^{Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey and Mgr Michael Keating, with Perth clergy who completed their training at Redemptoris Mater Seminary Perth, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary and vigil feast of the Assumption at St Mary’s Cathedral, Monday 14 August 2017. Photo: Ron Tan.}

By Jamie O’Brien

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB celebrated a historic moment with formators and lay faithful from the Neocatechumenal Way Australia on Monday 14 August, on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Perth.

^{An icon of the Virgin Mary by Spanish artist and founder of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Arguello, displayed at St Marys Cathedral, for the 25th anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017. Photo: Ron Tan.}

Redemptoris Mater Seminary Perth has been challenging many young men for 25 years to say yes to the call from God, to embrace the call of priesthood in the life of our Church and put themselves at the service of God and his people.

^{Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB with Deacon Kenneth Acosta during the Eucharistic celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Perth, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017, at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan.}

These were the words of Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe during his homily for the 25 year anniversary of Redemptoris Mater Seminary, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017 at St Mary’s Cathedral.

^{Cantors from the Neocatechumenal Way sing during the Eucharistic celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017, at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan.}

Archbishop Costelloe was joined for the Eucharistic celebration by Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey, Cathedral Dean Mgr Michael Keating, Redemptoris Mater Seminary Rector, Fr Michael Moore SM, Neocatechumenal Way Itinerant Catechist, Fr Tony Trafford and Deacon Kenneth Acosta.

Several priests and clergy from across Perth were present for the Mass, many of whom have trained at Perth’s own missionary seminary, which exists as a fruit of the Neocatechumenal Way. Some 450 people from communities of the Neocatechumenal Way in the parishes of the Cathedral, Mirrabooka, Cottesloe, Rockingham and Kelmscott were also present for the historic Eucharistic celebration.

^{A seminarian from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Perth, sings during the Eucharistic celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Seminary, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017, at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth. Photo: Ron Tan.}

At the commencement of the Mass, Itinerant Catechist of the Neocatechumenal Way in Australia, Toto Piccolo, spoke of the work of the Seminary in being a visible sign across Perth in announcing the Good News.

 ^{International Responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in Australia, Toto Piccolo, speaks at the commencement of the Eucharistic celebration at St Mary’s Cathedral for the 25th Anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017. Photo: Ron Tan.}

“This Good News of Jesus Christ which is so important for our generation today,” Mr Piccolo said.

“Announcing that it is possible to live in the hope and in the certainty that God loves us,” he said.

^{International Responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in Australia, Rita Piccolo, proclaims the first reading during the Eucharistic celebration at St Mary’s Cathedral for the 25th Anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017. Photo: Ron Tan.}

Also speaking at the commencement of the Mass, Redemptoris Mater Seminary Rector, Fr Michael Moore SM, also told the congregation about the initial beginnings of the Seminary, when in 1992, then Archbishop Hickey telephoned Mr Piccolo to confirm the Seminary would open. Mr Piccolo and his wife Rita where on a pilgrimage with youth from the Neocatechumenal Way praying the rosary.

^{Redemptoris Mater Seminary Perth Rector, Fr Michael Moore SM, speaks about the origins of the Seminary at the commencement of the Eucharistic celebration for the 25th anniversary, Monday 14 August, 2017, at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan} 

“We are so very grateful [to Emeritus Archbishop Hickey] for his foresight and courage and also to Monsignor Keating, because also in the same moment, the Archbishop (Hickey) in his wisdom recalled St Charles Seminary,” Fr Michael explained.

“We are very grateful to Archbishop Costelloe, because as a Professor at the University of Notre Dame, he taught many of the seminarians and then afterwards, he has come back as Archbishop and has taken a lot of paternal care of this Seminary and has been a great shepherd to us,” Fr Michael said.

Continuing his homily, Archbishop Costelloe spoke about the encyclical entitled Redemptoris Mater, by now Saint (Pope) John Paul II.

^{Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB during his homily at the Eucharistic celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Perth, on the vigil feast of the Assumption, Monday 14 August, 2017, at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan.}

“The Feast of the Assumption is a reminder to us that Mary is the fulfilment, Mary is the completion of the journey that every one of us, as members of the Church, is undertaking,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“In her we see what we, as the Church, have been called to become.”