Crossroads Conversations

A gentle space for meaningful conversations

Crossroads Conversations is a warm and welcoming space where people can come together to explore thoughts and feelings about life, death and dying in an open, respectful and supportive environment. Inspired by the global Death Café movement, these gatherings invite people to share stories, reflections and questions over coffee and cake, with no agenda, pressure or expectation.

These conversations are not structured, clinical, or confronting – they are guided gently by the group, with no agenda or expectation. Rather than counselling or therapy, it is a space for connection, reflection and honest dialogue. The space is open to anyone affected by end-of-life experiences, including those living with a terminal diagnosis, supporting a loved one, navigating grief, or simply wanting to better understand life through conversations about its natural end. Participants are encouraged to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable, with listening valued just as highly as speaking.

We recognise the quiet power of people coming together – often strangers – to discover shared experiences, fears and hopes. These conversations can help reduce the isolation that often surrounds death and grief, while encouraging people to reflect more deeply on living well. Crossroads Conversations is intentionally inclusive and respectful of all faiths, cultures and beliefs. While grounded in the values of CatholicCare, this is not a religious forum or a place of persuasion. People of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed, and every perspective is treated with dignity, openness and care.

Attendees are invited to join for a cup of coffee, meaningful conversation and a moment of connection. The sessions also include gentle facilitation and insights from doulas, who share their experiences supporting people at life’s crossroads. Whether navigating loss, supporting someone else, or simply curious, everyone is welcome.

For more information:
P: 1800 324 924
E: info@catholiccaredbb.org.au

The Burrow Cherrybrook

Dates: Friday 19 June or 31 July 2026
Time: 3.00pm – 4.30pm
Location: The Burrrow
132 Shepherds Drive, Cherrybrook
Fee: $15 to cover refreshments

RSVP HERE

Balgowlah Golf Club

Dates: Friday 5 June, 3 July or 14 August 2026
Time: 11.30am – 1.00pm
Location: Gusto on the Green
506 Sydney Road, Balgowlah
Fee: $15 to cover refreshments

RSVP HERE

Tommy's Cafe Gosford

Dates: Wednesday 24 June, 15 July or 26 August 2026
Time: 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Location: Tommy’s Cafe
1a Gertrude Place, Gosford
Fee: $15 to cover refreshments

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Crossroads Conversations, really?

It’s not a grief group or a therapy session. Crossroads Conversations is simply a space where people gather over a cuppa and cake to talk openly about death. The aim isn’t to arrive at answers, but to get more comfortable with the questions. Think of it less as a seminar and more as a living room conversation we don’t usually allow ourselves to have.

Why would anyone want to talk about death with strangers?

Because strangers can be easier than loved ones. There’s a kind of honesty that emerges when no one expects you to perform a role… no need to be the “strong one,” the “optimist,” or the “fixer.” People come because death is the one certainty we all share, and yet we rarely speak about it plainly. The relief of doing so can be surprisingly profound.

Is it depressing?

Not in the way people fear. Conversations about death often circle back to life – what matters, what doesn’t, what we’re postponing. There’s laughter as often as there are tears.

Do I have to share something personal?

No. You can listen the entire time if you like. But many people find that once the conversation begins, something in them loosens – stories, questions, even half-formed thoughts that have been waiting for a place to land.

Who comes to these things?

Everyone. People who’ve recently lost someone. People who haven’t. The quietly curious. The deeply philosophical. The practical planners. Occasionally someone who just wandered in for the cake and stayed for the conversation.

Do I need to be Catholic to attend?

Not at all. Everyone is welcome. We are a Catholic organisation, guided by Gospel values and Catholic social teaching, but there’s no expectation to share that. You can come as you are – beliefs, doubts, or none at all. The table is open to anyone willing to sit and talk.

What should I expect when I walk in?

A table. Cake and warm drinks. A facilitator who gently opens the space. And then – conversation that unfolds in its own unpredictable way.

Why now? Why are these conversations happening more?

Because people are tired of pretending death isn’t part of life. In a world that often encourages distraction and denial, there’s something grounding about gathering to say: this will happen, to all of us. What do we want to do with that knowledge?