At the heart of Avila College’s Mount Waverley campus, a new learning space is taking shape - one that carries six decades of educational tradition into an exciting new chapter. The St Teresa Library was formally blessed and opened in July, marking the completion of the final stage of the College’s current master plan and creating a contemporary new hub designed to support learning, connection and opportunity for generations of Avila students. Supported by a $9 million CDF loan, the project represents a significant investment in the future of this Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) secondary school for girls, which educates almost 1,100 students from Years 7 to 12. A Future Focused Heart for the College

Australians reported 481,523 scams in 2025 , with 274,577 reports involving financial losses totalling $2.18 billion . Behind those numbers are scams that are becoming increasingly difficult to spot. For organisations, one of the most convincing can begin with something as routine as an invoice. Invoice fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. The email may come from a supplier you know. The invoice may look exactly like previous ones. The amount is correct, the project is familiar, and the message may even sit inside a genuine email thread. The only thing that's changed is the bank account. That one change can redirect thousands of dollars into a cyber criminal's hands. How it happens Invoice fraud, also known as payment redirection fraud, is a common form of Business Email Compromise (BEC). Criminals gain access to a real email account - through phishing, stolen credentials, malware or a data breach - then quietly monitor it. They learn who approves payments, how invoicing cycles work, and wait for the right moment to intercept a genuine transaction and simply change the bank details. Because nothing else changes, it's very hard to spot. Example of What a Scam Looks Like

In 1956, a priest with a vision and a community with faith came together to solve a problem. Catholic schools across Melbourne were overflowing. Families were growing. Government funding for Catholic education was simply unavailable. And so Fr James Wall, later honoured with the title 'Father of the Funds', established what he called the Schools Provident Fund (SPF): a new way for the Catholic community to pool its resources, invest in its future, and care for one another. The very first school funded through that vision was Sacred Heart Parish Primary School in Preston, Victoria, which opened in 1957 and became an instant success, laying the framework for what would follow. The movement spread across Australia and New Zealand, growing from a solution for Catholic schools into a broader vehicle for funding parishes, hospitals, aged care and social services. Seventy years later, that vision is very much alive.

For the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes in Bayswater , the newly renovated Parish Hall is far more than a building. It is the fulfilment of a long-held dream; a place where a vibrant and growing Catholic community can finally come together, share life, and welcome others. Supported by a $1.85 million loan from CDF, the renovation has transformed what was once an ageing and inadequate space into a modern, welcoming hall that will serve the parish and wider Bayswater community for generations to come. A community that needed a home Our Lady of Lourdes Parish has been a cornerstone of Catholic life in Bayswater for more than 60 years, celebrating daily Mass throughout the week and welcoming between 450 and 600 parishioners and visitors across four weekend Masses. It is a community rich in faith, culture and connection, and one that had long outgrown its ability to gather together in a shared space. For Parish Priest Fr Sabu, taking on the renovation project was both a personal commitment and a responsibility to those who had built the parish before him.

More than twenty years after a bold vision first took shape, the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) has officially opened its doors in Melbourne, marking a new era for Australian healthcare, medical research and innovation. A centre unlike any other

When the San Damiano Creativity Hub was officially opened and blessed at St Francis Catholic College, Cobblebank , it marked far more than the completion of a new building. It represented the next chapter in a vision more than four decades in the making - one that has seen a small regional Catholic college grow into one of Melbourne's largest and fastest-growing Catholic secondary schools, while remaining firmly grounded in its Franciscan mission. CDF is proud to continue its longstanding partnership with St Francis Catholic College, supporting Stage 2 of the Cobblebank Campus with a $14.5 million loan, building on the earlier $18 million loan that helped establish the campus. From 57 Students to More Than 2,000

Surrounded by recently built homes on the gently sloping plains of Thornhill Park, Saint Padre Pio Catholic Primary School stands as a beacon of spirituality and hope for an emerging community. As cars stop curbside to release eager students, and parents and children walk hand-in-hand down the footpaths towards the school, Foundation Principal Daniel Bermingham is out front offering a friendly smile and greeting at the beginning of a new day. “I’ve worked at many schools over my career, and this is the most spiritual school I’ve ever experienced, and it’s because of the Thornhill Park community,” says Daniel.

Catholic agency leaders are being urged to face a world of "brutal realities" with clear purpose, disciplined leadership and hope. At the recent CDF Catholic Connect workshop, leading economist Ivan Calhoun warned that AI, geopolitics, inflation and productivity pressures are reshaping the environment in which Catholic organisations operate. Insights from Leading Catholic Sector Voices Professor Elizabeth Labone – Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) Virginia Bourke – Chair, Mercy Health Martin Teulan – Chief Executive Officer, Association of Ministerial Public Juridic Persons (AMPJP) John McClusky – Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Development Fund (CDF) Ivan Colhoun – Independent Economist

As CDF celebrates 70 years of empowering Catholic communities, we are delighted to announce that applications for the 2026 CDF Father James Wall Bursary are now open. To mark our 70th anniversary, the value of each bursary has increased from $5,000 to $7,000. Seven bursaries will be awarded across the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale, Ballarat and Bunbury, supporting outstanding Year 10 students as they complete Years 11 and 12 at a Catholic secondary school. Honouring a founding vision Established in 2002, the Father James Wall Bursary honours the vision of CDF's founder, Fr James Wall. In 1956, at a time when Melbourne was experiencing a post-war population boom and government funding for Catholic schools was unavailable, Fr Wall established the Fund, as a new way for Catholic communities to invest in the future of education and support schools in growing communities. For 70 years, CDF has continued that mission, partnering with Catholic organisations to build schools, churches, health care services, aged care facilities and other projects that strengthen communities. The Father James Wall Bursary carries that same spirit forward, investing directly in young people who demonstrate the leadership, service and compassion that Fr Wall's vision was built upon. Since its establishment, the Bursary has supported 119 students, helping them complete their senior secondary education and grow into confident leaders making a meaningful contribution to their schools and communities. CDF CEO John McClusky said the increase in bursary value is a fitting way to mark the anniversary. " As we celebrate CDF's 70th anniversary, it is fitting that we honour Fr James Wall's legacy by increasing the value of these bursaries and continuing to invest in young people who are already demonstrating leadership, compassion and service within their school communities."