Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Community Leader Award winners shocked, stunned and surprised to be honoured

byJoe Higgins
21 November 2019 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 8 mins read
AA
Community Leader Awards winners for 2019

Catholic leaders: Youth Leader of the Year Vivien Dolar; Alicia Falzon, representing husband and Professional of the Year Robert Falzon; Volunteer of the Year Donna Power; Community Leader of the Year Danny Higgins; and School Leader of the Year Sue Williams at The Community Leader Awards 2019 held at Australian Catholic University Brisbane campus on November 14.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Community Leader Awards winners for 2019
Catholic leaders: Youth Leader of the Year Vivien Dolar; Alicia Falzon, representing husband and Professional of the Year Robert Falzon; Volunteer of the Year Donna Power; Community Leader of the Year Danny Higgins; and School Leader of the Year Sue Williams at The Community Leader Awards 2019 held at Australian Catholic University Brisbane campus on November 14.

COMMUNITY Leader of the Year award winner Danny Higgins said he draws his strength from Christ’s example as he ministers to those who suffer from poor mental health.

“That comes directly from Christ,” the Knight-Hospitaller of the Order of Malta who does chaplaincy work in hospitals said.

“Every story in the Gospels is about Christ challenging the norm of the day and going to people who everybody else had written off – the leper, the tax collector, the examples are just all the way through the Gospel.

“I take that very much to heart.

“It’s one of the reasons why mental health has always been an important thing for me, because if you’re going to find people who are poor and sick, the mental health area is where you’ll find them.”

Hugh Easton with Danny Higgins
Community-minded: Catholic Church Insurance regional manager Hugh Easton (left) presents Danny Higgins with the Community Leader of the Year Award 2019.

Mr Higgins said he was stunned when he was announced the winner of his category at The Community Leader Awards 2019 held at Australian Catholic University Banyo campus on November 14.

He said the other two candidates had remarkable accolades too.

“I’m thrilled for my organisation (the Order of Malta),” he said.

He said the 900-year-old history of the order was based on recognising the less fortunate were “Christ to us”.

Volunteer of the Year Donna Power said she felt overwhelmed with her win.

Related Stories

Global executions dropped in 2020 but fears China’s secret figures remain in the thousands

‘They deserve our help’ – Brisbane youth homelessness on the rise with 42 per cent of homeless under 25 years old

St Mark’s shows its ‘unity in diversity’ at 65th anniversary Mass

Mrs Power, who runs Project Kindy which helps provide food and education for more than 700 young children in rural Malawi, said she was “genuinely surprised” and “really, really happy”.

“These are the only awards in the whole of Brisbane that don’t have any ego, this is like, everyone should win ­­– it’s so nice,” she said.

“You don’t have to, as a paper, have awards but you’re highlighting what the mission of our church is in this time.”

Archbishop Mark Coleridge with Donna Power
Acknowledging service: Archbishop Mark Coleridge presented the Volunteer of the Year Award to Donna Power, founder of Kindy Project, who attended the Awards with her daughter Cara.

She said Project Kindy, which she runs from her own home, was a story of “how this beautiful global church can be so grassroots”.

“We’ve got the miracle of the Internet, so why can’t people in the (suburbs) of Brisbane meet up with people in the village in rural Malawi?”

Her message was simple – “have the poor in your heart”.

“It feels really good to be working for the common good and to be helping build God’s Kingdom, little tiny brick by little tiny brick.

“But to have the support of the Catholic community in doing that means the world to me personally.”

Mrs Power’s husband Fraser Power was also a finalist for Professional of the Year award.

She said her husband always supported and encouraged her in Project Kindy.

“He just encourages my soul… he just lights me up,” she said.

“He just sees to the heart of people and he’s all about looking after the vulnerable.”

Robert Falzon
Honoured: MenAlive founder Robert Falzon was named Professional Leader of the Year.

Professional of the Year Robert Falzon was unable to attend the event because he was doing ministry work in Adelaide diocese, but said the award belonged to the hard-working volunteers of MenALIVE. 

“The first feeling was, I was really humbled,” Mr Falzon said.

“This is a terrific award, this is a terrific thing to be acknowledged for but it belongs to the hard workers in MenALIVE and not me.

“The second (feeling) was just the sense of gratitude.

“I really felt like, ‘Wow, this is really great that the work of the last 16 years has been acknowledged’.”

Mr Falzon said in one sense you could not do that kind of ministry work because you liked it, you did it because “you know who you’re serving”.

“The harvest master has very few labourers,” he said.

“And, so we are very acutely aware, we serve the harvest master – we serve the Lord, we serve Jesus.

“The faith is important; you can’t do this work without that, it’s just an empty bell donging.”

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM THE AWARDS

MenALIVE required its volunteers to have a personal prayer life and a personal faith life that was both meaningful and daily. 

“If you don’t know who you’re working for, you don’t work well, do you?” Mr Falzon said.

“If you work for a large corporation and the boss is never present or never available, you go, ‘Oh, I’m just working for a corporation (where) nobody cares’. 

“But we serve and work for a church who has a very personal boss whose name is Jesus. 

“The Church only exists to introduce people to Jesus. 

“That’s the reason it exists, to introduce and to create and cultivate a relationship with God.”

Mr Falzon’s ministry began with a question –where were all the men in churches?

But, over the course of his ministry, more questions arose – where were all the men in marriage? Where were all the men in parenting? 

His ministry was built on ensuring men had a compelling reason to participate in their faith.

“It’s certainly what drives us, the life application,” he said.

“We don’t approach Church – even though apologetics is important, theology is important, catechesis is important – we don’t approach our ministry in that regard, we approach it where they (men) live.”

With 50 volunteers nationwide and close to one event each week, the ministry was booming.

Pam Betts with Sue Williams
Leading educator: Brisbane Catholic Education executive director Pam Betts (left) presents the School Leader of the Year award to Sue Williams.

School Leader of the Year Sue Williams said she was humbled to be nominated, knowing how many other people were doing great work too.

“I think all these wonderful people are doing extraordinary things, I listen to other people’s stories tonight and blown away by what they’re doing,” she said.

“We’re all contributing in some way; I think it’s nice to share that story. 

“The Catholic Church has a fantastic story.”

She said her school, Holy Spirit, New Farm, had a great relationship with the parish.

Mrs Williams, who is a member of the Bracken Ridge parish, said the Church was a great support to the students of the school.

She said the school community loved New Farm parish priest Scalabrinian Father Martin Ignacio Gutierrez.

“We’re part of something bigger than just us,” she said.

“We’re not just this little school in New Farm.”

Finalists for young leader of the year
Catholic youth: Young Leader of the Year finalists (from left) Tien Kelly, Michael Andrews and category winner Vivien Dolar. Photo: Alan Edgecomb

Young Leader of the Year Vivien Dolar said the event was a nice send off as she prepares to leave Brisbane for her hometown of Melbourne after five years as a missionary here.

Ms Dolar was a campus missionary at Queensland University of Technology and helped to lead QUT Freedom ministry. 

There she focused on bringing young people closer to God and evangelising the university.

“What a privilege,” she said.

Ms Dolar said she would love to be involved in ministry, especially young adult ministry, when she returned to Melbourne.

Her favourite part about young adults ministry was building relationships with people.

“Just journeying with people, (it is) such a privilege to have a front seat in people’s faith journeys,” she said.

“It’s a really fantastic, wonderful honour.”

The Catholic Leader managing editor Matt Emerick offered his thanks to all nominees, nominators, sponsors and supporters.

“We cannot do it without your help and hard work,” he said.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Healthy minds and loving support systems will help Schoolies make good decisions

Next Post

Townsville Bishop says Church will never accept assisted suicide because it is intentional killing

Joe Higgins

Related Posts

Death penalty: Demonstrators are seen near the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Ind., showing their opposition to the death penalty July 13, 2020. Photos: CNS
World

Global executions dropped in 2020 but fears China’s secret figures remain in the thousands

21 April 2021
Opportunity to help: “As a society we can’t leave them without a place to call home – not when there are urgent and economically sound solutions.”
Australia

‘They deserve our help’ – Brisbane youth homelessness on the rise with 42 per cent of homeless under 25 years old

21 April 2021
QLD

St Mark’s shows its ‘unity in diversity’ at 65th anniversary Mass

21 April 2021
Next Post
Townsville Bishop Tim Harris

Townsville Bishop says Church will never accept assisted suicide because it is intentional killing

Married men becoming deacons

Meet the married men who will be ordained deacons next week

Nick Hurley

Wavell Heights principal wins top Catholic education award

Popular News

  • March for Life set to attract big crowd opposed to abortion, euthanasia

    March for Life set to attract big crowd opposed to abortion, euthanasia

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Australian Bishops urge Catholics to get vaccinated amid push for more vaccine options

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • We head for Poland as pilgrims, not tourists

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Catholic laypeople in Cologne Archdiocese demand local synod

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • St Mark’s shows its ‘unity in diversity’ at 65th anniversary Mass

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Death penalty: Demonstrators are seen near the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Ind., showing their opposition to the death penalty July 13, 2020. Photos: CNS
World

Global executions dropped in 2020 but fears China’s secret figures remain in the thousands

by Joe Higgins
21 April 2021
0

AMNESTY International recorded 483 executions in 18 countries during 2020, which was a decrease of 26 per...

Opportunity to help: “As a society we can’t leave them without a place to call home – not when there are urgent and economically sound solutions.”

‘They deserve our help’ – Brisbane youth homelessness on the rise with 42 per cent of homeless under 25 years old

21 April 2021

St Mark’s shows its ‘unity in diversity’ at 65th anniversary Mass

21 April 2021
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is seen near a picture of George Floyd in this courtroom sketch.

Bishops urge racial healing after former US police officer found guilty of killing George Floyd

21 April 2021
Health crisis: Referencing the Vatican document, the bishops said “it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process”.

Australian Bishops urge Catholics to get vaccinated amid push for more vaccine options

20 April 2021
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping