A recent "Connecting with Catholics' conference is set to become an annual event, giving Sydney church workers an opportunity to share ideas and discuss effective ways of reaching the Catholic population.

According to Mark Gilbert from Evangelism Ministries, there are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sydney, however only 200,000 of those regularly attend mass. Those who don't attend mass rarely attend any other form of church service but still identify themselves as Catholic.

"When we talk to Catholics about Jesus in Sydney we are largely talking to non-practicing Catholics, born in Australia with an Anglo-Australian heritage. People in Anglican churches in Sydney are well placed to reach this group," Gilbert said.

Many conference attendees believe that Catholic identity proves a major barrier when trying to have Christian conversations.

"They may not go (to mass) anymore but they still say, "no thanks, I'm Catholic', and that makes it tough to talk to them about Jesus," said Shane Dirks, minister at West Pennant Hills Anglican Church.

Mark Gilbert believes that one of the best ways to approach a conversation about Jesus with a Catholic is to understand what being a Catholic means to them.

"For many Catholics, the world is always having a go at them, the Protestants are having a go at them so no wonder they get a bit defensive. If you genuinely want to understand them, I have found most Catholics very willing to talk," he said.

The first "Connecting with Catholics' conference was held in Sydney on June 7 and 8.