Could you introduce yourself and your role at Catholic Mission?
Happy New Year to all in this special time of Jubilee, when Pope Francis has called us all to be Pilgrims of Hope. My name is Marion Gambin rsj, and this year I am celebrating my Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession—50 years of being a Sister of Saint Joseph!
My current role on the Mission Formation Team for Catholic Mission continues to provide opportunities for being an advocate for justice for those on the edge of society, those who have no voice, those who are denied the basics of life, and, in particular, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP), I also promote the involvement of individuals and communities in providing refugees with the support they need to settle in our country.
CRISP is an initiative that empowers local communities to take an active role in welcoming and supporting refugees, ensuring they have the resources and connections needed to integrate into Australian society.
You are currently involved in many initiatives, including the Mission: One Heart Many Voices (MOHMV) Conference. Can you please share with us how this conference and its program align with the work you are doing in the advocacy space?
My special interest is in planning and organising our biennial Mission: One Heart Many Voices Conference (MOHMV). It’s an absolute privilege to work with a team so passionate about what it means to live God’s Mission in our world today. The conference is multi-sector, so everyone who attends will find speakers, workshops, and sessions that engage the mind, heart, and spirit.
The 2025 Conference “challenges participants to consider, discern, and choose a path to be agents, to be advocates, of hope and mission… this choice becomes a turning point, a better choice for the possibilities of life, peace, and unity in our world.” (Conference Rationale).
Take time to sign up today for your seat at the table and be a participant at our 7th biennial Mission: One Heart Many Voices Conference, 19–21 May 2025!
Can you tell us more about your journey in the advocacy space?
It was as a teenager, after my family migrated from England in the 1960s, that I first learnt what it means to believe in a God of Mission. The Josephite Motor Mission Sisters would come to my high school and teach scripture, which had at its heart the call to live the Gospel with a heart for mission. As Pope Francis would say today, we are all called to be disciples of mission, wherever we live, whatever we do.
My years of working in the ministry of primary school teaching and as a Principal, then appointments to leadership roles in my Josephite Congregation, and more recently my role on the Facilitation Team for the Plenary Council, all paved the way for my growing interest in the work of advocacy.
How would you explain the link between advocacy work and mission?
The call to live the Gospel with a heart for mission means being ever ready to advocate for justice in a world needing hope and peace. As Pope Francis reminds us, we are all called to be disciples of mission, wherever we live, whatever we do.
Advocacy is deeply connected to mission because it is about standing with those on the margins—those who have no voice, those who are denied the basics of life—and working to bring justice and dignity to all.
Choosing hope is at the core of the next edition of the Mission One Heart Many Voices (MOHMV) conference, a theme that aligns with this year's Jubilee and Pope Francis' message for World Mission Sunday.
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