Catholic Connect

Commissioner Micaela Cronin

Micaela Cronin is the Inaugural Federal Commissioner for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. The Commission was established to provide national leadership and promote national coordination across a range of domestic, family and sexual violence policies and system interactions.

 Micaela began her career as a social worker in family violence and sexual assault services. Since then, she has held leadership roles across the social service sector in Australia and internationally, including as President of the Victorian Council of Social Services and the Australia Council of Social Services.

Micaela was CEO of MacKillop Family Services for over 6 years, leading the organisation through a period of extraordinary growth. Micaela was also CEO of an international non-government organisation based in Asia, working to build global service delivery and strategic partnerships to tackle human trafficking and human rights abuses.

In 2014, Micaela was awarded the Robin Clark Leadership Award – Victoria’s most prestigious children’s protection award – in recognition of her leadership in inspiring others to achieve the best outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Annie Carrett

Annie Carrett is the first female Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and Chief of Staff to the Archbishop. With over 35 years of service in the Catholic Church, she brings expertise in communications, media, and archiving.

Having studied Architecture, Communications and Media Production, Annie began her career in the Federal Press Gallery, Canberra. She then moved to Toowoomba, serving as Diocesan Archivist and Media Manager, where she founded Horizons, the Diocese’s first publication.

In 2001, she became Media Director for Broken Bay Diocese and editor of the award-winning Broken Bay News. She has held roles with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Australasian Catholic Press Association and pioneered Australia’s first eConference, connecting nearly 50,000 people online for theological formation. 

In 2018, Annie moved to Melbourne with Archbishop Peter Comensoli, serving as Senior Advisor and later Chief of Staff. Now, as Chancellor, she oversees Communications and Archives in one of the largest Dioceses in Oceania. Holding a Master’s in Communications and Literature, she is currently studying Theology, continuing her dedication to the Church’s mission. 

Sr. Joan Healy RSJ AO

Sr Joan Healy is an author and activist trained in education and social work, whose pivotal leadership in the 1970s saw the transition away from caring for children in large scale institutional care to smaller residential units and a model of support for families in their local communities.

Fifty years later, the success of this visionary way of working with families is still being held up as a model for preventing children coming into care. She was a founding board member and later chair of MacKillop Family Services. 

Joan volunteered with the Overseas Services Bureau in Cambodia from 1989 to 1995, where she worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service during the war, and with people returning to their villages after.


Joan has held leadership positions within the Sisters of St Joseph. In 2009 she was awarded Australian Catholic University's highest honour, Doctor of the University, and in 2014 was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for her significant service to the Catholic Church in Australia and as a social welfare advocate in South East Asia. She is Life Member of Catholic Social Services Victoria.