Safeguarding Policy

The Diocese of Bathurst is committed to safeguarding children, young people, vulnerable adults, and indeed all who participate in the life of the Church at whatever level.

This Safeguarding Policy (link) is intended to provide a framework of best practice which makes this safeguarding possible. It contains our policy statement and articulates the Gospel values, core principles, church documents and legislation on which it is based, and refers to guidelines for recruitment, training, education and clear procedures for when abuse or allegations of abuse occur.

The Diocese upholds the principle of shared responsibility and requires all of its personnel, including volunteers, to be trained in the contents and obligations of this document and to engage in behaviours that ensure the protection and wellbeing of all.

+Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurst
7^th September 2017

This policy applies to clergy, religious, employees, students on placement, and volunteers in agencies and parishes of the Diocese, and all associated with the work and mission of the Diocese.

To carry out this overall Policy, separate procedural documents are to be developed specific to:

• Diocesan Chancery Office;
• Parishes and other Diocesan entities;
• Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst;
• Centacare, Catholic Diocese of Bathurst.

Policy Statement

Gospel Foundation:

            “… for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”  (Mark 10:14)

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus showed particular care and respect for the poor, powerless and vulnerable in the society in which he lived. He stated that he had come that all may have life…“life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)

The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is committed to this Gospel mandate.

Walking in his way, the values of love, dignity, respect and justice underpin this policy and are expected to be inherent in the encounters, guidelines, decisions and practices involved in its implementation.

This stance mandates that everyone in the diocesan church, regardless of role or position, must ensure that the fundamental rights of children, young people and the vulnerable, in particular, are respected and upheld.

Human Rights Foundation:

The Diocese is also committed to Article 3.1 and Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The protection of children recognises their human rights, as expressed in this United Nations Convention:

Article 3.1

“In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.”

Article 19

“1. States, Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s), or any other person who has the care of the child.

2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have care of the child, as well as other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate for judicial involvement.”

The Holy See is a signatory to this Convention.

Statement of Principles:

The principles and standards put forward in this document are extensions of core principles of our Church:

• Commitment to justice and equity;
• Upholding the dignity of all people and their right to respect;
• Commitment to safe and supportive relationships;
• Outreach to those who are poor, alienated or marginalised.

Standards:

• Children, young people, the vulnerable and all in our communities have a fundamental right to be respected, nurtured and safeguarded by all.
• Persons involved in situations considered to be inappropriate or where reportable conduct is disclosed or suspected are to be treated with sensitivity, dignity and respect.
• In any preventative and/or protective action related to child abuse, the overall wellbeing of the child is the primary concern.
• The value of the family unit is respected but not to the detriment of the well-being of the child.
• Persons appointed to ministry of any kind by the Diocese are required to carry out their duties with integrity, compassion, respect and courtesy.
• Shared responsibility in the Diocese requires all its appointed personnel, including volunteers, to adhere to a code of conduct and procedures that ensures the protection and wellbeing of all.

General Statement of Commitment by the church in the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst

The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is committed to:

• the care and nurture of, and respectful ministry with, all children, young people

and adults;

• the safeguarding of all children, young people and adults when they are vulnerable;
• the establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is informed vigilance as to the dangers of abuse of any kind.

The Diocese will:

• carefully select and train all those with any responsibility in the Church in line with safe recruitment policies detailed in procedural policies documents;
• respond to every complaint of abuse against Church personnel in accordance with agreed policies outlined in procedural documents;
• seek to offer an appropriate ministry of informed pastoral care to those who have suffered abuse;
• discharge its responsibilities to those who are known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult;
• in all of the above principles, follow the state and national legislation of the Australia, appropriate guidance and recognised good practice.

(from Guideline Template document from Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors 27 May 2016)

The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst will take the necessary steps to:

• demonstrate the right to protection from harm for all people;
• safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults;
• foster current best practice in all areas of Church life;
• demonstrate accountability and transparency through establishing effective structures and practices;
• prepare and monitor Diocesan organisations, parishes, groups and authorised personnel in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults;
• offer ongoing training and development for all authorised Church personnel including volunteers;
• uphold and maintain standards of conduct which set out clear guidelines regarding ethical behaviour as an essential part of reducing the risk of harm for all people;
• operate safe learning, play, work, pastoral and worship environments that ensure safety.

Key Documents

This policy is built on Key Documents:-

• National Committee for Professional Standards – Integrity in Ministry – A document of principles and standards for Catholic clergy and religious in Australia. June 2004.
• National Committee for Professional Standards – Integrity in the Service of the Church – A resource document of principles and standards for lay workers in the Catholic Church in Australia. September 2011.

Both of these documents are designed and approved for the safe and respectful conduct of life and ministries.

• National Committee for Professional Standards – Towards Healing – Principles and procedures in responding to complaints of abuse against personnel of the Catholic Church in Australia. January 2010. Revised 2015.

Designed and approved for clear, just procedures, for when principles and procedures are contravened.

• Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors – Guidelines Template document. 27 May 2016.

Diocesan Procedures are to be followed in line with appropriate legislative requirements including:

• Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW) and Regulation 2013;
• Ombudsman Act 1974 and Ombudsman Regulation 2011 (NSW);
• Keep Them Safe 2009 Amendments to Children & Young Persons

(Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW);

• Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 (NSW);
• Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW);
• Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

Diocesan Code of Conduct

View the Diocesan Code of Conduct here.

Confirmation Policy

The Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Bathurst 

At the beginning of 2017, I circulated a discussion paper on the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in our Diocese.

I was grateful for the participation of many people in the discussions that ensued, which helped in the preparation of a draft policy which eventually went to the annual assembly of the Diocesan Pastoral Council in October 2017.

After final revisions, I now publish the policy which is to be in effect from today. It will be reviewed from time to time.

I will appoint an Advisory Panel to gather information on the application of these principles in the various parishes and their schools; to facilitate the sharing of good ideas; and to assist in developing formation programs for those responsible for sacramental preparation and continuing formation after the celebration of the Sacrament.

Similar work will be undertaken, in due course, with regard to the administration of the other sacraments of initiation for both children and adults.

The Advisory Panel will also consider the selection and formation of sponsors for Baptism and Confirmation.

+ Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurst
11th January 2018

 Policy

1. The faithful are obliged to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at the appropriate time (Can. 890). The appropriate time is either after the age of discretion or when the person is in danger of death (Can. 891). It will be conferred on baptised persons who properly and reasonably request it (Can. 885).
2. The ordinary minister of the Sacrament is the Bishop. Priests have the faculty to confirm (i) in danger of death and (ii) when adults are baptised or received into the Catholic Church. On all other occasions, including Confirmation of adult Catholics who have not previously received the Sacrament, they require a specific delegation from the Bishop.
3. The Bishop relies on the judgment and recommendation of the parish priest to determine that the candidate is suitably instructed, properly disposed and able to renew his or her baptismal promises (Can. 889). If, in the judgment of the parish priest, the candidate has not yet met these requirements, the administration of the Sacrament is to be delayed until he or she is ready.
4. The preparation of candidates and their continuing formation after Confirmation is the responsibility of the whole parish community, led by the parish priest. The families and sponsors, the parish school, catechists, sacramental teams and all parishioners have particular roles which, to be effective, must be carried out in collaboration with one another.
5. The current practice of inviting children to prepare for Confirmation in Year Six will be retained, with the following modifications:

(a)   The Sacrament is not to be routinely or automatically conferred at a particular age. An essential part of the preparation should involve discerning each candidate’s willingness and readiness to receive Confirmation. It must be a free and informed choice on the part of the candidate and his or her family, as well as a judgment on the part of those responsible for the preparation, ultimately the Parish Priest. The option of postponing the Sacrament until a later age is to be clearly presented.

(b)    Parishes and their schools and catechists are invited to consider beginning preparation in Year Five, with the possibility of recommending suitable candidates from that age group.

6. The content of the preparation and evidence of its reception are to include the following:

• A familiarity with and understanding of the baptismal promises which the candidates publically profess in the Confirmation liturgy.
• Openness to and reverence for the Word of God that comes to us in Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church.
• The practice of personal prayer.

(d)   The practice of liturgical prayer and the part that the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, play in the Christian life.

(e)   The responsibilities and duties of members of the Church, especially in works of service and support of the parish’s material needs.

Funeral Policy

The Celebration of Funerals in the Diocese of Bathurst

When one of us dies, there is a basic human response to gather in grief, seeking the consolation of family and friends, supporting by our presence those who grieve the most. The customs and rituals we develop organise this kindly intent into words and actions that bind us together as a community of mourning.

The local Catholic community, called to be the presence of Christ, brings his love to those who suffer loss in this moment. We also mourn in hope, believing in God’s promise of mercy and resurrection for the one who has died. As Christians, we are both ministers of consolation and ministers of the Gospel. Properly understood, these ministries will not be in competition, because they do in fact need each other. Neither should be forgotten or neglected.

Our funeral rites are, at their heart, an act of worship to God, the giver of life, who has made us to dwell eternally with him.

In this document, I will first outline the reasons and purposes for our celebration of funeral rites, then give some practical applications to guide how we organise them in our local church.

Why we celebrate funerals

a) The first reason, as indicated in the introduction, is to gather in mutual support and prayer as we grieve the loss of one who has died. This gathering is not restricted to the funeral rites, but also includes our loving presence to one another from the time of the death and through the weeks and months that follow.

The circumstances and the impact of every death are different; and the practical help we may offer, as well as the words we choose, will differ too; but the simple gift of our presence at the funeral and in other times is always valuable.

Our gathering includes remembering the person we have lost. Their absence now is real, but so too are our memories; and so too is the endurance of the good they have   done. In St Mary MacKillop’s words, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” As Christians, we are content not merely to list the virtues and achievements of the departed, but to see God at work in their life and, through them, in ours.

These memories are not always happy. A death can bring into focus relationships, both with the deceased and among their family and others, that need reconciliation and healing. This is not achieved simply and quickly, but we do what we can, when we can, in patience and hope. We humbly acknowledge that none of us can gain salvation by our own efforts, but only through the mercy of God.

b) We pray for the one who has died. Our Catholic faith tells us that they are not beyond the reach of our prayers, nor we of theirs. We do not pretend to know the ways of God, in time and out of time, in forgiving sins and raising the dead to life, but our prayers for the dead are both a duty and a consolation for us. This is also a deep and effective way of seeking reconciliation and healing when someone has died before they forgave us or we forgave them.

This prayer is most perfectly expressed in the Eucharist. As the then Cardinal Ratzinger expressed it: “We know that the souls of those who have died are alive in the resurrected body of the Lord. The Lord’s body shelters them and carries them towards the common resurrection. In this body which we are permitted to receive, we remain close to one another and we touch each other.”

c) We pray for the gift of faith, in the first place for those who are suffering the loss and absence of someone who has been part of their lives on earth. The Lord, who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, is especially close to those who suffer. More than that, he himself has experienced the reality of death and is the one who can lead us out of it. This is a moment of grace for those who mourn: to renew, strengthen or even discover the assurance of this closeness and the belief that death does not have the final word.

We also pray for our own faith. When one of us dies, we are reminded that our own turn will come too, sooner or later. When contemplating the destiny of those who have gone before us, we ponder our own destiny and seek a deeper faith in Jesus Christ as the one whose victory over sin and death can lead us to eternal life.

Practical applications

These directions are to be read in conjunction with the attached Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) and applied faithfully and sensitively, avoiding both negligent and legalistic interpretations.

1a) Every parish should develop (or continue to develop) a group of suitably formed people to assist the parish priest in ministering to the bereaved. In addition to helping prepare and celebrate the funeral rites, they would be available to offer support over the longer term, as needed (OCF 8-13).

1b) The priest and his team are to be sensitive to the different needs that families may have in planning the funeral. These could be cultural, for example with aboriginal or immigrant families; or simply because those planning the funeral are unfamiliar with church ceremonies (OCF 16-17).

1c) No eulogy is to be given during a Funeral Mass or Liturgy (OCF 27). However, one brief remembrance obituary may be delivered immediately before or after. This should not be done from the Ambo, unless the practicalities of the church building do not allow for another suitable location.

The priest and his team can help the bereaved to collaborate with one another in writing the obituary, and in choosing the most appropriate person to read it out. Should there be a request for multiple obituaries and speakers, this may be accommodated at other times, such as the burial or cremation, a vigil service the night before, or at the gathering of family and friends after the funeral rites.

Similarly, presentations such as PowerPoints etc. are not to be shown during the liturgy. The best times for these are when the congregation gathers before the service begins, or at the gathering of family and friends after the funeral rites.

1d) Only Christian symbols (the Pall, a Bible, Crucifix etc.) may be placed on the coffin. Other mementoes, including a photograph of the departed, may be placed with due dignity on a table to one side of the area in front of the sanctuary (OCF 38).

2a) Sometimes, for sound pastoral reasons, the funeral rites do not include the celebration of Mass. Our parishes have the worthy custom of praying for those who have died that week in the Prayer of the Faithful at Sunday Mass. I would also ask that one of the weekday Masses be offered for those who have died recently. In smaller parishes, this may not be so frequent; in larger parishes, one Mass could be offered for several departed. The families should be informed of this and encouraged to attend.

2b) The availability of the Sacrament of Penance, in the period before or after the funeral, can be an important part of the work of reconciliation (OCF 13).

3) Our mission as the Church is to proclaim that the Son of God became fully human, suffering sin and death and defeating them. Our humanity, joined to his, can claim this victory and share in his divine life, beginning now, to be perfected in the resurrection of the body.

All who mourn have a right to hear this loving message of reconciliation and hope. And we have a responsibility as Christians to find ways to communicate it. We can only communicate what we understand: all involved in funeral ministry need constantly to deepen their knowledge of the richness of our faith and teachings.

The readings from scripture, the prayers of the Liturgy and suitable hymns express this faith. The words of the priest or minister, especially in the homily, can bring them to bear on particular circumstances, tailored to each congregation, but never obscuring the clear beauty of the Gospel.

For this reason, is important to guard against funeral rites becoming overloaded with secular writings and songs (OCF 23, 30-32). Some are of good quality and can enhance prayer and reflection when properly placed in the service; others can be trite and distracting and should be discouraged; those that are contrary to Christian faith should of course be excluded.

4) The arrangements for Catholic funerals are ultimately the responsibility of the Parish Priest of the place where they are celebrated.

Should priests from outside the Diocese of Bathurst wish to take part, either presiding or as concelebrants, the Parish Priest is to ensure that they have complied with the necessary professional standards requirements.

At the rite of final commendation and farewell, the community acknowledges the reality of separation and commends the deceased to God. In this way it recognises the spiritual bond that still exists between the living and the dead and proclaims its belief that all the faithful will be raised up and reunited in the new heavens and a new earth, where death will be no more (OCF 7).

+ Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurst
January 2018

Privacy Policy

The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst and its parishes, agencies, organisations and ministries (including but not limited to Centacare, Diocese of Bathurst and the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Bathurst) (referred to as “we”, “our” and “us” in this document) are committed to protecting your personal information.  Reference to our website includes the websites of any of the parishes, organisations or agencies within our Diocese.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully as it outlines how we collect, store and use personal information.

We advise that this Policy does not cover the handling of personal information by our Catholic schools or Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst.  For information relating to the handling of personal information by our schools, please visit Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst website located at https://www.bth.catholic.edu.au

We may revise this Policy from time to time by publishing a revised version on this website taking effect from the time it is published.

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) also apply to us in relation to how we collect, store and use your personal information.

Personal Information

Personal information is any information that can identify or be reasonably used to identify you.  We will collect and maintain in our database certain personally identifiable information from you when you provide it to us on a voluntary basis, for example, when you make an inquiry, contact us, subscribe to our newsletter or forums, establish an email account or make a payment/donation.  Typically, your personal information would include your name, address, telephone number, email, payment card details (including transaction details/history) and date of birth.

Our various parishes, activities and ministries might need to collect other kinds of personal information.  For example:

• We may need to collect information about employment and education history, background checks, government identifiers (e.g. tax file numbers) criminal history checks and Working with Children Checks of our current, past or prospective employees and volunteers.
• We may hold or request sacramental records, information regarding personal histories or information about religious or philosophical beliefs (e.g. as part of the process if a person requests a priest to officiate their wedding), donation history, financial information (e.g. credit card details written on a collections envelop).
• Centacare, Diocese of Bathurst provides a range of family and community services which will require collection of certain personal information before such services can be provided, including sensitive information such as health information (e.g. health and medical history of children that are placed in Outside School Hours Care operated by Centacare), disability information and information regarding family histories and relationship with others (e.g. for family counselling services).
• Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Bathurst may collect financial information, carry out credit checks and collect identification documents (e.g. copies of drivers’ licences and passports) before it can provide services to you.
• Photographs, videos and news stories that may identify persons may be collected in respect of Catholic Church related events and activities.

Some of the personal information collected may be considered “sensitive information” as defined in the Privacy Act and we will take steps to ensure that such information is handled and protected as required by the Act and the APPs.

You can always choose not to provide your personal information to us, or you may just want to deal with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym. If this happens, we may not be able to provide you with the information you asked for or give you the level of service you expect.

When you look at our website, please also be aware that our Internet Service Provider makes a record of your visit and logs information about it.  This is usual practice for an Internet Service Provider. This information may include but is not limited to:

• Your server address
• Your top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, etc)
• The date and time of your visit to the site
• The pages you accessed and documents downloaded
• Previous sites you visited
• The type of browser you are using

How we collect your information

We will only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions or activities.

We carry out a multitude of functions, services and activities for the purposes of promoting the Catholic faith within the Diocese of Bathurst.  This includes, amongst other things, serving the Catholic Church community within the Diocese, assisting and supporting parishes within the Diocese, providing services to the Church community and members of the public through our organisations and businesses (such as Centacare and the Catholic Development Fund), liaising with members of the public and carrying out ministries from time to time.

We collect personal information from individuals when it is reasonably necessary to enable us to carry out our mission, activities and ministries, which includes but is not limited to:

• providing religious services to you and the community, including administering sacraments and pastoral care;
• providing other services to you and the community, such as family and counselling services through Centacare;
• providing financial services through the Catholic Development Fund;
• providing you with information that we think you might be interested in, for example news and events held by the Diocese of Bathurst;
• carrying out fundraising campaigns and appeals, including use of information to process donations;
• ensuring that our activities and ministries are managed and operate to a high standard and in accordance with our policies, which includes carrying out due diligence in relation to prospective employees and volunteers and collecting personal information of our employees and volunteers as party of our day-to-day operations;
• complying with our legal obligations;
• providing administrative support to other Catholic Church agencies; and
• communicating with the public who contact us with queries, comments or complaints.

We may also collect personal information for secondary purposes for which a person would reasonably expect us to use or disclose his or her personal information.

We collect information from you in different ways. Our usual practice is to collect personal information directly from you. For example, you might send an email to us directly or through an online form on our website which will contain your personal information or you might provide your local parish priest with personal information such as your contact details.

In most cases, we require you to consent specifically to any collection, use or disclosure of your personal information by us. Your consent may be explicit, such as in writing or verbally, or may be implied by conduct.

There are times where we collect personal information about you from a third party, i.e. where it is impracticable or unreasonable to collect directly from you or when you would reasonably expect your personal information to be collected from another source. For example, we may be given a form relating to a baptism that contains the names and religion of the parents and godparents of the child. If you provide us with personal information of a third party, you warrant to us that you have obtained consent from that person(s) for you to disclose their personal information to us and for us to collect and use their personal information per this Policy.

In the case of children, personal information will ordinarily be collected from their parents or guardians, unless specific and/or unusual circumstances require that the collection be made directly from the relevant child.

For prospective employees, we may collect personal information by speaking with referees nominated by the prospective employee. We may contact applicants’ previous employers who have not been nominated as referees. Should this be the case, applicants will be advised prior to such contact being made.

Our website may use cookies to assign your computer a User ID so that we can identify your computer on our server. You may configure your web browser so that you are notified in advance so your internet browser will disable cookies. In some instances, cookies may collect and store personal information about you. Any personal information collected via the use of cookies will only be used by us in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Storage, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

We will store and use your personal information for the purpose(s) for which it was collected (see above), for any secondary purposes directly related to that primary purpose(s), or to comply with our legal obligations. We generally do not disclose your personal information to other organisations unless we believe it is reasonably necessary to conduct the functions and activities of the Diocese, if you give your consent, or if it is required or authorised by law.

We use a range of suppliers, service providers, contractors and other third-party partners to enable the activities and functions of the Diocese including information technology service providers and banks.

In providing your information to us, you are consenting to the disclosure of your information to such entities outlined above without the need to obtain your consent to do so.

We may also disclose personal information to the public from time to time with either the consent of the person to which the information relates or from a third party when we are reasonably satisfied that the person to whom the information relates would consent to our use of the personal information.

Examples of such use include the disclosure of the first and last names of sick persons in parish bulletins (either disclosed to us by the persons themselves or by their friends or family) and the announcement of such names during prayers of the faithful at Mass.

We may use your personal information to send you information about our work and promotional or marketing material from time to time. We may provide you with material that we believe would be of interest to you in person, by mail, phone, email, text, and online via the internet and in apps, unless you tell us not to.

We will make sure that any such emails, texts and letters that we send to you clearly tell you how to opt-out.

You can opt-out of receiving promotional or marketing material at any time by following the opt-out instructions on the materials you received or by contacting us on the details below:

Privacy Officer
Catholic Diocese of Bathurst
P.O. Box 246, Bathurst, NSW, 2795
Phone: (02) 6334-6400

Some third-party providers we use, for example, for cloud storage of electronic data, may be located outside of Australia. We otherwise will not disclose your personal information to overseas recipients without your prior consent. Before disclosing your personal information to an overseas recipient, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient will not breach the APPs. We are committed to safeguarding personal information held by us and will comply with all applicable laws relating to cross-border data disclosure.

Security of Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to ensure the security of personal information, in both physical and electronic forms, by storing it in a secure environment.  Any contract service providers used will also be bound by our Privacy Policy and all employees, contractors and third-party service providers are required to comply with this Policy.

As our website is linked to the internet, and the internet is inherently insecure, we cannot provide any guarantee regarding the security of transmission of information you communicate to us online. We also cannot guarantee that the information you supply will not be intercepted whilst being transmitted over the internet. Accordingly, any personal information or other information which you transmit to us online is transmitted at your own risk.

Online Donations

Donations made online via our website (if applicable) or on any of the Dioceses’ Parish websites are processed in real time using a secure payment gateway.

Notifiable data breaches scheme

In the event of any loss, or unauthorised access or disclosure of your personal information that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will investigate and notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as practicable, in accordance with the Act.

Access to Personal Information

We take all reasonable steps to ensure that personal information we collect, hold, use and disclose is complete, accurate, relevant and up to date.

If you would like to access or make corrections to your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer described below. We may ask you to verify your identity before we disclose any personal information.

If you wish to have your personal information removed from our database, we will take all reasonable steps to comply with your request, unless we need to keep your information for legal, auditing or internal risk management reasons.

Complaints

We have appointed a designated Privacy Officer who is responsible for investigating any complaints or concerns any person may have about the protection of their privacy. The Privacy Officer can be contacted as follows:

Attn: Privacy Officer
Catholic Diocese of Bathurst
P.O. Box 246, BATHURST, NSW 2795
Email: privacy@bathurst.catholic.org.au

Once we become aware of any ongoing concerns or problems raised by you about our privacy practices, we will take these issues seriously and work to address those concerns. There is no fee associated with lodging such a complaint. Provided we have all the necessary information required to adequately investigate your complaint, we will endeavour to respond to you within 21 business days. We will contact you should we require further information.

If your complaint has not resolved to your satisfaction, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (“OAIC”).  Information on how to make a complaint to the OAIC can be found at www.oaic.gov.au.  Contact details for the OAIC are:

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW  2001
Telephone: 1300 363 992
Facsimile: (02) 9284 9666
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Terms of Use

By communicating with us, including using our website or the websites of any of the parishes, organisations or agencies within our Diocese, and by providing information to us, you are consenting to the collection and use of your personal information (including sensitive information) for the purpose it was intended.

This Policy was last reviewed and updated on 14 December 2020.

Diocesan Refund Policy

If you have made a payment or donation to the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst for any reason and require a refund, please contact the Catholic Development Fund, Bathurst on 6334 6400 or email: cdf@cdfbathurst.org.au

Please note that any approved refunds will be credited to the credit card used for the original transaction.

Diocesan Archives Policy

To assist persons in researching their family history, the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst has made available the following records:

Baptismal Records: 1839 – 1917
Marriage Records: 1839 – 1957
Burial Records: 1839 – 1987
Confirmation Records: 1839 – 1917

LOCATION OF RECORDS: 

OBTAINING TRANSCRIPTS:

The Archive of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst will be happy to supply a transcript of individual entries in our registers inclusive of the above dates on receipt of:
• A written request, either email or mail, specifying the type, approximate date and location of the event. Example: baptismal record for X that occurred in town X in the year X.
• A fee of $30 is charged for this service and should be paid at the time the request is completed. Direct payment details will be sent to facilitate this charge.

Please note: Actual registers will not be made available to researchers nor will copies of individual pages be made due to the need to maintain and protect the physical integrity of the original documents.

Contact:
Phone: 02 6334 6400
Email: archives@bathurst.catholic.org.au
Fax: 02 6331 4869
Address: PO Box 246 Bathurst NSW 2795

Diocesan Archivist
January 2022