Parramatta Diocese’s Rachael Kama has been appointed to the Secretariat for Mission and Volunteering within the Order of St Augustine, a significant international role that will help shape the future of Augustinian mission and volunteer initiatives around the world. Source: Catholic Outlook.
Ms Kama is the only lay person and the only woman serving on the Augustinians’ Commission for Pastoral Ministry and Mission, bringing a distinctive perspective to the international body as it seeks to support the mission of the Church around the world.
The appointment was made by the Prior General of the Order of St Augustine, Fr Joseph Farrell OSA, and Fr Martin Davahan OSA, Assistant General of Europe and moderator of the Commission for Pastoral Ministry and Mission.
Ms Kama will serve alongside Augustinian clergy from Belgium, North America and Germany, contributing to a newly established secretariat that will coordinate and animate mission and volunteering initiatives across the global Augustinian family.
Reflecting on the appointment, Ms Kama said she was “humbled and grateful for the opportunity to contribute more intentionally” to the order’s mission, particularly through a role that builds on her long-standing involvement in Augustinian volunteer networks and international collaboration.
The secretariat is still in its formative stage, with members tasked with helping to shape its identity and direction.
Its work will include shared reflection and discernment on the missionary needs and opportunities facing the order worldwide, developing practical initiatives in mission and volunteering, and fostering greater collaboration across the five global regions of the Augustinians.
“The secretariat is still in its early phase of formation, but I’m genuinely excited about helping to shape its identity and direction from the ground up,” she said.
The long-term goal is to establish clearer guidelines and stronger networks to support the order’s mission into the future.
She noted that the spirit of the role is “deeply synodal, grounded and collaborative rather than heavily administrative”, reflecting the same values that underpin her work at Parramatta Diocese, where she is the strategy lead for its diocesan pastoral plan.
Ms Kama believes the appointment is a natural extension of her current ministry and professional work.
Her connection to the Augustinian family spans more than two decades through parish ministry, youth leadership, World Youth Day initiatives, international lay formation and volunteer service.
“This appointment feels like a natural deepening of that journey,” she said.
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Parramatta layperson appointed to international Augustinian secretariat (By Mary-Jane Chemuel, Catholic Outlook)
