_{Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB welcomes the congregation, including Members and guests, to the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia on Sunday 3 October at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan.}

By Jamie O'Brien

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has today emphasised that perhaps the most important thing that God is asking of us at this time is to return the Church to Christ and return Christ to the Church.

Speaking at the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, which was held at St Mary’s Cathedral Perth, Archbishop Costelloe was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, Vicar General Fr Peter Whitely VG, Vicar for Education and Adult Faith Formation Fr Vincent Glynn, St Charles Seminary Rector Fr Phillip Fleay, Redemptoris Mater Seminary Rector Fr Michael Moore SM, Salvatorian Congregational Leader Fr George Kolodziej SDS, Fr Peter Bianchini as MC and Deacon Mark Powell assisting.

Cathedral Assistant Priests Frs Garner Vergara and Richard Rutkausakas also joined as concelebrants for the special occasion with the Mass livestreamed via the Plenary Council website and social media.

Speaking at the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, which was held at St Mary’s Cathedral Perth, Archbishop Costelloe was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, Vicar General Fr Peter Whitely VG, Vicar for Education and Adult Faith Formation Fr Vincent Glynn, St Charles Seminary Rector Fr Phillip Fleay, Redemptoris Mater Seminary Rector Fr Michael Moore SM and Salvatorian Congregational Leader Fr George Kolodziej SDS with Fr Peter Bianchini as MC.

Cathedral Assistant Priests Frs Garner Vergara and Richard Rutkausakas also joined as concelebrants for the special occasion with the Mass livestreamed via the Plenary Council website.

_{Plenary Councils Members Sr Lucy Van Kessell PBVM, Bishop Don Sproxton, Fr Brian McKenna, Fr Vincent Glynn, Sr Chitra Justin, Marco Ceccarelli, Damian Walsh, Fr Phillip Fleay, Sr Mary Ryan OP, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Jonathan Antony (Melbourne), Gemma Thomson, Eva Skira, Angela Mcarthy, Prof Francis Campbell, Catherine Nguyen, Fr Michael Moore SM, Fr George Kolodziej SDS and Fr Peter Whitely VG at the conclusion of the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday 3 October. Photo: Ron Tan.}

All Perth Archdiocese Plenary Council Members, their families and friends were also present for the Mass which officially opens the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia and marks the start of a focused nine-month period of discernment for the Catholic Church in Australia.

It comes after three-and-a-half years of preparation, including a significant period of national consultation.

That consultation focused on the question: “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?”

The Plenary Council, the first such event in Australia since 1937, will see more than 278 Members across Australia, including those who must be called and those who may be called, meet online and in person over the next six days, starting Monday October 4. The Archdiocese of Perth has a total of 18 Members, which includes several clergy, lay people as well as the heads of religious orders and organisations.

_{The Aboriginal Cross stands in front of the lectern for the Book of the Gospels at St Mary’s Cathedral for the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council on Sunday 3 October at St Mary’s Cathedral.}

The Members will meet over six days, starting October 4, and the Mass to close the first general assembly will be celebrated at 10am AEST from St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

The second assembly is scheduled to take place in Sydney from July 4-9, 2022.

Continuing his homily, Archbishop Costelloe highlighted that what has always been true in theory and in principle urgently needs to become true in the day to day experience of everyone who encounters us.

“We must become, even more than we are already, a community of true disciples,” Archbishop Costelloe said, having previously referenced aspects from the Dogmatic Consitution of the Church document, Lumen Gentium and Saint Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Novo Millenio Inuente.

“We must become a living icon of Christ who humbled himself, taking the form of a servant.

“We must learn from the One who is meek and humble of heart. We are being sent by Him as He was sent by his Father. If we remain in Him, as branches remain part of the vine, we will bear much fruit

_{Gemma Thomson carries the cross out of St Mary’s Cathedral at the conclusion of the Opening Mass. Photo: Ron Tan.}

The nature and mission of the Lord’s Church, is at the centre for the teaching of Lumen Gentium, Archbishop Costelloe explained. Lumen Gentium was promulgated following the Second Vatican Council in 1964.

“We are, the Council tells us, the People of God on pilgrimage towards our heavenly homeland, called to walk together in faith, with courage and hope.

“Our response to this call will determine the extent to which we become in practice what Lumen Gentium tells us we are in principle: “a kind of sacrament, that is a sign and instrument, of communion with God and unity amongst all people” (LG 1).

This is, said Archbishop Costelloe, the challenge which lies ahead of us, for surely God is asking us in Australia at this time to rediscover and live more faithfully our vocation to be a Pilgrim People, brothers and sisters in a community of disciples.

“We are on the way – but we are not there yet.”

The Mass to close the first general assembly will be celebrated at 10am AEST on Sunday, October 10, and livestreamed from St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

_{The Choir pauses during the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia on Sunday 3 October at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth. Photo: Ron Tan.}

The second Assembly is scheduled to take place in Sydney from July 4 to 9, 2022.

The Mass can be viewed at www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au

See the program for the First General Assembly at www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au