NEW COLUMBARIUM FOR COTTESLOE A PLACE FOR PRAYER, OR JUST TO ‘SIT AND BE’
By Jamie O'Brien
We are to be bearers of God’s love, forgiveness and mercy, said Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, at the opening and blessing of a new columbarium, statue and gardens at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church for Cottesloe Mosman Park Parish. The opening and blessing, which took place on a blistering hot Sunday 30 January before the 10am Mass, was attended by more than 250 parishioners and guests and celebrated by Archbishop Costelloe, who was joined by Parish Priest Fr Marcelo Parra-Gonzalez and Assistant Fr Rodrigo Da Costa Ponte. The congregation first gathered in front of the new columbarium, which includes a statue of Our Lady Star of the Sea and gardens, for the blessing and opening, and which is capable of hosting the remains of some 392 deceased members from the parish.
In opening and blessing the
columbarium, gardens and statue, Archbishop Costelloe thanked parishioner-builder Peter Colli, whose company Colli Constructions built the 18-month project. Drawings and design were undertaken by Al Santelli from Santelli Architects. Mr Colli explained that the shrine and columbarium belongs to all parishioners.
“This spiritual space is an ‘Open Plan Design’, to be utilised by parishioners and people of faith in times of reflection, prayer, community or private gatherings, which may include photographic opportunities for parish weddings, baptisms, communions or confirmations, or simply just to sit and be,” Mr Colli said.
“The shrine features the new statue as the centre piece of the water fountain, which interestingly is one of a kind, purposely made for our parish, by hand carved marble from Vietnam,” he said.
Music for the celebration was co-ordinated by Genia Moore, who was supported by violin and cello
players, the Latin choir and the parish choir who performed from the choir loft.
Continuing his homily, Archbishop Costelloe highlighted that it is not our place as disciples of Jesus to judge or condemn.
“The time for judgement will come, but the judgement is God’s to make, not ours,” Archbishop Costelloe explained, quoting a passage from the Gospel of Matthew.
“Saint John’s gospel makes this very clear when, on the night of his resurrection, Jesus appears to his apostles and tells them, and through them the whole Church, that he is sending them just as the Father sent him,” he said.
Continuing, Archbishop Costelloe emphasised that we must be very careful not to fall into the trap of constructing in our own minds a Jesus with whom we can be comfortable and who does not ask too much of us.
“But who does not, in reality, match up with the Jesus we discover in the pages of the gospel.
“This danger is ever present in our individual lives as Christians, and even in our lives as members of communities of faith.
“In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of a time of acceptance on the part of the Lord God. God is ready to accept us but how ready are we to accept him?” Archbishop Costelloe said.
Parish Priest Fr Marcelo Parra said the idea for the columbarium and gardens was to create a spiritual place that could be appreciated by parishioners for years to come.
Archbishop Costelloe blesses the statue of Our Lady Star of the Sea in the new columbarium and gardens at Cottesloe-Mosman Park Parish, Sunday 30 January. PHOTO: JAMIE O'BRIEN.
CONSECRATED LIFE CELEBRATED AND HONOURED
By Amanda Murthy
The Archdiocese of Perth saluted the religious women and men, who pledge their life’s mission to the work of God at a Mass, in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life -which was started by Saint John Paul II in 1997.
Held at St Michael the Archangel Chapel on Wednesday, 2 February, Mass celebrant Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, in his homily, shared stories of his journey to religious life 44 years back and commended those present for their commitment to their vocation and faith.
“As I look back on my journey to religious life, I now realise that in its simplicity it was very sustaining: it has taken me quite a long time to adapt to a different rhythm of prayer and ministry. I must confess that it had never occurred to me to consider diocesan priesthood,”
Archbishop Costelloe said.
“I always had a strong conviction that I was called to the religious life and now as a Bishop, my daily life resembles that of the diocesan clergy for more than that of religious
life, and I do believe that where I find myself today is as much God ‘s will for me as was the initial call into religious life,” he explained.
Archbishop Costelloe encouraged those present to look beyond what they do in the Church and their wider society, and rather to who they are in the Church and in the wider society.
“We are called to be living Sacraments, individually and especially together, of the essentially radical nature of Christian Discipleship, not to relieve others of the need to respond to this call but rather to invite them, through our witness, our encouragement and our presence, to embrace the call which we all share because of our Baptism.”
Archbishop Costelloe concluded his message by admitting that while living the religious life has its’ challenges, everyone is “doing their best, still trying to live with trusting faith in what can sometimes feel like a ‘dark night of the soul.’
“If we can get in touch once more with the original impulse which led us into the religious life, and in that light recognise the presence of God leading us along the winding paths of our life’s journey, we can quite simply and with confidence, commit ourselves to living our religious vocation faithfully now, leaving the
future trustingly in God’s hands.”
Religious of WA Coordinator Sister Lilian Bong spoke to The Record about what it means to live the consecrated life, and the message she would like the faithful to take away from the auspicious celebration.
“This day of consecrated life serves as a joyful renewal of the commitment which we, consecrated men and women had responded to, which is to follow Christ who is poor, chaste, and obedient - more fully each day in our service towards humanity, in the ministry of the church and mission entrusted to us through our various institutes,” Sr Lilian said.
“For this celebration, I would like to echo the invitation and extend this message to all from the letter addressed by the Holy Father to all consecrated persons this year.
“One of the key points is to ask each of us to focus on the second word of the synod which is ‘participation’. We are each invited to do our part, to participate. All are invited to enter a dynamic of mutual listening, carried out at all levels of the Church, involving all God’s people.
“Along the journey of consecrated life, it also challenges us to be witnesses of a tangible communion of love that reflects the Trinitarian relationship (which is goodness and beauty).”
Religious men and women gathered to celebrate Mass and give thanks for their vocation on 2 February at the St Michael the Archangel Chapel. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
2022 FLAME MINISTRIES CONGRESS: VICTORY IN LIFE COMES THROUGH OUR TOTAL SURRENDER TO JESUS
By Cyrus D’Souza & Kaye Rollinson
“In our lives we share in the victory of Jesus on the Cross, where we inherit eternal life. Until the whole world comes to the foot of the Cross, there is no victory we can boast about.”
This was the challenging message of Fr Varghese Parackal’s homily as he celebrated Mass for the 32nd Annual Congress of Flame Ministries International, held at Trinity College, 14 to 16 January.
Fr Varghese’s message was uncompromising in its call for us to embrace the victory won for us by the Cross, while drawing others to know the love of Christ and His great sacrifice for us.
The title and theme of this year’s Congress was ‘Victory’ with each of the speakers encouraging those present to always be mindful of Jesus’ victory in our lives with hope and joy.
Hope, not as a worldly wish, but as a confident expectation that God is working in our lives for our wellbeing, and joy, which comes from the knowledge that He holds us firmly in his love.
The keynote speaker for the Congress was Shayne Bennett, who has been appointed by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
to the CHARIS International Service of Communion to represent the Region of Oceania.
He is also the Coordinator of the National Service of Communion Australia.
Shayne is the Director of Mission and Faith Formation at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane and works with parishes, dioceses and universities throughout Australia and across the world.
He spoke directly to the assembly from Brisbane, live streaming via Zoom.
The large screen format ensured everyone present was able to fully experience Shayne’s in-depth sharing of his subjects.
Shayne emphasised how victory in our lives comes through our total surrender to Jesus; only then are we able to be truly set free.
He used many examples of personal witness, events from his own life and experiences which enriched his talks.
He explained how we are all called to holiness and to share with others the victory of Christ – it is important for us to be formed in ourselves so that we can take up the work as missionary disciples.
He also spoke of our authority in Christ, God has given us power to stand against anything coming against us.
Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey
also spoke of our call to share the message of the Gospel. Jesus gave us the Good News and speaks to us through the Gospel; it’s our responsibility to introduce others to Him.
Cyrus D’Souza, Senior Director of FMI, spoke of how our faith in Jesus Christ gives us victory. Our faith allows us to focus on Jesus and not the circumstances that surround us.
He said we are called to run the race, not to compete but to complete. We are completed by the love of God and we are called to share this love with our enemies. How can we love our enemies if we cannot love our neighbour?
Kaye Rollings, also a Senior Director of FMI, shared the message of John 16:33, ‘In the world you will have trouble and tribulation, but take courage, I have conquered the world’. She encouraged all participants to write the problems they experience or see around them on a sheet of paper, then come to the front of the room and destroy it in a shredding machine set up for the purpose. This was a powerful reminder of how God shatters any yoke that burdens us and gives us the strength and power to continue to stand in times of trouble.
Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey speaks during the 2022 FMI Congress at Trinity College, 14 to 16 January. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
WHAT DOES A SLAVERY-PROOFED PARISH LOOK LIKE?
Three parish priests are examining what a ‘slavery-proofed’ parish would look like and how to implement slavery-free parish morning teas during 2022. With the support of their parish community, they have been planning to commence the project from February 8, the feast day of St Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Fr Bernard Lanarolle from the Innaloo-Karrinyup Parish, Fr MinhThuy Nguyen from Thornlie Parish and Fr Nelson Po from Applecross Parish will work together with the support of the West Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office.
The three priests intend to take steps to raise awareness in their communities about the reality of modern slavery in Australia and the region before looking at parish procurement practices. During the year, faith formation and social education opportunities
PRODUCED
will be offered to school staff, parishioners, students, and parents.
Following that, the community will be invited to consider an appropriate faith response such as ethical purchasing, as this type of purchasing behaviour doesn’t involve exploitation of labour and reduces the risk of instances of slavery.
“We are letting the light of Christ shine where it is needed,” Fr Bernard reflected.
“The first response is to get informed, and the archdiocese has been a great support by providing the data and suggesting possible actions for us to choose. It is a concrete way of putting faith into action,” (James 2: 14-17),” he highlighted.
“There are around 15,000 victims in Australia and many of those are migrant and refugee visa holders,” stated Fr Minh-Thuy, “and those with limited English cannot effectively communicate
what is happening to them. This project is an act of neighbour love and protective hospitality as much as anything else,” Fr Minh-Thuy noted.
Modern slavery, said Fr Nelsonm, is complex and interconnected.
“The parish can’t solve the problem, but it shouldn’t be contributing to it,” he said.
A data-informed strategy is being discussed to help eradicate the risk of slavery from the supply chains that the parish accesses. The strategy involves purchasing slavery-free tea and coffee products.
Deacon Greg Lowe, who is supporting the three parishes in the project, said the Archdiocese of Perth is eliminating risk of slavery from its procurement practices, and it is great to see parishes following suit.
jamie.obrien@perthcatholic.org.au Journalist amanda.murthy@perthcatholic.org.au
bibiana.kwaramba@perthcatholic.org.au
Fr Bernard Lanarolle, left, from the Innaloo-Karrinyup Parish and Fr Minh-Thuy Nguyen, right, from Thornlie Parish, together with Fr Nelson Po from Applecross Parish (not present) are examining what a ‘slavery-proofed’ parish would look like and how to implement slavery-free parish morning teas during 2022. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.