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.

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has this week spoken about the vital role that leaders hold, especially during this time of crises.

The working document, or Instrumentum Laboris, for the 2020 Plenary Council will provide a constant reminder of the need for deep and ongoing discernment of God’s will for the Church, Perth Archbishop and 2020 Plenary Council President, Timothy Costelloe SDB has said.

Beloved Dominican Priest Father Joss Breen OP who passed away one day shy of his 86^th birthday on 7 July 2020, will be remembered as a generous and caring family member and priest who always placed the Eucharist at the heart of his ministry.

The Centre for Liturgy (CFL) will be hosting a free online workshop on Thursday 3 September to address and guide parishioners on the use of music copyright, especially for parishes that depend on livestream services, during this time.

Disability Support staff at Archdiocesan agency, Identitywa, are now undertaking training for Dysphagia.

Perth Catholic Secondary School principals gathered at the Catholic Education WA Office in Leederville on Friday 26 June for a day of prayer, networking and reflection for the Secondary Principals Day.

A new initiative to encourage parish and local communities to harbour a fully inclusive church environment has been launched by the West Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (WACMRO).

Father Vincent Glynn has officially commenced his role as the first Episcopal Vicar for Education and Faith Formation and a member of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Perth on July 1.

The Archdiocesan Safeguarding Office is next week set to launch its 2020 Child Protection Week competition for secondary school teenagers aged 12 to 18.

A group of Willetton parishioners have been among the first to answer the invitation from Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB to make a submission to the Western Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2019.

Church growth and parish renewal are two topics that should always inspire - and the recent announcement that the Mother Teresa Church in Baldivis has almost been completed and is open for service is an exciting and encouraging reminder that God and his Church are an active presence across the Archdiocese of Perth.

Dedicated staff of the Archdiocese of Perth gathered to pray, praise and connect through their common mission in serving the Catholic community of Perth during the annual Agencies Mass on Thursday 2 July at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Christian hospitality starts when we see the person and not the problem, said Perth Auxillary Bishop Donald Sproxton on Sunday 28 June.

Perth Catholics braved grey skies and winter rain last Sunday 28 June to attend the re-opening of St Mary’s Cathedral for the long-awaited first Mass since the pandemic shut church buildings across the state.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has today issued an open letter to the Clergy, Religious and Lay Faithful of the Archdiocese of Perth to advise that on 25 June 2020, the Legislative Council of Western Australia referred the Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2019 to a Committee of Inquiry.

A global research team led by The University of Notre Dame Australia School of Medicine's Professor Merrilee Needham, is investigating the use of a re-purposed drug (Sirolimus) in the treatment of the rare disease, Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM).