The Catholic Diocese of Lismore is situated in the north-east coastal area of New South Wales, Australia. Catholic education in this diocese is based on the premise that school and parish work together in partnership for the personal and spiritual development of students. This premise relies on the assumption that teachers and clergy share a common view of the mission of Catholic schools. However, some recent studies highlight a lack of shared vision and indicate that teachers and clergy frequently have different expectations of what Catholic schools should be. This study examines similarities and differences in perceptions of the religious dimension of the mission of Catholic schools among the teachers and clergy in the Lismore Diocese. It identifies areas in which there is a significant lack of congruence. The study also explores the relationships and the quality of partnerships between teachers and clergy and identifies issues that are potential sources of tension. Furthermore, it considers implications for change. Self-completion questionnaires were given to the target population which consisted of all the full time teachers in Catholic schools and all the clergy on active duties in the Lismore Diocese at the beginning of 1997. Subsequent semi-structured interviews were conducted with all the clergy in the group and with thirty two teachers chosen through random sampling. Data yielded little evidence of sustained dialogue between teachers and clergy on issues related to the religious orientation of Catholic schools. Although there were some similarities in the teachers' and priests' perceptions of the religious dimension of the mission of Catholic schools, there was a considerable variation in their perceptions of priorities for these schools. Some of these differences could be linked to teachers' individual relationships with the institutional Catholic Church. Teachers and priests were found to differ significantly in their understanding of the effectiveness of Catholic secondary schools. The study also found that ecclesiastical language used to describe the mission of Catholic schools is not always understood by teachers who work principally out of an educational context. Moreover, the study found that relationships between teachers and clergy were often hindered by poor communication, lack of clarity with regard to roles and expectations and very different perceptions of the structures and practice of authority. Many teachers believed that clergy were 'out of touch' and unrealistic in their expectations of schools and teachers. Many priests, on the other hand, considered that teachers had generally lost a sense of 'vocation' and religious motivation for their involvement in Catholic schools. Priests were generally more interested in forming partnerships with schools than were teachers in forming partnerships with parish communities. The perception that secondary school communities did not relate to parishes as well as their primary counterparts was widespread among clergy. This study makes several recommendations for the improvement of communication and dialogue between teachers and priests. It also recommends that similar research be carried out in dioceses where the parish-school authority structure differs. As part of this study the initial findings were presented to a significant gathering of clergy and school principals. The resulting discussion led to the proposal of strategies for improvement in communication and partnership. In this way the applied research in the study became an agency of change itself, working in the direction of a better culture of communication and collaboration regarding the religious mission of Catholic schools.

The amalagamation of St. Mary's College and St. Joseph's High School, Lismore was a process that began in 1965 when a decision was made to combine Senior classes for the first Higher School Certificate curriculum. There was no thought of amalgamation in 1965 but the decision made then lead to the developments of 1977. Increasing enrolments and the need for a building programme set the scene for a merger of Junior classes and the introduction of coeducation throughout the schools. This process extended from 1977 to 1981. It was a period of conflict and resistance to change but it laid the foundation for the complete amalgamation of the schools to form Trinity Catholic College in 1985. The amalgamation process provides a study of decision-making in a Catholic school context. Changes in the Church, Catholic schools and Religious Orders are reflected in the changes in the way that decisions were made at the three key-points in the story. The study draws attention to the fact that in amalgamations of schools much of the planning is done in terms of the present schools rather than for the new school which is always twice as large and much more complex. The non-educational aspects of amalgamation are also considered because they are a time-consuming but important part of the planning. This study shows the importance of rituals in laying the old schools to rest so that the new school may come into being. A visible indication that things are different is essential when the students, staff and buildings remain as they had been. Since amalgamations are becoming more common as student numbers decline some lessons learned over the past twenty years are recorded so that others may benefit from them.

The central argument of this thesis is that, for the Gaels of Lismore, their boundaries are not just the physical ones (important though they may be) of living on an island bounded by the sea, but that the boundaries are also symbolic and relate to the recreation and reinforcement of a cultural identity. These can be denoted by a variety of things but, in this thesis, I explore boundaries of History, Oral Tradition, Music, Language, Life-cycle rituals and the ritual boundaries of 'celebrations', both at home and when the Gael moves away from the Highlands. Where possible, several specific historical incidents have been used which have direct relevance and significance for the mental construction of these boundaries for the Gaels in general, and the Gaels of Lismore in particular. One of the aims has been to understand the present, by looking at the past, since the culture of the Gaels has important historical referents for them. Both emic and etic perspectives are considered as far as possible, using two types of perspectives on history, outsider viewpoints and those of the Gaels themselves. The identity of a community is a reality: a community consciousness is reinforced and encompassed by boundaries which can be symbolic. The symbols of community can incorporate many differences successfully, specifically because symbols can be so general. In this way, it is possible for a community to come under one banner despite intense variations in belief and ideals. When community parameters are under threat, perhaps by historical factors which necessitate social cliange as in the case of Lismore, people reinforce these boundaries by turning to symbolic behaviour. Ethnographic examples are used throughout to illustrate these points. An audio tape is supplied to use with the Gaelic extracts. This is to allow the reader to hear the sound of the language and music extracts used in the thesis.