Edmund Rice Education Australia Council

The Council of Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) is the body ultimately responsible for the governance of EREA. It is made up of seven people who, in civil law, together constitute the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia. This is the ‘body corporate’ which owns and operates the works that make up EREA. In Church law, the members of Council together constitute a PJP – a “public juridic person of pontifical right”. As a PJP, EREA has a formal status in the Catholic Church and is commissioned to continue and develop the education ministries inspired by Edmund Rice and initiated by the Christian Brothers in Australia.

Roles and Responsibilities of EREA Council

The EREA Council understands its responsibilities in relation to three key roles: Prophetic, Custodial and Relational.

The Prophetic role: to ensure that the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice is expressed in ways that are relevant to our times and faithful to the ministry of Catholic education, particularly as part of the mission of the Church in continuing the work of Jesus Christ. The Council thus oversees the mission and formation of EREA.

The Custodial role: to ensure that the works of EREA are carried out in accordance with the Gospel tradition and the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, and with its canonical Statutes, its civil Constitution, and the responsibilities entailed therein. The Council is the proprietor of the schools and approves the establishment or termination of schools and learning centres. The Council appoints the EREA Board and delegates to it certain responsibilities related to the management and strategic direction of EREA.

The Relational role: to witness to and facilitate collaborative relationships within EREA and in relationship with the wider Church and community, and with Church authorities in particular.