Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton congratulates one of 20 new catechists, Thursday 20 October during the annual Mass celebrating the commissioning and blessing of 20 catechists from the Catechist Service and Personal Advocacy Service. Photo: Supplied/CEWA.
“We thank God for you and for your openness of heart to allow the Spirit to work within you, making you true witnesses of the Gospel and being the medium through which people can come to know Jesus.”
These sentiments were expressed by Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton to the new Catechists of the Archdiocese at their Commissioning Eucharist held on Thursday 20 October 2022 at St Michael the Archangel Chapel, Leederville.
The annual Mass, in thanksgiving for the ministry of catechists, was attended by more than 120 people and celebrated the commissioning and blessing of 20 catechists from the Catechist Service and Personal Advocacy Service and acknowledged the achievements of those who had attained important milestones in their formation and their journey as Catechists.
Representatives from Personal Advocacy Service re-enact the Gospel, Thursday 20 October during the annual Mass celebrating the commissioning and blessing of 20 catechists from the Catechist Service and Personal Advocacy Service. Photo: Supplied/CEWA.
The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Sproxton and joined by concelebrants, Frs Stanislaw Bendowski, Michael Quynh Do, Philip Perreau, Michael Separovich, Pierluigi Vajra and Pradeep Nishantha Dias CRS.
Also present were Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce, CEWA Director of Religious Education Deacon Mark Powell, Archdiocese Director for the Office of Christian Initiation Dr Carmel Suart, interim Personal Advocacy Service Director Peter Batini, formation course presenter Professor Matthew Ogilvie and YouthCARE Chief Executive Officer Tamsyn Cullingford.
In his homily, Bishop Sproxton spoke of the need to “go out into the world and to bring the gospel in places that are not always very receptive, but to do so by being led by the spirit.” He encouraged catechists to go and be the medium through which Christ can become known by children whom they teach, emphasising “the medium would have to be very much like Christ in order for that to be effective.”
The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Sproxton and joined by concelebrants, Frs Stanislaw Bendowski, Michael Quynh Do, Philip Perreau, Michael Separovich, Pierluigi Vajra and Pradeep Nishantha Dias CRS. Photo: Supplied/CEWA.
“The fundamental thing is for us to be witnesses because of who we are and how the Gospel itself has brought about change within us.”
Catechist Service Team Leader, Dr Pina Ford, in her welcoming address said the Mass is held to celebrate the work of catechists, who support students from non-Catholic schools and adults with intellectual disabilities, through the parish religious education program.
Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton congratulates some of the 20 new catechists, Thursday 20 October, following the annual Mass celebrating the commissioning and blessing of 20 catechists from the Catechist Service and Personal Advocacy Service. Photo: Supplied/CEWA.
“This has been a yearly event for over 30 years. It is a collaborative effort between three Archdiocesan agencies whose Catechists share a common commitment to the catechetical ministry and seek to bring the light of Christ that they have known, into the lives of others and into the world.”