DATSICC advises the Bishop on pastoral and spiritual concerns within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic community.
The General Objectives adopted by DATSICC are:
- To support the Diocese in ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive culturally appropriate Catholic religious experiences.
- To give Catholic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the opportunity to hear and to provide the wisdom to add Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Spirituality and rituals into prayer and liturgy.
- To oversee the implementation of a cross-cultural program for members of the Catholic Church that reflects the region's unique perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and world views.
- To hear advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to provide advice to Indigenous Catholic Council to focus on the area of Catholic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander development within the Catholic ethos.
- To provide strategic advice to the Diocesan office regarding the budgetary and financial expenditure and allocation of funds from various avenues including the Diocese for resourcing the Ministry to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- To actively encourage the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and/or communities within the Catholic structures and institutions (e.g. schools and parishes).
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC)
During 1992 the Australian Bishops established a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) with a secretariat based in Canberra.