like to celebrate special occasions together and importantly many families help each other to be strong. It’s a simple pre-schooler book that says it’s ok if your family is different, you are not alone or unusual.
I have been married to Leon for 31 years. He’s a Mallee sheep and cropping farmer from between Birchip and Watchem and we have four children together. Emma, an ICU nurse; Sean is in construction management; Ben is an electrician and part time farmer and Patrick is an auto electrician. We represent the typical nuclear family!
It’s hectic when we come together, we do all the normal things together; laugh, argue, and annoy each other. We can’t wait to see each other, and sometimes we can’t wait to leave! We are tolerant and patient and sometimes we’re not….but most importantly we love and support each other.
Our Concept of Family…John and Jan Cosgriff – Ballarat East
Our own family began 60 years ago when we were married, but we were each part of large working-class families and our relationship and bond with our two families of siblings is ongoing and their lives and families are enmeshed with us and our family.
All of our 10 children have meaningful involvement in the community in different areas and we are very proud of the people that they are and the many great things that they do. However, they are also family people and their caring family values move forward into that next generation. We have 29 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, who all bring us a lot of joy when we celebrate together and great comfort to us and to each other in times of sadness.
Our philosophy in our role as parents is that we do not tell our children how to live their lives, but we live our life and make sure that they are able to witness it.
The Family – SMC – Ballarat Diocese
My family is one of the greatest gifts given me by God. My ‘first’ family was comprised of parents and five siblings. Each sibling married and had children of their own. When I married, I had three daughters who found partners and I now have seven grandchildren.
It is a slightly unusual family as there were eighteen years between my second and third daughters and this in turn meant that my seventh grandchild is sixteen years younger than his two nearest cousins. Unfortunately, I lost my own partner seven years ago, so he never got to see our beautiful little grandson.
By definition, the family is an essential social unit consisting of individuals who are related by blood, or marriage. Families are an important part of the community giving emotional, social and economic support to its members. My family through their work, Church and hobbies give support to many in the community.
My family has many strong values including respect, empathy, love and trust, although at times when you hear us all together one might wonder. But when things get tough then the family comes in to surround the person with concerns and supports him/her through whatever the issue may be. Sometimes the issue may be minor – however, support is always there. And when it comes to celebrating special events, we are all there – birthdays, engagements, grand finals, performances – all are important times to gather as a family.
We are a Catholic family with each generation having attended both primary and secondary Catholic schools. Through this education the family has become greatly aware of the importance of caring for the environment. Members have been strongly encouraged to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose, trying hard not to be part of the throw away society – although this often requires strong reminders to some of the younger ones. We are not a family that really enjoys gardening – that gift missed us, so we do not grow our own vegies. However, the female members of the family are all pretty good at sewing and other crafts.
Image: Sr Anne McMillan rsm
Neve Griffiths – Bungaree Parish
Family is incredibly special to me because it is the one place where I know I will always be accepted, supported, and loved no matter what I am going through.
To me, family is more than just the people you are related to, it is the people who stand beside you through every high and low in life. When I think of family, I think of warmth, comfort, and safety. Family creates an environment where you are encouraged to grow and become a better person. Family helps shape who we are and reminds us that there is always someone there.
For me, some of my closest friends are like family too. The people who care for you, support your dreams, lift you up when you are struggling, and stay loyal through every stage of life are the people I consider family.
Family is a constant source of love, strength, belonging, and connection that makes life interesting, meaningful and makes even difficult times easier to get through.
