Australian Catholic Students Association
The Australian Catholic Students Association or ACSA is the peak body of Catholic students in Australia. The body was founded in 1942 as the University Catholic Federation Australia, and has been renamed several times. In 1974 it became known as the Tertiary Catholic Federation Australia and in 1990 it was renamed the International Movement of Catholic Students Australia. The body has been known as the Australian Catholic Students Association since 2001.
ACSA is made up of Catholic tertiary students, predominantly from the eastern states of Australia. ACSA affiliated societies have a presence in many universities, including Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and the Australian National University. It is officially supported by the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
The National President as of September 2025 is Antonio Ryan-Da Cunha. The national patrons of ACSA are Tracey Rowland, head of the Australian John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, and Anthony Fisher, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.
History
Background
In 1921, Catholic student leaders from 23 countries met in Fribourg, Switzerland to create the International Movement of Catholic Students. Compelled to form an international union for peace after the events of World War I, national representatives were selected from Europe, the United States, Argentina, and Indonesia.While studying at the University of Paris in 1938, Australian theologian Rosemary Goldie was commissioned to bring the IMCS to Australia by the General Secretary Rudi Salat. The Catholic Students' Society of the University of Sydney, the Newman Society, was affiliated in 1938, and intended to attend the 1939 World Congress. However, the outbreak of World War II limited both the actions of the IMCS and the ability of Australian Catholic students to interact with their international counterparts.