Recipients of the 2023 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards announced

The Spirit of Catholic Education Awards are presented annually to recognise individuals or teams making an outstanding contribution to Catholic education in Queensland. 

The following recipients of this year’s awards have been announced, including the Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award: 

Mary Dolores Maitland 

Prayer Co-ordinator, Marymount College, Burleigh Waters – Archdiocese of Brisbane 

Brent Van Dam 

Hospitality Trainer, St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree – Diocese of Cairns 

Ken Theodore 

Teacher, Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan – Diocese of Townsville 

Claire Stitt 

Deputy Principal: Mission, The Cathedral College – Diocese of Rockhampton 

Megan Mahoney 

Assistant Principal: Formation and Identity, St Joseph’s School, Stanthorpe – Diocese of Toowoomba 

Boarding Team 

St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Boondall – RI PJP Schools 

Gail Laffin 

Indigenous Education Teacher, Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan – Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award 

A summary of the work for which the recipients are being recognised is available on the Catholic Education Week website awards page.  

These awards were initiated by the Commission in 2006 to recognise staff members, parents and carers or volunteers making outstanding contributions to the life of Catholic school communities in Queensland.   

More than 240 individual and team nominees were received from across the State for this year’s awards, representing all spheres of Catholic education communities. 

This year’s recipients have been invited to receive their awards at the official launch of Catholic Education Week being held in the Diocese of Townsville on Tuesday 25 July 2023. 

The recipients, along with all those nominated for this year’s awards, are representative of the wonderful work being done to support students and the mission of Catholic education in Queensland.