The Record Magazine Issue 38 (December 2022)

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FRONT COVER

In their first private one-on-one conversation, Perth Archbishop and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, told Pope Francis, “The church in Australia is alive!” Photo: Vatican Media/CNS.

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— John 16:3

Welcome to Issue 38 of The Record Magazine

Firstly, we feature a special interview with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and America Magazine journalist, Gerard O’Connell, who tells of Archbishop Costelloe’s words to Pope Francis, “The church in Australia is alive!”

We feature a special article on the 80th anniversary of St Charles Seminary and how the occasion was marked with a special sundowner on Friday 4 November – the feast of St Charles Borromeo - which was attended by past and present students and special guests.

We convey the sentiments expressed by Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton to the new Catechists of the Archdiocese at their Commissioning Eucharist held on 20 October 2022, as well the experience of Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Director Donella Brown following the 2022 National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) Assembly in Townsville.

We also speak with Centrecare Inc Director and Valuing Children Initiative Co-Founder, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo AM who was recently a keynote speaker at the Anti-Poverty Week 2022 Symposium. From all of us here at the Archdiocesan Communications Office, we wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year. Don’t forget that these and many more stories are available at www.therecord. com.au.

FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE

Archbishop Costelloe: Exclusive Interview 04

From Bishop Don Sproxton 08

IN THIS EDITION

CEWA Catechists Are True Witnesses

Plenary Council Acts/Decrees Approved

LifeLink Christmas Appeal

Prof Fr Eamonn Conway Lecture

Child Poverty Needs To Be Eliminated

“They will do these things because they have never known either the Father or me.”

Exclusive interview: Australian Archbishop Costelloe tells Pope Francis ‘The

church in Australia is alive.’

In their first private one-on-one conversation, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, told Pope Francis, “The church in Australia is alive!”

In an exclusive interview with America Magazine journalist Gerard O’Connell, conducted over Zoom from his residence in Perth, Western Australia, Archbishop Costelloe talks about his audience with Pope Francis and also shares his thoughts on the recent Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, which many now view as a trial run for the global Synod on Synodality.

He also shares his reflections on the Frascati-Synod 2024 meeting, in which he participated, which recently released its report in preparation for the continental assemblies of the second phase of the Synod on Synodality. The Record publishes this edited version of Part I of the interview. For the full story, go to www.therecord. com.au and search America Magazine

The audience with Pope Francis

The Salesian Archbishop, 68, was received in a private audience by the pope in the papal library of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Thursday 6 October. Recalling the audience, he said: “Pope Francis was very kind to me. He strikes me as a very gentle man. When you’re talking to him, he’s engaged with you.”

“He probably listened more than he spoke. He asked me about the Plenary Council and about the life of the church in Australia. We talked primarily about that council and the Synod on Synodality,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

O’Connell also asked Archbishop Costelloe if Pope Francis was concerned about the situation of the Church in Australia, given all that’s happened in recent years.

“I wouldn’t say he was concerned about the church in Australia, but he was interested to know,” says Archbishop Costelloe responded.

“I talked about the reality that we had struck some difficult moments but that—and I believe this very strongly—the prayerful atmosphere we created, an atmosphere which generated a real sense of respect

for each other, enabled us to navigate all of those difficulties,” he said.

“I said that at the end of the Council Assembly, there was a real sense of energy and enthusiasm, and I finished up by saying in Italian, ‘La Chiesa in Australia é viva!’ It’s alive.”

“And he said, “I am so pleased to hear you say that, I like that word ‘Viva.’”

Archbishop Costelloe continued by emphasising he meant what he said.

“I don’t for a minute pretend that we don’t have issues and challenges, but the church is alive in Australia. And I was struck by his enthusiasm, his sense of satisfaction in hearing, at least my assessment, that despite the challenges we face, we are a living and vibrant church. He was, I think, clearly pleased that the Plenary Council had gone well.”

He was particularly struck by Pope Francis’ commitment to synodality.

“His commitment to this synodal journey is absolutely rock solid. He’s deeply, deeply committed to this and really does see it as the way forward for the church, the way that the Holy Spirit wants to lead.”

Four Takeaways from the Plenary Council

Gerard O’Connell asked Archbishop Costelloe if he could share a few major takeaways from the Plenary Council.

First of all, Archbishop Costelloe said, “This is probably the first time in the history of the church in Australia that we have been through anything like this, both in the breadth and the depth of the engagement of the bishops with everybody else in the church.

“It’s not that the bishops have somehow been isolated from the rest of the church, but rather that there was such a concentrated effort on genuinely engaging with our people and listening to our people. That was a remarkable thing which, I think, has been something of a game changer for the church in Australia moving forward.”

Second, Archbishop Costelloe said, he was personally struck by the number of people who over the course of the four years said to him, ‘For the first time, I’ve really had the opportunity to speak and know that I was being listened to…’

“There’s a universal feeling across the church in Australia that we have begun a way of being the Church in Australia that we cannot now go back on,” Archbishop Costelloe explained. “So, we have launched ourselves into this journey. When we started, the notion of a synodal church hadn’t yet emerged so clearly in the thinking of the pope, but that is in fact what we were doing. And this has proved to be such a deeply appreciated aspect of the whole journey of the Plenary Council by all of us: bishops, clergy, laity, everybody.”

A third significant aspect of the Australian Plenary Council, says Archbishop Costelloe, was “the fact that right from the beginning of the whole process, we realised that it had to be a deeply spiritual process, not just a parliamentary process or something like

that, but something deeply grounded in prayer.

“Before we decided on the Plenary Council, the bishops had already decided that we needed to do something for the Church in Australia. We weren’t quite sure what that something was but, gradually, through our discussions and discernment, we came to the decision to have what we called a year of grace, which took place in 2012. Basically, it was an invitation from the bishops to the whole church in the country to go on a retreat.”

The bishops decided on the Year of Grace he said, “because we knew there were big issues, big challenges. The horrors of the sexual abuse crisis had really become very obvious to us, but there were many other challenges as well. We came to the view that the challenges were so many and so grave that we needed to step back from them for a little while to focus on the essentials, and then move forward.”

They were inspired by a phrase from Pope John Paul II in his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte: “Our witness would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated [Christ’s] face.”

“This almost became the motto for our Year of Grace,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.

“We invited the church to do exactly that. It was quite successful, I think, across the country.”

And it set up a spiritual foundation that would well serve the Plenary Council, he said.

“One of the things that marked the two assemblies was the spirit of prayer. We started each day with prayer, half an hour each morning. I believe this is what enabled us to manage and deal with some very tense moments, particularly in the second assembly.”

A fourth notable take away, he said, is the fact that “there is now a sense of hope, but also of expectation. Having concluded the Plenary Council there is a sense that this now has to bring change in the church in Australia.”

The Frascati meeting

Archbishop Costelloe was the only bishop outside the synod organisers to participate in the Frascati meeting, which saw religious, clergy and lay people gathered in Frascati, Italy, in late September to synthesize synodal reports from dioceses around the world.

He believes that Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod, invited him to participate in the Frascati meeting because of his experience as President of the Plenary Council which, he said, was “a kind of a first go at a synodal process.”

Having served as President of the Plenary Council enabled Archbishop Costelloe to offer “some positive guidelines” as well as “some challenges for the synodal process.”

At that meeting, he recalled, the group discussed the reports from bishops’ conferences on the first phase of the synodal process.

He learned that the experiences of some of the churches “are very different to ours in Australia,” such as situations where the Catholic Church is “a tiny minority” in “a very big non-Christian environment.”

Nevertheless, he said, “I don’t think there was anything that I encountered in Frascati that surprised me, or that hadn’t been in one way or another present in our plenary council.”

Archbishop Costelloe noted that “one of the most common themes” to emerge from the reports at Frascati “was a deep hunger for a welcoming church, a welcoming community. People want to feel that they belong, that they are welcome, that they are accepted. That was a very strong thing right across the board.”

Other common themes related to “the role of women in the life of the church and society,” and “the wish for healthier or more engaging relationships between our people and their leaders (meaning the clergy).”

Archbishop Costelloe noted that a theme that emerged “pretty much everywhere, in both secular and traditional societies” is “the urgent need for the church to engage better with young people.”

He was particularly struck by the Frascati meeting and the way it was conducted. “It really was a wonderful experience of being with committed people, the vast majority of whom were lay, from all around the world, who were there with a great sense of commitment to the church and great hope for the kind of future that Pope Francis’ vision is opening up for us.” The process used, he said, was itself “a real experience of synodality.

“We listened carefully to each other. Much of the time we were in groups, but the groups kept changing. So, on one occasion we might be in our continental groups; on another, we might have only men in the group or only women in the group.

“The most powerful impression I came away with,” he said, “was the unshakable commitment, particularly of Cardinal Grech, but also of Cardinal Hollerich and the rest of the facilitation team, to make sure that the document we produced faithfully represented the voice of the universal church.

Gerard O’Connell is America Magazine’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.

Word of God the basis of the spirituality for the members of Focolare, says Bishop Sproxton

Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton last month met with members of the Focolare movement during their annual Mariopolis gathering.

The Word of God is the basis of the spirituality for the members of Focolare. Chiara Lubich recognised that anyone could come to know Jesus and that the starting point is the Gospel.

The Gospels have been left to us so that the first disciples’ experiences of Jesus Christ would be heard by people throughout the centuries that followed.

The Mariapolis for this year gave time for the brothers and sisters of the Focolare movement to reflect on how we can be part of the project of God to build a new world.

This reflection has been assisted by the reading of the Gospel of Luke for this Sunday: the gospel of the Rich Man, Dives, and the Poor Man, Lazarus. This is a story of reversal, and the turning on its head of reality, and how things are or should be. Dives is a man who was turned so completely in on himself that he could not see Lazarus and his plight.

Being so focused on his own needs and wants, he was blind to the poverty and injustice suffered by Lazarus, and therefore did nothing to lift the burden of the wretched man who could only scrape a few crumbs from the rich man’s table. Dives was destined to the punishment of losing everything, whereas Lazarus came into the fullness of life of heaven.

This is the reversal. Riches to poverty. Poverty to riches.

We have heard this morning of the experience of their marriage and family life from a beautiful couple.

They are a living testament to the love that is possible and its power to transform a person. Also, that love is the gift of the Holy Spirit and its operation in our lives is a guarantee that the Spirit is present within us.

Building a new world begins by us allowing ourselves to be changed by the Holy Spirit. It becomes possible, then, for our relationships to be transformed.

Marriages can be as they are meant to be. Love as lived by Jesus, we call Agape Love, rounds out and completes the other forms of love we know, so that we can truly serve the other, understanding their needs and doing something about lifting the burdens they carry.

From our personal renewal, then through the renewal of our relationships, we are prepared for the bigger project of contributing to the renewal of the world. We need to remember that we are meant to be collaborators with the Father.

The building of a new world began with Jesus coming into our human history. His mission of freeing us from all that blinds and diminishes us continues, and he promises that we can do our part so that love and justice will transform our world: so that all may be one.

Let each day be grasped as an opportunity for us to be agents of unity among people and promoters of the universal family by our readiness to draw on the presence of the Holy Spirit in hearts and minds.

The Spirit will lead us to and assist us in prayer, drawing us into closer union with God. The Spirit will lead us to deeper knowledge and understanding of Christ.

The Spirit will be our source of strength and perseverance to live the words of our prayer, ‘Your kingdom come’.

SPECIAL REPORT: ST CHARLES SEMINARY MARKS 80 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

St Charles Seminary has celebrated the 80th anniversary of it’s foundation.

The occasion was marked with a special sundowner on Friday 4 November – the feast of St Charles Borromeo - which was attended by past and present students and special guests. Opened in 1942, the Seminary was built on a property known then as ‘Garden Hill’ in Guildford.

It was purchased by then Archbishop Redmond Prendiville (Archbishop of Perth from 1935 to 1968) with the assistance of then Geraldton Bishop James O’Collins (Bishop of Geraldton

from 1930 to 1941).

A few modifications to the homestead made it possible for the first students to move in and commence their scholastic year in February 1942.

In marking the occasion, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said that for anybody who at any stage made a decision to attend St Charles Seminary to try out a possible vocation to the priesthood, entered into a process that would have been, as he imagined, a very significant part of whatever then unfolded later on in their life.

“One of the things that comes to me from time to time as a bishop, and prior to here, of course, I was an Auxiliary Bishop in Melbourne. And prior to that, I was in charge of the formation of the Salesians in Melbourne.

“One of the things that happens to me from time to time, is someone who’s in a seminary, or religious house might come and talk to me about the fact that they’ve discerned that perhaps they need to leave.

Archbishop Costelloe continued saying that occasionally, a person might talk a little bit about how they think they made a mistake coming to the Seminary.

“And my reflection always is, well, maybe, but I doubt it. I don’t think these things are ever mistakes. I think these things are part of the journey that every person has to undergo as he or she works out who they are, and what God’s asking of them and what sort of person they want to be and what they want to do with their life,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.

“The other thing that I wanted to do with just a very brief reflection on the fact that today does happen to be the feast of St Charles Borromeo. “St Charles is a very good model for a seminary. “Of course, he’s remembered as the great reformer of seminaries after the Council

of Trent.” St Charles, highlighted Archbishop Costelloe, is a good model for a seminary, because he developed a system of seminary formation that was meant to last forever.

“He was a good model for a seminary for a major and as a patron for a seminary.

“Because in his own time, and in his own day, he was able to read the signs of the times in the light of the gospel, and know that it was time for something new and something different,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

The seminary was entrusted to the Vincentian Fathers in 1948 who taught secondary students and seminarians who had commenced their three-year course in philosophy and sundry introduction courses in scripture and church documents.

In 1975, the Vincentians concluded their involvement of running the seminary and the next year a small group of young men began their formation under Fr Jim O’Brien, before being sent to Adelaide to continue their studies.

The seminary in Perth was closed but was opened five years later as a vocational discernment residence under the guidance of Fr Bryan Rosling. Seminarians for the Archdiocese of Perth were sent to St Francis Xavier Seminary in Adelaide for the next 17 years.

Reflecting on the opening of the Seminary in 1942, Bishop Morrissey said the decision for the Diocese of Geraldton, together with the Archdiocese of Perth, to open St Charles’ Seminary in Guildford in the middle of the Second World War, was an act of great faith and hope.

“The local seminary enabled local men to discern their call and study in the state of Western Australia supported by the local Catholic community,” he said.

“Those who attended St Charles’ Seminary, including myself, valued the opportunity to be closer to their homes and their families, even if visiting times and outings were restricted in the early days of the seminary.

“The ‘homegrown’ seminary was greatly valued, in that you were closer to home not having to travel interstate in the first years of formation.

“For all of us, St Charles was a place where we discovered and deepened our call to serve as priests or to journey in a different direction as an active layman in the local church,” Bishop Morrissey said.

The Seminary re-opened in 1994, following the establishment of the University of Notre Dame, which had decided to bring forward plans to establish the Schools of Philosophy and Theology.

Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, who also trained at St Charles, explained that one of the first tasks for the newly appointed inaugural Rector of St Charles’ Seminary, Dr Launcelot Goody, (later Archbishop) was to visit each of

the parishes to explain why a seminary was going to be opened in the Archdiocese.

Dr Goody also began inviting secondary students to consider completing their studies at St Charles and to begin discerning, if they felt called to the priesthood.

“The presence of a seminary in a diocese is incredibly important as it always keeps a focus on the need for priestly vocations to be promoted,” Bishop Sproxton said.“The seminarian while training in his diocese can engage with the priests and local people with whom and for whom he will hopefully serve,” he said.

“He will have the chance to gain a broader understanding of the complexity of the local church and what will be asked of him to bring the Gospel to the people.

Above all, he can grow in love for his brothers and sisters in the faith, and for people who are searching for truth and ultimately for God,” Bishop Sproxton said.

Outgoing rector Fr Phillip Fleay said it has been an honour to serve in the role for the past six years.

“My hope and prayer is that the seminary will continue to be a place of grace, a place of formation, a place where faith grows,” Fr Phillip said.

“I pray that many more will be called to a deeper understanding of their vocation to the priesthood, and with the help of the Church, will be formed for the service of the people of Perth and beyond,” he said.

SAFEGUARDING DESIGNED TO ENSURE FAILURES OF THE PAST ARE NEVER REPEATED, SAYS ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE

Speaking in support of National Child Protection Week, Tuesday 6 September, the Safeguarding Project is one of the most important things that the church in in this Archdiocese, and more broadly across Western Australia is involved in, said Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB. “It is, of course, a response to the terrible failures of the past. But it is a response that’s designed to ensure that they are never repeated again,” he said.

This year, parishes across the diocese were encouraged to celebrate Mass in acknowledgement of Safeguarding Sunday, rather than just one main celebration at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Continuing his speech to representatives from the Archdiocese at the morning tea, Archbishop Costelloe said he believes they - the people on the ground in the concrete realities of our local communities - are the ones who are there to help ensure that no child, no young person, and no vulnerable adult is ever hurt again, in any of our communities.

“You fulfill the ministry of the Lord who brought hope and healing to the broken, and it was the good shepherd, making sure that his flock was kept safe from harm,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “So I’d like to invite you to think of yourselves as fulfilling in the ministry that you have, the call that we all have in our own particular vocations, to be good shepherds to each other. It’s a shepherding role that you have. And it’s very much a preventive role,” he said. This year, the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Office marked the occasion by holding a kite competition, inviting Perth parishioners to be artistic.

The theme for the occasion this year was ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go.’ Acting Director of the Safeguarding Project Office, Barbara Blayney said the Safeguarding Program works with the Church community to raise awareness and to provide guidance, protocols and practices for a safe and nurturing Church.

“Our logo, the kite, was this year was impetus for Child Protection Week activity. And the kite symbolises their connection to self and community while being guided by God, which is our kite tail and the kite guiding string,” Mrs Blayney said.

Zero tolerance for priests guilty of abuse, Pope Francis says in interview

Calling sexual abuse “diabolical” and a “monstrosity,” Pope Francis underlined there is “zero tolerance” for those in the church who are guilty of abuse.

“One very key thing is zero tolerance. Zero. A priest cannot continue being a priest if he is an abuser. He cannot act (as a priest) because he is sick or a criminal,” Pope Francis said.

“If he is a priest, he is there to lead people to God and not to destroy people in the name of God. Zero tolerance and we must not stop at that,” he said.

The Holy Father was asked about the anger people may feel toward the church because of the abuse carried out by some of its members and how those cases were handled.

“Abuse by men and women of the church - abuse of authority, abuse of power and sexual abuse, is a monstrosity because the man or woman of the church -- whether priest, religious or layperson, was called to serve and create unity, to foster growth, and abuse always destroys,” Pope Francis said.

Most abuse occurs and remains hidden in families, he said, and it is estimated three per cent of reported abuse was perpetrated by members of the church - a number that is still too high, Pope Francis said.

Even if there were just one perpetrator, “it’s a monstrosity,” he said. Unfortunately, the culture of abuse is widespread in the world, but “I look at this one that exists (in the church) and that I am responsible that it doesn’t happen again, right?” “Let’s take the percentage that concerns us and go after that,” he said.

Celibacy is not the reason for abuse, as can be seen with abusive family members who are not celibate, he said.

Abuse in the church “is simply the monstrosity of a man or woman of the church, who is psychologically sick or evil, and uses their position for their personal satisfaction. It’s diabolical” and it must be faced, he said.

NATSICC CONFERENCE RENEWS FRIENDSHIPS, CARRIES ON THE TRADITION OF STORYTELLING, CELEBRATING CATHOLIC FAITH AND ABORIGINAL CULTURE

The Catholic community of Australia’s First Nations people have come together from 19 to 23 September at St Patrick’s College Townville for the 2022 National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) Assembly. Focussing on the theme, “Holy Spirit in this Land”, the NATSICC Assembly invited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics and other community groups to gather and discuss prominent issues.

Archdiocese of Perth Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Director Donella Brown offered her reflection. “The 2022 NATSICC Assembly was held in Townsville on the land of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people.

In the four years leading up to this Assembly, like everything during the pandemic, there were delays and uncertainty. As people gathered on the first day, there was a

● Donella Brown writes that as people gathered onthe first day,therewas a collective sighthat at last,wewere here gathering, renewing friendships, and carrying onthetradition of storytelling and celebrating our Catholic faith andAboriginal Culture.

Photo: Neil Helmore/ Diocese ofTownsville.

● Focussing on the theme, “Holy Spirit in this Land”, the NATSICC Assembly invited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics and other commu nity groups to gather and discuss prominent issues.

Photo: Neil Helmore/Diocese of Townsville.

collective sigh that at last, we were here gathering, renewing friendships, and carrying on the tradition of storytelling and celebrating our Catholic faith and Aboriginal Culture.

The week commenced the Queensland delegates leading the Smoking and Welcome to Country Ceremony, followed by the Opening Mass. Each day was started with a prayer or liturgy to honour our commitment to the Catholic faith. The Western Australia delegates were involved in the Thursday Healing liturgy with the healing ritual being led by Madeine from Bidyadanga; Elizabeth Lulu from Mulan; and Jeanie and Kathie O’Reerie from Wyndham.

Thursday had a youth focus with another WA delegate, Vincent McKenzie from Djarindjin Lombadina school using a short video presentation about “Caring for Country” that was produced with the help of the students in his language and culture classes. Shannon Thorne was also another impressive youth voice.

His work, which is mentoring youth in Liverpool NSW, focusses on intergenerational strengths

● Townsville Bishop Tim Harris, sixth from left, with Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci, fourth from left and fellow clergy and NATSICC Assembly representatives following Mass at the 19-23 September Assembly. Photo: Neil Helmore/Diocese of Townsville.

of youth and family. This gives a greater positive perspective on how youth and others view the world that they live in. It concentrates on the intergenerational strengths that are important and have given families the resilience to survive, despite the history and past hurts suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

During the five days we heard from a range of speakers on topics that ranged from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Spirituality; giving clarity the importance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and future actions for all Australians; what future Aboriginal and Torres Strait leadership looks like in the Catholic church; and conversations on Laudato Si. All these talks were processed through yarning circles and workshops so that all delegates had the opportunity to comment.

The week ended with an address by Bishop Tim Harris, a video reflection of the week and a closing Mass lead by the Victorian delegates.”

‘CATECHISTS ARE TRUE WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL,’ SAYS BISHOP SPROXTON

“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.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Sproxton, who was joined by concelebrants, Frs Stanislaw Bendowski SDS, Michael Quynh Do, Philip Perreau, Michael Separovich, Pierluigi Vajra CRS 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 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.

“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.”

WA artist takes home

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS FORMALLY APPROVE PLENARY COUNCIL ACTS, DECREES

Archbishop Costelloe, whom Pope Francis appointed President of the Plenary Council in 2018, was in Rome in October this year to take part in the drafting of the working document for the next phase of the journey toward the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The document will form the basis for the discernment to be undertaken at the continental level in the coming months.

This discernment, in turn, will help shape the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris – the preparatory document that will contribute to the discussions during the formal sessions of the Synod next October.

In a private audience with Pope Francis, Archbishop Costelloe explained that the formal “acts” of the Plenary Council, the outcome of four years of nationwide prayer, listening, dialogue, discernment, and eventually decision-making, would be received by the Bishops Conference at its November plenary meeting.

In November, the documents, which comprise five volumes across hundreds of pages, were received and approved at the Bishops Conference’s Plenary and will now be sent to the Apostolic See for review.

As the acts and decrees were received, the bishops sang the Te Deum, acknowledging the solemnity of the moment in the life of the Church in Australia. “It was quite a poignant moment as we sensed – once again – the significance of the Council in the life of the Church in Australia,” said Bishops Conference President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB.

“In fact, my recent trip to Rome underlined how closely the Church around the world was watching the Plenary Council and how aspects of it are being lived out through the global Synod for a Synodal Church,” he said.

Archbishop Costelloe continued by explaining that what has been sent to Rome is what emerged from the two Assemblies, but also what was uncovered during the earlier stages of the Plenary Council journey

“They are, in many ways, a capturing of – as Gaudium et Spes proposed from the Second Vatican

Council – ‘the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties’ of the People of God,” he said.

The Bishops Conference also approved the terms of reference for the review of the implementation of the Plenary Council.

The terms of reference were set out by the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, which concluded its work at last week’s plenary meeting.

“The Holy Father expressed great interest in the work of the Plenary Council,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“I was able to explain to him that the Council had moments of challenge and tension, which we navigated with prayer and dialogue, but it now holds great hope for the renewal of the Church in Australia.

“I told Pope Francis that the Church in Australia, not withstanding the many challenges it faces, is alive and vibrant. Pope Francis was particularly pleased to hear of this vitality.”

Reflecting on his time in Rome, which included meetings with key officials from Vatican offices, Archbishop Costelloe expressed his gratitude that the experience of synodality, “which emerged as such a strong feature of the Plenary Council in Australia”, had been recognised and received as a valuable contribution to the journey that the Church throughout the world is undertaking.

“It is clear to me,” Archbishop Costelloe said, “that Pope Francis is absolutely committed to this path towards the more truly synodal Church to which the Lord is calling us, which is the Lord’s particular gift to the Church at this time.

“It was an honour to be able to share our experience with him.”

The implementation phase will see oversight and coordination for each decree of the Plenary Council entrusted to at least one of the Bishops Conference’s commissions.

Those commissions will provide reports to the May 2023 Plenary meeting of the Bishops Conference. Another review will be undertaken in 2025, with a final review report to be published in 2027.

2022 LifeLink CHRISTMAS APPEAL: ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE URGES EVERYONE TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND PUT FAITH INTO PRACTICE

“Let’s roll up our sleeves and put our faith into practice to help our brothers and sisters through direct involvement. These were the words of Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at the 2022 LifeLink Christmas Appeal Liturgical Launch. The special Liturgical Service was held on Thursday 3 November at St Mary’s Cathedral, where Archbishop Costelloe was joined by Parish Priests and Appeal Representatives from across the Archdiocese.

LifeLink Chairman and Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton also joined in the occasion and shared that we should “show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need by sharing our resources to create an environment of equality.”

During the liturgical celebration, guests were invited to prayerfully reflect on scripture from the Second Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians. In his address, Archbishop Timothy reminded guests that, “Being generous when times are good is easy. Being called to be generous when we ourselves

may be struggling is when we truly are provided an opportunity to ‘walk in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.”

“As Christians, we often speak of ourselves as disciples of Jesus. And rightly so because that is exactly what we are. One of the simplest and most accurate descriptions of the Church is in fact thisthat we, the Church, are a community of disciples of Christ. The word disciple, of course, means follower. So, we might equally say that the Church is the community of those people who have decided to follow Christ.”

“Above the Archbishop’s chair is my coat of arms which carries the motto Via Veritas Vita. These are three words, which Jesus used to describe Himself. I am the Via - the way. I am the Veritas - the truth. And then He also says, I am the Vita, the life. These three words are really very important for us as we reflect on what it really means to be a disciple.”

“The way of Jesus is the path that we’re called to tread. The truth of Jesus, the teachings He leaves

us, the God He reveals to us. This is what we’re called to commit ourselves to. And the life of Jesus, the self-giving of Jesus, the compassion, and the mercy of Jesus, is what we’re called to bring alive in the concrete reality of each day.”

“Jesus came to proclaim that it is in fact God’s will, that everyone should have life and have it in abundance. And this is the truth to which we are called to give witness by helping to set people free to live their lives fully. A life free from fear, free from oppression, free from the crippling power of loneliness, free from despair. And this is the life we are called to share with others and to help them to experience as far as we are able to do that.”

“And all of this is exactly what our LifeLink agencies do. These agencies are way finders - helping people to get back on the road toward a fuller, happier life. Our agencies are truth-tellers - making clear in concrete ways the reality of God’s love and care for His people. And our LifeLink agencies are life givers - bringing hope and confidence and a glimpse of a

better future to people who otherwise might feel abandoned, not only by others but perhaps also by God. This is why the Christmas appeal for LifeLink matters.”

The Archbishop’s 2022 Christmas Appeal for LifeLink was officially launched in parishes on the weekend of Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November 2022. The appeal aims to raise at least $650,000 for those in need this Christmas.

Donate to the 2022 LifeLink Christmas Appeal at https://lifelink.com.au/donate/ Watch Archbishop Costelloe’s 2022 Christmas Appeal Message on YouTube. https://youtu.be/m5t_9Ht5cS8

Read the Archbishop’s Letter at https://lifelink.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2022/10/2022-Archbishops-ChristmasAppeal-Parish-Letter.pdf

THE INTERSECT OF FAITH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT BROUGHT TO LIGHT AT NOTRE DAME

The importance of integral human development and the role of a modern Catholic university were among the topics discussed at a public lecture at the University of Notre Dame Australia on Wednesday 26 October.

The well attended lecture by Professor Father Eamonn Conway was entitled “All things are connected for the glory of God”.

Fr Conway recently joined UNDA after an illustrious global career as its inaugural Chair of Integral Human Development.

The establishment of this position is an outcome of the University’s new Strategic Plan, which identifies Integral Human Development as one of its five key pillars.

It is also an important indication of the unique contribution the University makes to the higher education landscape across Australia.

Fr Conway provided a rich and stimulating address exploring how faith and integral human development intersect, and their importance in creating intellectually and spiritually developed people who live their lives authentically.

“When we realise that what lies at the heart of reality is loving relationality, then we realise that

the concept of integral human development is unavoidable for Christians, and we can describe this in two ways. The first is what we have been talking about. God is present and manifest in each of us in every dimension of our being: social, economic, political, cultural, environmental, and spiritual. Given that we humans are made in God’s image, and that God is life-giving relationality, it follows that as human beings we are all intimately and integrally bound up with one another.”

He also drew on the wisdom of numerous recent Popes including Francis, Benedict and St John Paul II to demonstrate that integral human development is at the foundation of what we do and who we are as people and communities. “So, from Saints Irenaeus, Augustine and Ignatius we glean two important insights into what it means to be an integral human being. The first is that it requires being fully alive, in contrast to the virtual compulsion nowadays, as one Irish poet puts it, to “half-do a lot of things, to half-live our lives, half-dream our dreams, half-love our loves…”.”

He then turned his attention to examine the

role of a Catholic University to guide, shape and support the formation of students, staff and the broader community.

Fr Conway said it is imperative that universities keep sight of the need to help students develop well principled and cultured minds.

“I note that our university’s billboards reflect what is being referred to by Newman and McIntyre very well, I think, by stating that what we offer is an ethical education,” he said.

“This approach to education fits well with the contemporary emphasis on developing our students as life-long learners in an age where the only certainty is uncertainty.

“However, integral human development is about more than developing skills. It has, fundamentally, to do with enabling our students to appreciate and accept their inherent dignity and the unique service for which they which they have been both gifted and called.”

Fr Conway went on to reflect on current issues in modern society, and how a university with a focus on integral human development can prepare their students for a troubled world, including workplaces that are “stressful and in flux”. He called out current workplace trends including burn out, stress, workloads and industrial disputes resulting in people leaving their professions.

“I have no doubt that a business case could be made for integral human development being

to the fore in formation programmes for the professions we have referred to. This would be argued on the basis that rounded graduates, ethically trained, well-principled, of cultivated mind, as Newman says, and with the ability to make sound judgements as McIntyre says, are more likely to be able to negotiate work-life balance.

“They are also more likely to exercise the kind of thought-leadership necessary to transform their workplaces in the service of the common good rather than finding themselves with no other option but to abandon them in order to safeguard their mental health at what, after an expensive education, no doubt must be a huge cost to the public purse.”

Fr Conway concluded on a positive and uplifting note by acknowledging the positive work being undertaken across the University of Notre Dame Australia to deliver an authentically Catholic approach to education that places integral human development at the centre.

“I am convinced that if, as a University, we are able to make integral human development as understood and taught by the Church the bedrock of the experience we offer students and staff, within and outside the classroom, we would be making an invaluable and badly needed contribution to our troubled society.”

WHEN IS IT OK TO LEAVE A CHILD IN POVERTY?

Centrecare Inc Director and Valuing Children Initiative Co-Founder, Adj Prof Tony Pietropiccolo AM was recently a keynote speaker at the AntiPoverty Week 2022 Symposium. This year Anti-Poverty Week took place from 16 to 22 October, with the Symposium on Monday 17 October, from 9am to 1pm at Government House, 13 St George’s Tce.

The Poverty In Australia 2022 report1 by the Australian Council of Social Service and the University of New South Wales, said Mr Pietropiccolo, shows that 16.6 per cent of Australian children (or 761,000 kids) lived in poverty in the 2019/2020 financial year. There is mounting evidence, he continued, from a myriad of highly reliable research that demonstrates how poverty can compromise a child’s development and her/his future opportunities.

“The result of experiences largely created by poverty, can have tragic, long-term outcomes for many children who often face an adult life of poor educational achievement, unemployment, homelessness and other personal problems,” Mr Pietropiccolo explained.

“For some children, their poverty is a matter of

life and death,” he said.

Mr Pietropiccolo continued by explaining that entrenched poverty that continues for extended periods creates experiences that become habitual and difficult to escape.

“Given the demonstrated negative impact of poverty on children, both in the short and longterm, a strong case exists for minimising child poverty.

“Despite the mounting evidence of the extent of poverty in Australia and the significant impact this has on children, the response by successive Australian governments over the last 20 years has been imperceptible.

“In effect the general thrust of Australian policy in this area has been to rewind the social benefits that had successfully reduced poverty before the mid 1990’s.

Mr Pietropiccolo explained that, in the last decade alone, there has been reduction in Family Tax Benefit (FTB) for many families at risk of poverty.

Large numbers of single parents have been moved to JobSeeker, thereby substantially reducing their income. In 2017, Family Tax Benefits rates were frozen for two years.

An analysis by the Parliamentary Library for the current 47th Parliament confirms that real expenditure on family payments in 2020-21 is the same as it was in 2000- 2001. his is even though there’s been a 20 per cent increase in the number of children aged 0-14 during that same period.

“Since the mid 1990’s, the general position of Australian governments has been to largely ignore the issue of child poverty,” Mr Pietropiccolo said. This lack of focus on reducing poverty is not limited to government as it is rarely discussed in the broader society.

So, why are we so reluctant to address child poverty meaningfully and effectively? There are many reasons. To name a few:

• The belief that child poverty is intractable. This is based on the view that there will always be the poor so why bother doing anything about them. Attempting to resolve child poverty is seen by some as largely impossible and largely a waste of effort and money.

• There is the view that the poor are responsible for their poverty. Such a view undermines any concept of collective responsibility and largely releases government and society as whole of meaningful involvement in its resolution.

• The idea that incompetent, inconsiderate and lazy parents create child poverty. Such a view denies the reality that much of poverty is caused by ill-health, mental difficulties, disability and a myriad of life events outside of a person’s control.

• The marginalisation and denigration of the poor through public discourse, media and political debates. The poor are publicly shamed as spendthrifts, “dole bludgers”, “lazy”, “leaners” etc. Such labels, too often used by some community and political leaders, form the view that such people don’t deserve public sympathy or assistance.

• The concept of “small government” has led governments to withdraw from addressing the structural causes of poverty. Small government is the idea that government should not interfere in people’s lives and play a minimalist role in structuring society.

• The view that we can’t afford it. Expenditure targeted towards alleviating deprivation is seen as a cost rather than an investment that reduces costs in the long term. It also doesn’t recognise the economic and social contribution that healthy, functioning individuals make to society when their deprivation is averted.

• Most poverty is hidden which reduces the general public’s awareness and interest in its resolution. The outpouring of support by Australians towards those impacted by natural disasters or unexpected circumstances demonstrates a generosity that is less evident to strangers and when we speak of the poor in general terms.

• There is little political advantage to addressing child poverty given the public’s general disinterest and sympathy on the issue and the perceived electoral cost of any failed attempt to resolve it.

These considerations partly provide an explanation as to why there is in Australia such little action to effectively deal with child poverty. However, given the negative impact that child poverty has on children, society cannot but take an interest in its resolution. It could only withdraw from this responsibility if it believed that it was acceptable for children to remain living in poverty and to suffer its inevitable, negative consequences.

For the full story, go to www.therecord.com.au and search Child Poverty

1 https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/a-snapshot-of-pov erty-in-australia-2022/

METHOD

1. Line a 22cm springform pan with paper on the base and grease sides with butter. 2. Using a food processor, finely process your choice of biscuits. 3. When biscuits resemble breadcrumbs, combine them with unsalted butter and sugar.

Press the mixture firmly on the paper base of the tin. 5. Puree the mango flesh in a food processor until smooth. 6. In a bowl, gently sprinkle the gelatin powder over the cold water and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.

7. Place the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds on high. Remove and stir well until dissolved. Repeat for another 15 seconds. Stir well again and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

8. In the food processor, combine the pureed mango with cooled gelatin mixture, sugar and softened cream cheese. Check that the mixture is smooth. 9. Pour into prepared springform pan. 10. Refrigerate for overnight. 11. To serve, remove from pan and top with cubed fresh mango pieces.

DOWN 1 Direction from Bethlehem to the Jordan

Partner of Cosmas

20s US Catholic politician

Certain prayer sets

He left sad when Jesus told him to sell all he owned

Our Lady, ___ of Christians

Shared the fate of her husband Ananias (Acts 5:1–11)

False gods

___ and abstinence

Land of ___ and honey

Mother of Mary

Altar linen

Play based on the life of Christ 22 Urbi et ___ (papal speech)

Georgia diocese 24 Catholic actor, “The Great One”

Tenet

28 Possible Easter month 30 Catholic actor Guinness 33 “…to the ___ of the earth” (Acts 1:8) 34 OT book ANSWERS

ACROSS

3 He led David’s armies for a while 9 Christian love 10 Land of St. Patrick 11 Esau, for one 12 Son of Adam 13 Office held by the Bishop of Rome

Desert food 16 Biblical wood 17 Academy Awardwinning Catholic actress Hayward 20 “You are the ___ of the world” (Mt 5:14) 22 Archdiocese in Nebraska 23 One of the 7 deadly sins 25 Liturgical year start 26 Genesis tower 29 ___ and Omega 31 He was an original 32 Marian color

35 Catholic satirist and television host 36 One of the 7 deadly sins 37 Patron saint of young girls