Brisbane Church Launches Plan to Honor First Nations Culture

More than 300 elders, church leaders, and community members came together in Brisbane on September 11 to honor First Nations culture and chart a path forward for truth-telling. The Brisbane archdiocese used the annual Reconciliation Dinner to unveil its third Reconciliation Action Plan, a practical roadmap for cultural transformation across 93 parishes.

The evening's keynote speaker, Dr Aunty Denise Proud, captivated the room with stories from her remarkable life. The Koa and Kuku-Yalanji woman shared her journey from being appointed to Cherbourg's first kindergarten at just 16 years old to spending two decades ministering in prisons.

"You could have heard a pin drop right through the time that she was talking," Archbishop Shane Mackinlay said. Her words resonated with such authenticity that the room fell completely silent.

The timing carried special significance. Archbishop Mackinlay addressed the disappointment many felt after the 2023 Voice referendum defeat and Queensland's decision to step back from its truth-telling inquiry, but he reframed the moment with hope.

"The referendum in 2023 was not a referendum on the Uluru Statement, it was a referendum on one particular proposal," he explained. The core principles of reconciliation remain as vital as ever.

The Ripple Effect

The new 2026-2028 Reconciliation Action Plan offers something concrete: a framework for lasting change across dozens of parishes. Archbishop Mackinlay described it as a tool "for us to discover new learnings, to introduce new actions, and in doing that to get used to being differently."

He recalled St Pope John Paul II's 1986 Alice Springs speech, which painted "an astonishing vision" of an Australia where First Nations peoples take their rightful place. That vision called for a Church where Indigenous contributions are "joyfully received by others."

The evening wasn't just speeches and planning documents. The Carmel College dance group and Wagga Torres Strait Islander Dance Group brought the celebration to life with cultural performances that honored traditions passed down through generations.

With RAP manager Joni McCourt by his side to unveil the plan, Archbishop Mackinlay emphasized that this isn't about grand gestures but steady, practical steps toward understanding and respect. Each of the 93 parishes now has a roadmap for welcoming First Nations perspectives into their communities.

The dinner proved that reconciliation work continues even when political winds shift, carried forward by people committed to learning, listening, and growing together.