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Anniversary Mass acknowledges Centre for Faith Enrichment’s 40 years of faithful service

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Archbishop Timothy Costelloe celebrates the Eucharist at the Anniversary Mass celebrating the 40 years of the Centre for Faith Enrichment with Fr Vincent Glynn (left), Fr John Hodgson (behind), Fr Charles Waddell and Fr Elias Kilzi (right). Photo: Desire photography

By Marco Ceccarelli

The remarkable service which the Centre for Faith Enrichment, formerly known as the Maranatha Institute, has offered to the Archdiocese of Perth for the past forty years was recently acknowledged at a special Anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe.

Held at the Redemptorist Monastery Church in North Perth on Sunday, 6 November, the Mass was concelebrated by Superior of the North Perth Redemptorists, Father John Hodgson CSsR as well as Fr Charles Waddell, Fr Vincent Glynn, Fr Greg Donovan, Fr Elias Kilzi and Fr Richard Charlwood.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel (Lk 20: 27-38), which saw Sadducees with a narrow vision of life and God attempting to trick Jesus by asking questions about the resurrection, Archbishop Costelloe stated that this episode captures perfectly the challenge of Jesus to the people of His time and our time

He then asked a powerful and thought-provoking question to the congregation.

“Are we prepared to accept – are we ready to dare to believe – that the mystery of God revealed in and through Jesus and continued in the teaching and ministry of His Church is greater, and deeper and richer than we have yet understood or grasped?”

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In his homily, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe commended the centre for having grown and developed along with the Archdiocese of Perth for 40 years and praised its leaders for having remained faithful to the path laid out for them by the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago. Photo: Desire photography

He later clarified his question: “Perhaps yet another way of asking this might be: are we open to the adventure of experiencing the supreme advantage of truly knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord, as He reveals the unimaginable depths of the mystery of God to us?”

Making a connection between his question and the anniversary celebration taking place, Archbishop Costelloe spoke of those who have worked in the Maranatha Institute and Centre for Faith Enrichment as having committed themselves to precisely this challenge.

He commended the centre for having grown and developed along with the Archdiocese of Perth for 40 years and praised its leaders for having remained faithful to the path laid out for them by the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago.

Despite the many changes that the centre has undergone, and the changes that will undoubtedly come, there is one thing that Archbishop Costelloe believes has never changed and will never change in the agency: “the Church, and this Archdiocese, and the Centre for Faith Enrichment, are all grounded in the unshakeable conviction that nothing can outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

“It is my belief that, as each year goes by, the Centre for Faith Enrichment becomes more and more important for us. Together with other agencies and organisations in the Archdiocese, it seeks to provide opportunities for people to deepen, to enrich, their faith,” he said.

“For me it is a vital part of the dream I have for the people of our Archdiocese: that we can, together, grow in our desire and our determination to walk in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.”

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Archbishop Timothy Costelloe with Director of the Centre for Faith Enrichment, Dr Michelle Jones, at the afternoon tea following the Anniversary Mass celebrating the 40 years of the agency. Photo: Desire photography

Before the conclusion of the Mass, Director of the Centre for Faith Enrichment, Dr Michelle Jones, who will be leaving her post at the end of the year, expressed her sincere gratitude to past directors of the agency Fr Vincent Glynn and Sister Philomena Burrell PBVM, and acknowledged the founding director of the Maranatha Institute, Sister Mary Berry RSM, who was not able to be present.

Dr Jones also thanked the Centre’s Committee of Management, Chairperson Dr Pina Ford in particular, as well as Catholic Education WA representatives Dr Debra Sayce and Diana Altieri and her co-workers Tracy Stevens and Fr Charles Waddell.

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Following the Mass, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe greeted present and past members and teachers of the Centre for Faith Enrichment. Photo: Desire photography

Following the Mass, guests had a chance to spend time together at a delicious afternoon tea held within the Monastery’s beautiful grounds.

The Centre for Faith Enrichment is the adult faith education agency of the Archdiocese of Perth. Its mission is to help everyday Catholics in both Perth and rural parts of the Archdiocese – and anyone who is interested – to understand their faith more deeply, so as to live their faith more vibrantly.

For more information about upcoming courses and events please visit www.cfe.org.auor call 08 9241 5221.