From Hope To Action Ecology Webinar Series

Alice Carwardine
Alice works in the Mission and Formation team at Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Oceania Province. She holds a master’s degree in theology with a focus in eco-theology, reflecting her passion for the intersection between faith and care for the planet. In 2018, after successfully transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, Alice began sharing her knowledge and experience by running professional development workshops for schools. She is also a trained teacher in Physics and Study of Religion. Previously, Alice was the national coordinator for Caritas’ Catholic Earthcare program, and was a member of the Laudato Si’ action platform working group, collaborating with the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development to implement Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical. She was also a member of the Synod writing team for the Brisbane Archdiocese.

Jemima Walsh
Jemima currently works as a Women’s Leadership Development Associate at Mercy Global Action based at the United Nations in New York. She also serves as a Board Director for All Hallows’ School in Brisbane. With a strong interest in impact investing, Jemima is committed to creating positive social and environmental change. In 2022, she was honored as a Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellow, further demonstrating her leadership potential and dedication to global issues. Her diverse roles reflect her commitment to leadership, education, and sustainable development.

Rebecca Rathbone
Rebecca was born in Hamilton, Canada. She is currently working in Vatican City as the Officer for Promoting Youth Leadership for Caritas Internationalis – the official humanitarian aid and international development confederation of the Catholic Church. In this role, Rebecca develops and coordinates a global strategy to engage and empower young people who work or volunteer for Caritas around the world and accompanies Caritas member organisations and regions to effectively and meaningfully engage youth. She has a Master of Global Affairs degree from the Monk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto and is passionate about social and ecological justice, youth empowerment, and equal representation in global structures. Rebecca is a co-editor of Generation Laudato Si’: Catholic Youth on Living out an Ecological Spirituality.

Alice Carwardine
Alice works in the Mission and Formation team at Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Oceania Province. She holds a master’s degree in theology with a focus in eco-theology, reflecting her passion for the intersection between faith and care for the planet. In 2018, after successfully transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, Alice began sharing her knowledge and experience by running professional development workshops for schools. She is also a trained teacher in Physics and Study of Religion. Previously, Alice was the national coordinator for Caritas Australia’s Catholic Earthcare program and was a member of the Laudato Si’ action platform working group, collaborating with the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development to implement Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical. She was also a member of the Synod writing team for the Brisbane Archdiocese.

Thea Ormerod
Thea is a Catholic Christian, a semi-retired social worker, grandmother and an advocate for action to curb global warming. She has long been involved in a range of social justice issues, mostly concerned with global poverty. For the last 15 years Thea has been involved in the multi-faith climate action organisation, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC, pronounced ‘ark’). She is currently the President. ARRCC is a Founding Partner of GreenFaith International.

Alice Carwardine
Alice works in the Mission and Formation team at Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Oceania Province. She holds a master’s degree in theology with a focus in eco-theology, reflecting her passion for the intersection between faith and care for the planet. In 2018, after successfully transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, Alice began sharing her knowledge and experience by running professional development workshops for schools. She is also a trained teacher in Physics and Study of Religion. Previously, Alice was the national coordinator for Caritas Australia’s Catholic Earthcare program and was a member of the Laudato Si’ action platform working group, collaborating with the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development to implement Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical. She was also a member of the Synod writing team for the Brisbane Archdiocese.

Dr Ann-Maree O’Beirne RSM
Ann-Maree coordinates the Faith Formation Programs and lectures in Ecological Theology at BBI-TAITE. She is a member of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG). Ann-Maree has a PhD in Theology, which explores an Ignatian motif in the theology of Karl Rahner, Denis Edwards, and Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’. After fifteen years of teaching in secondary schools in Melbourne, Sydney and Dubbo, Ann-Maree joined the Sisters of Mercy in 2000. Since then, she has worked as a pastoral assistant and music coordinator in the Cathedral Parish, has been involved in adult education, spiritual direction, and retreats throughout the diocese. Ann-Maree was a founding member of Rahamim Ecology Centre in Bathurst, holding several roles in the ministry, and served on the inaugural coordinating committee and first board. She has also been a casual academic at ACU and CIS in recent years, tutoring and lecturing in Theology and Spirituality.