Josh Pallas
High Distinction & the Belief System Prize
Holy Spirit College, Belambi
Australia: The Pontius Pilate or Prodigal Son of the Roman Catholic Church?

The completion of my PIP has been a physical journey of research and also a personal spiritual journey for me. This process was somewhat cathartic, as I came to an understanding about my pattern of religious adherence, especially through the sociological theory that I have used. I have also been honoured by the responses of many individuals to my PIP, who believe it has a greater importance than simply getting me a good HSC result!

The PIP was just as enjoyable as I expected, however my findings were quite astounding. I expected the challenges to be as severe as they are, however I did not expect the leaders of the RCC to be so aware of them and responsive. The leaders of the RCCIA are acutely aware of the challenges facing their institution and are acting accordingly. I also did not expect the future to look so bright for the RCCIA. I expected the mounting pile of challenges (see Appendix A) would only rise and the prospect of solving these challenges would become far more removed. I believe that I answered my entire question with far more positive results than I expected.

My methodologies were all very useful. The interviews provided me with depth and detailed information form a variety of perspectives. The personal reflections were an unfettered domain for a variety of individuals to voice their opinions, and they were most useful in creating the questionnaire. The focus group, albeit conducted late in the process, successfully yielded a youth perspective. The statistical analysis added legitimacy to my claims of youth disenchantment and provided a quantitative and macro perspective to my PIP. The questionnaire most usefully provided responses from a large cross section of the RCCIA, and through the right mix of open and closed ended questions allowed me to identify the prevalent issues and solutions throughout my PIP.

Of course my PIP was incredibly ethnocentric, as I obtained my information from RC sources, people and organisations. However, this met the parameters of my investigation as an internal investigation not an external evaluation. Myself as the cross cultural component does provide a more detached view of the situation but nevertheless is still linked. Through my cross cultural perspective I have learnt the most as I have been compelled to reflect on my findings and actually write what I think. This aspect was quite difficult for me.

The RCCIA is facing a dire situation; however it is making very real advances in attempting to mitigate these challenges. The future of the RCCIA looks extremely bright if the energy and flair that is currently within is continued in the future. WYD has seemingly provided a great level of curiosity for me and hopefully it will do so for others, for, as my research shows, religion is a necessary and wholly positive influence on persons, society and culture.