Catholic School Parents Western Australia (CSPWA) acknowledged five categories of individuals, groups, and a parish, in appreciation of their significant contribution to work collaboratively with their schools and parishes to provide a Catholic education to help all children reach their full potential.

Spring sunshine warmed the grounds at St Francis Xavier Church in East Perth on 18 October as the Emmanuel Centre community gathered to celebrate Mass and a ceremony to bless the centre’s new memorial garden, as a place of remembrance for the dearly departed members of the Emmanuel community – a self-help centre for people with a disability, their families and carers.

The intertwined relationship of mental health and poverty was the spotlight at the Anti-Poverty Week (APW) Ecumenical Service, held at Highgate Parish on 14 October.

Saintly wisdom was freely offered to some 130 guests attending “Trust and Love in Troubled Times, Drawing Inspiration from St Louie, St Zélie and St Thérèse”, a one-day spiritual retreat spearheaded by Catholic Mission, held at Infant Jesus Church, Morley Parish, on Thursday 1 October.

Saint Charles’ seminarian Nicholas Diedler has been formally received as a candidate for Ordination, seven years since first answering the call to a priestly vocation.

The Maida Vale Parish community celebrated the patronal feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi on 4 October in a dedicated Sunday morning Mass.

The Archdiocese’s Centre for Life Marriage & Family (CLMF) has recently introduced its latest resource – an Advent reflection journal – which aims to aid in spiritual enrichment among the faithful as Christmas draws near.

Leading and highly respected Australian physician, educator and one of the founders of the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA), Professor Michael Quinlan AO, has passed away in Perth on 2 October 2020.

Perth Catholics can expect a day of prayer, reflection, listening and discussion at an upcoming free seminar, which will provide an insight to one of six Plenary Council (PC) thematic Discernment papers, this time discussing the question “How is God calling us to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is ‘Prayerful and Eucharistic’?”.

Gathering in the name of Jesus, more than 100 worshippers congregated for Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday 4 October to witness the commissioning of 12 local delegates who have the privilege of representing the Archdiocese of Perth in the upcoming Plenary Council (PC) as representatives of religious congregations and other Church bodies.

A world that looks beyond a global pandemic with no roadmap can find one in Pope Francis’ new encyclical, which Archbishop Mark Coleridge says “is not just for believers but for the entire human family”.

Bassendean parishioner Xavier Jarvis is the new Organ Scholar at St Mary's Cathedral Parish after successfully securing a one-year scholarship grant.

The upcoming commissioning of 12 Perth Plenary Council (PC) delegates this Sunday, 4 October, at St Mary’s Cathedral will be a great opportunity for Perth Catholics to embrace and give the delegates prayerful support and encouragement, as they receive their blessing and commit to their roles.

As a small boy growing up in the Philippines, Father Benny Calanza wanted to be a pilot or a dentist, little knowing the amazing adventure that the Lord had planned for his life.

Dozens of priests, deacons and seminarians convened for the annual clergy Mass on Tuesday 22 September 2020.

The Shopfront, the Archdiocese’s social welfare service that started 20 years ago in Maylands, has new premises that were officially launched and blessed on 18 September.

Moora parishioners at Jurien Bay have this month gathered for the blessing and burying of its foundation stone, which marks the location of the much-anticipated church, on 6 September.

Catholic Performing Arts Festival participants and educators gathered on Thursday 17 September at St Mary’s Cathedral for a joyful celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.

Speaking on an issue vexing enough for experienced Christians to comprehend, let alone teenagers and students, Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton visited Iona Presentation College last Thursday, 17 September, to give a presentation to Year 12 Religion and Life ATAR pupils on the topic of Voluntary Assisted Dying.

Every child is “Elizabeth Grace” in the recently-published Archdiocesan Safeguarding children’s storybook, God gave Elizabeth Grace the Right to Feel Safe.

The Perth Catholic community is invited to attend the commissioning of the Archdiocese of Perth Plenary Council delegates during Mass at 11am on Sunday 4 October at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The Perth Catholic community united on 13 September for the 2020 Child Protection Week Mass, recognising the valuable contribution that the 237 Safeguarding Officers make on behalf of young people.

In Christianity, being a leader and being a servant naturally go together, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB told Year 6 pupils of three Perth southern-suburb schools last Friday.

A new informational video that promotes the work of LifeLink is set to be launched in November this year.

The experience of suffering a stroke three years ago has not stopped Father Alfonsas Savickis from dedicating his heart and mind to his life’s calling and vocation.

Acknowledging the many cultures that exists within the Archdiocese of Perth, the West Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office (WACMRO) is encouraging the faithful to gather at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday 24 October at 6pm for the annual Cultural Diversity Mass.

The Centre for Liturgy (CFL) has last week paid tribute to its staff member Helen Medina for 40 years of service in supporting parish liturgical practices and 10 years as a Field Officer.

The importance of the need to be an evangelising Church in Australia was emphasised at a recent free Plenary Council seminar, titled “Towards the Plenary Council 2020: Understanding a Missionary and Evangelising Church.”

Innaloo/Karrinyup Parish is inviting Catholics across the Archdiocese of Perth to be a part their special retreat event on Saturday, 12 September at St Dominic’s Catholic Church, Innaloo.

Themed to the current circumstances faced by many, “Walking the Way of Faith in an Age of Uncertainty”, the retreat welcomes Vicar General of Bunbury Diocese, Fr Tony Chiera, as the facilitator.

Parish Pastoral Care Program Coordinators from across the Archdiocese of Perth gathered at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Highgate on 15 August, to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Catholic Outreach with a Mass celebrated by Applecross Parish Priest Father Nelson Po, followed by a brunch event.

Primary and Secondary students of Catholic Schools in Western Australia were recently recognised for their outstanding creativity at a ceremony, marking the official opening of the 2020 Angelico Exhibition.

Plenary Council President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has convened a new strategic engagement group for the Archdiocese of Perth. The newly formed Strategy and Engagement Group have been invited to contribute their thoughts on developing local strategies for further engaging the Archdiocesan community with the next stage of the Plenary Council, scheduled for 2021.

How can we be a constructive part of a renewed Church and not initiators of a new church which would, in the end, be our own creation rather than God’s? 

This is the question presented by Plenary Council President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB in his paper on the theme of Discernment.

The key, continued Archbishop Costelloe, rests in a careful consideration of what fidelity to the Lord and the Lord’s will for the Church really looks like.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia have now published an important and substantial document on the review of diocesan and parish governance and management in Australia.

The review was recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Development of the report, The Light from the Southern Cross: Promoting Co-Responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia was overseen by the Church’s Implementation Advisory Group (IAG).

Making mental health an issue of justice and not just a medical concern was the highlight of the speech spoken by the Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Donald Sproxton at the Perth launch of the Social Justice Statement 2020-21 titled "To Live Life to the Full", released on 6 August by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC).

Held on Thursday 20 August at Newman Siena Centre and organised by Archdiocesan Justice, Ecology and Development Office (JEDO), the event began with a “welcome to country” by Aunty Marie Taylor.

Speaking about the statement, which explores the theme of mental health in Australia, Bishop Sproxton believes the subject is "vitally important and increasingly is put before us as one of the great challenges for our society".

Perth Catholics congregated in parishes across the Archdiocese to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on Saturday 15 August 2020, honouring the life of Immaculate Mother of God, who, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

Father Donald Oswin Hughes OMI, former Rector of St Charles’ Seminary and founding Rector of Mazenod College, died on 20 July 2020 at the age of 87.

The Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) will release a suite of new and revised forced marriage resources during a launch via ZOOM next week, Thursday 27 August.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has once again been called upon to defend the faith - this time before a State Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry on 6 August in response to the Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2019.

The Perth Catholic community has paid tribute to the life and ministry of Father Anton Gordon Hesse, who died aged 90 on 26 July 2020 at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Though at first glance the grass is long and the grounds are quiet, as Sister Chitra leads the way through to the big shaded play area at the back of the Kora Centre, the sounds of little children happily talking and laughing as they eat a hot, nutritious meal can be heard and four smiling faces beam up at us from around the table.

Perth priests ordained less than 10 years ago have this week gathered to meet with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and listen to the wisdom and insights of three experienced priests.

The key to what we can do and must do to contribute to the rebuilding and renewing the Church lies in a careful consideration of what fidelity to the Lord and the Lord’s will for the Church look like.

Pert

Bishops and leaders of the Catholic community in Western Australia united on Thursday 30 July to raise awareness about modern slavery, in line with the United Nations’ 2020 World Day against Trafficking in Persons.