IN OTHER NEWS:

Ahead of the meeting while speaking with The Daily Advertiser, the chairman of the Canberra and Goulburn group of the same name, Professor John Warhurst identified alternative concerns that presently confront the city.

He spoke of the sudden resignation of Kildare College principal Rod Whelan in August as a symptomatic problem.

"It shows we need more transparency and openness with what's going on in the church," he said.

"That is a case study of the lack of openness we've seen in the making of big decisions, and something like appointing a school principal is a very big decision."

Beyond the purview of the particular case, Professor Warhurst acknowledged the city's lack of representation by a bishop as of utmost concern.

"Wagga has been without a Catholic bishop for about three years now," he said.

"The community has a right to demand action there.

"Openness and transparency can't come soon enough. Having a bishop is a matter of urgency."

Up to 200 people gathered in the small hall inside the Commercial Club to hear from three Canberra-based speakers.

To begin the meeting on Thursday night, member of the local group and MC for the event Doug Sutton thanked the attendees for their deep investment in a "church in peril".

He noted the recent downturn in parish numbers the world over, saying Wagga's own churches had not been immune from the generational abandonment of Sunday mass.

Professor Warhurst described the need to fundamentally re-assess the role of the Catholic Church in society.

"We want a more open, more inclusive church for laypeople and in particular women. We want accountability and more transparency, and we're pushing hard."