Professional learning and consulting

The Xavier Centre offers theological formation opportunities for lay persons, religious and clergy across Australia.

Providing multiple points of engagement across any variety of delivery modes, these opportunities directly support pastoral leaders, associates and planners, healthcare, educational and welfare professionals, leaders of diocesan agencies, and all who contribute to religious and parish life.

Explore our learning opportunities and current initiatives, learn about the process of co-constructing theology with our partners, or contact us to talk about your own challenges and encounters with professional learning in your organisation.

Working with our partners

We partner with individuals and organisations to support reflection upon specific areas of need or opportunity, and deliver accessible, and relevant formational and educational opportunities that address local and national requirements.

Co-constructing theology projects and initiatives

Providing theological formation in flexible and creative ways, we approach theology as a collaborative enterprise, co-constructed in partnership with others at work in the world.

Learn about some of our initiatives

Explore how we can work together

Contact us

Newsletter articles

The following slideshow controls change the content above and below. Information is displayed below the controls while video content plays above the video controls.

Staff profiles

Staff profile Meave Heaney

Maeve Louise Heaney

Director, Xavier Centre for Theological Formation

As a musician and composer, Dr Maeve Louise Heaney, interweaves the fields of theological aesthetics, spirituality and the arts. Born in Dublin, Ireland, she is a consecrated missionary of a Catholic institute for consecrated life, the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity.

Dr Heaney completed her Bachelors in Theology at the Instituto Teológico San Pablo Apóstol in Madrid and her licentiate and doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. During that time, she taught at both the Gregorian and the Rome base of the Catholic University of Dallas. She was Bannan Fellow 2011–2012 at Santa Clara University, California, teaching at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley.

Research interests

  • Theological aesthetics
  • Music in Theology
  • Fundamental theology
  • Spirituality
  • Bernard J F Lonergan

You might also like

Browse our theology short courses

Explore the big questions with our top theology scholars. If you’re a Catholic professional, you can also gain professional development accreditation hours.

View courses

Annual lectures, talks and conferences

We host a range of events throughout the year, including annual public lectures, international conferences, workshops and research colloquia.

See what's on

Institutes, academies and centres

Learn about our theological research institutes, academies and centres, including the ACU Centre for Liturgy and the Queensland Bioethics Centre. 

Learn more

Take your theology studies overseas

Expand your horizons. Enhance your learning and enrich your student experience by studying theology overseas on an international study tour or at our ACU Rome Campus. 

Find out how

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs