Catholic Diocese of Wollongong

What Catholic Diocese of Wollongong does

The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a registered Australian charity and the canonical Catholic territorial jurisdiction serving the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, established in 1951 from elements of the Archdioceses of Sydney and Canberra-Goulburn. It serves a total Catholic population of approximately 197,000 (191,000 baptised) across 29 parishes conducting 315 Masses per week and drawing 14,000 weekend attendees. The diocese operates an integrated ministry platform with five wholly-owned arms: CatholicCare (social services, 380 staff serving aged care, family support, and counselling), Catholic Schools (46 schools, 26,600 students, 3,660 teachers/support staff), the Catholic Development Fund (financial services and parish giving infrastructure), the Office of Professional Standards and Safeguarding, and the Marriage Tribunal. It is led by Bishop Brian Gregory Mascord, the fifth bishop, ordained in February 2018.

The diocese's digital and media product portfolio centres on four pillars: the DOW mobile application (Mass times finder, parish giving, daily readings, news); the 'Mass for You at Home' weekly television production broadcast nationally on Network Ten (6am) and Foxtel Aurora Channel 173 (10am), reaching 40,000+ weekly viewers; the Journey Podcast and Radio programme reaching 70,000+ weekly listeners; and a shop of devotional resources (COMPASSIO Lenten Programme, Advent Programme) distributed in PDF, CD, and MP3 formats. Underlying technology is conventional: a consumer mobile app, broadcast television infrastructure, podcast distribution, and a small e-commerce front end; there are no disclosed AI, API, or proprietary technology assets.

The diocese's revenue model is non-commercial and diversified across four streams: recurring parish tithes and donations (the dominant lay-revenue source), government recurrent funding and parental fees across the 46-school system, government contracts and fee-for-service income at CatholicCare, and modest transactional sales of devotional resources. It is governed canonically under the Pope and Pope Leo XIV, with Bishop Mascord as ordinary, and operates under the Australian Charity and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) framework with no corporate parent, no equity funding, and no publicly traded instruments.

Name

Catholic Diocese of Wollongong

Legal name

Catholic Diocese of Wollongong

Website

https://dow.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a registered Australian charity and Catholic territorial jurisdiction serving approximately 197,000 Catholics across 29 parishes, 46 schools (26,600 students), and CatholicCare social services in the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions of NSW.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABALAA), Catholic Broadcasting (MPABALAB), Religious Radio Broadcasting (MPAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Religious pastoral services
• Catholic education
• Community social services
• Faith formation resources
• Parish ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Wollongong, NSW

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Parish Giving and Donations: Ongoing tithes, offerings, and donations from parishioners through parish giving programs, including regular direct debit contributions and one-off donations to diocesan ministries
2. Legacy Giving and Bequests: Planned giving programs allowing supporters to leave gifts in their Will to parishes or diocesan ministries
3. CatholicCare Social Services: Government-funded and fee-for-service community services including aged care, family services, and counselling
4. Shop Sales: Sale of religious resources including Lenten Program and Advent Program materials in PDF, CD, and MP3 formats priced at $6.00-$8.80

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a regional ecclesiastical jurisdiction providing Catholic pastoral services, sacramental ministry, faith formation, education through 46 schools serving 26,600 students, and social services through CatholicCare. It also produces national faith media including the 'Mass for You at Home' televised Mass broadcast and Journey Radio/Podcast, reaching tens of thousands of viewers and listeners weekly across Australia.

Product overview

The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong operates as a religious institution with a digital product portfolio centered on faith formation, liturgical resources, and community engagement. The core digital offerings include the DOW App (mobile application for Mass times, parish giving, and diocesan resources), Mass for You at Home television broadcast (national Sunday Mass broadcast partnership with Australian Catholic Bishops Conference), Journey Podcast and Radio (weekly audio faith programming), and various downloadable/purchasable resources including COMPASSIO Lenten Program (PDF, CD, MP3 formats), Advent Program, and Lenten Program books. Additional products include Faith Circles (small group resources), Alpha program, Daily Mass Readings, and the Come & See, Go & Make Vision for Parishes document suite. The diocese also provides CatholicCare social services, safeguarding services (Office of Professional Standards and Safeguarding), Catholic Development Fund financial services, Marriage Tribunal canonical services, and organizes the World Youth Day 2027 Seoul pilgrimage. The product ecosystem is supported by publications including Journeying Together (bi-monthly diocesan magazine) and Journey Podcast and Radio, serving approximately 191,000 baptized Catholics across the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DOW App: Mobile application for the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong featuring Mass times finder, parish giving, daily Mass readings, news, and diocesan media resources.

Products and services

• DOW Mobile Application Diocesan mobile application providing Mass times finder, parish giving functionality for first, second and special collections, daily Mass readings, diocesan news and events, and links to other diocesan media resources. Available on iOS and Android.
• Mass for You at Home (MFYAH) Weekly national televised Catholic Mass production broadcast in partnership with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on Network Ten (6am Sunday) and Foxtel Aurora Channel 173 (10am Sunday), with on-demand access via 10play.com.au and massforyou.com.au, reaching 40,000+ weekly viewers.
• Journey Catholic Radio and Podcast Weekly radio program and podcast hosted by Jude Hennessy featuring music, Sunday Gospel reflections, Catholic news updates, and faith formation content, reaching 70,000+ weekly listeners.
• COMPASSIO Lenten Program 2026 Lenten program available in PDF digital download ($8.00-$8.80), Double CD ($8.00-$8.80), and MP3 digital download ($6.00-$6.60) formats, containing daily reflections and artwork for the Lenten season.
• Advent Program Pocket-sized book with artwork and daily reflections for Advent and Christmas season, distributed to over 50,000 recipients annually.
• Lenten Program Book and music resource for Lenten groups and individuals featuring artwork and daily reflections, part of the 50,000+ Advent and Lenten programs distributed annually.
• Faith Circles Free weekly faith-sharing small group resource designed to build community and develop faith based on Sunday Gospel readings.
• Alpha Christian faith exploration program providing opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, open and informal environment; includes resources and training for Alpha leaders and hosts.
• CatholicCare Social Services Social services agency of the diocese providing community services including aged care, family support, counselling, and wellbeing programs across the lifespan; employs 380 staff.
• Catholic Schools Education Catholic education system including 46 schools serving 26,600 students with 3,660 teachers and support staff, educating 1 in 5 students in the region.
• Office of Professional Standards and Safeguarding Diocesan office developing and maintaining a safe institutional culture for children and adults across pastoral works, ministries, services and activities; provides safeguarding training, resources, and support for victims and survivors of abuse.
• Catholic Development Fund Diocesan investment fund supporting the charitable, religious and education works of the Diocese of Wollongong; provides direct debit giving services for parish contributions.
• Marriage Tribunal Diocesan tribunal service handling matters of marriage law within the Catholic Church, including applications and dispensations.
• World Youth Day 2027 Seoul Pilgrimage Pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea (August 3-8, 2027), led by Fr James Arblaster and Arnie Hurdoyal; includes Catholic site visits, WYD gatherings with Pope Leo XIV, and post-WYD retreat.

Quantifiable outcome

• 191,000 baptised Catholics served across the diocese
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Catholic Bishops ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body of Catholic bishops that partners with the Diocese of Wollongong for the 'Mass for You at Home' television broadcast, a weekly televised Mass produced by the diocese and distributed nationally through the conference's initiative.
• CatholicCarecoreOthersSocial services agency of the diocese providing community services including aged care, family support, counselling, and wellbeing programs. Operates as part of the diocese's charitable mission with 380 employees serving vulnerable populations.
• Network TencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFree-to-air television network broadcasting 'Mass for You at Home' at 6am on Sunday mornings, extending reach to a national audience of 40,000+ weekly viewers.
• Foxtel (Aurora Channel 173)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPay television provider broadcasting 'Mass for You at Home' on Aurora Channel 173 at 10am Sundays, reaching subscribers including those in aged care facilities and prisons.
• Caritas AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Catholic aid and development agency. The diocese supports through advocacy and occasionally recruits a Diocesan Director position (averaging 3.75 hours per week).
• Religious CongregationscoreOthers27 religious congregations operating within the diocese, including Jamberoo Abbey, contributing to the spiritual and community life through various ministries and presence.
• 46 Catholic SchoolscoreOthersSystemic Catholic schools across the diocese providing education to 26,600 students with 3,660 teachers and support staff. Part of the diocese's evangelising mission through education.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WollongongCatholic
• Instagraminstagram.com/wollongongcatholic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wollongongcatholic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catholic Diocese of Wollongong