2022: LENT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE
NEVER ABANDONED BY GOD, SAYS ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE
the Baptist Church.
By Jamie O'Brien
Lent is about turning to God, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has said.
Speaking at the 8am Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday 2 March at St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Costelloe continued saying that it is easy to forget about God or push God to the margins of our lives.
“We are very busy people; we all have lots of commitments, lots of worries, perhaps even lots of fears – about ourselves, about our families, about the future,” he said.
Archbishop Costelloe was joined for the Mass to mark the start of Lent, by concelebrants Vicar General, Fr Peter Whitely VG, Cathedral Dean Fr Sean Fernandez and Ukrainian Catholic Priest, Fr Ihor Hovoloko, who is based at Maylands St John
Read the SPECIAL REPORT: Perth Ukrainian Catholic Priest joins Archbishop Costelloe for Ash Wednesday Celebrations at https:// therecord.com.au/news/international/ special-report-perth-ukrainiancatholic-priest-joins-archbishopcostelloe-for-ash-wednesdaycelebrations/
Some 150 people were present for the Mass, each wearing face masks for the second Ash Wednesday in a row because of COVID restrictions, and with the ashes being sprinkled on the head instead of being imprinted with a cross on the forehead.
“These are very real, no more so, perhaps than now as we contemplate the horror of what is unfolding in Ukraine, as we think of those so badly affected by the floods in Queensland and New South Wales, and as we face the uncertainties of the rapid spread of the COVID virus here in
our community.
However, Archbishop Costelloe explained, in the midst of all this, the season of Lent comes along to remind us that, no matter what dangers or difficulties we face, we are never abandoned by God who remains with us, sometimes hidden but sometimes not, calling us to place our trust and our hope in him.
“Lent, then, he said, is a time when we are invited to ‘turn to the Lord our God again.’
“It is a time to be honest about our willingness to make space for God in our lives and about our readiness to consciously to live in the knowledge that God is our Father and we are all his children,” he said.
Archbishop Costelloe’s full homily is available at https://do8h0zazxovw4.cloudfront. net/2022/03/020322-TC-HomilyAsh-Wednesday.pdf
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe sprinkles ashes on top of the head of a Perth Catholic during Ash Wednesday Mass on 2 March at St Mary’s Cathedral. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
SPECIAL REPORT: PERTH UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC PRIEST JOINS ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE FOR ASH WEDNESDAY CELEBRATIONS
By Jamie O'Brien
Perth Ukrainian Catholic Parish Priest, Father Ihor Holovko, has this week joined Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at St Mary‘s Cathedral for the Ash Wednesday Mass, marking the beginning of the season of Lent. At the beginning of Mass, Archbishop Costelloe reminded the congregation of the call by Pope Francis to make Ash Wednesday a day of special prayer and fasting in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to pray
for the gift of peace.
Watch the Prayer for Ukraine video https://youtu.be/MCFpLClNdxE
Speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, Archbishop Costelloe first highlighted that as the first reading says, our God is a God of tenderness and compassion.
“The images on our television screens of fathers, and some mothers, tenderly and tearfully kissing their young children goodbye as the adults prepare to defend their country, precisely for the sake of their children’s future, remind us,
too, that tenderness and compassion are not signs of weakness but of courage and strength.
“We pray that the God of tenderness will give courage and strength to those whose lives and freedoms are under attack,” he said.
Watch Archbishop Costelloe’s Homily https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=n7OP5v7BCXs
At the end of Mass, Father Ihor thanked everyone for the support for the people of Ukraine which has been so evident, not only in the Catholic community, but in the wider community of Perth and Western Australia.
Father Ihor spoke of the deep sadness of his people and of the horror which is being visited upon them and asked for continued prayers, not only for the end of the war, but for the restoration of peace.
Watch Fr Ihor speaking, Wednesday 2 March at St Mary’s Cathedral https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=O81RNWYgjMM
UNDA AND ARCHDIOCESE PATHWAY PROGRAM PLACES THEOLOGY STUDIES IN DEMAND
Adult Faith Formation agency the Centre for Faith Enrichment has last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Notre Dame enabling students to gain credits from Archdiocesan-led courses.
By Amanda Murthy
The Pathway Program will enable students to gain credits towards formal recognition of Theological studies, with UNDA Vice Chancellor Professor Francis Campbell signing the MOU prior to last week’s event. Held on Thursday 28 February, at the UNDA Fremantle campus, the event included Archdiocesan Episcopal Vicar for Adult Faith Formation and Education Fr Vincent Glynn signing the MOU on behalf
of the Archdiocese of Perth. Present for the occasion were UNDA Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology Executive Dean Caroline Mansfield, UNDA Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Dr Lawrence Pang, and Centre for Faith Enrichment Director, Dr Marco Ceccarelli. Courses offered for the Pathway Program include ‘Rediscovering the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist’ presented by Fr Glynn and Archdiocese Director of Office of Christian Initiation Dr Carmel Suart.
Perth Ukrainian Catholic Parish Priest, Father Ihor Holovko, with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at St Mary‘s Cathedral for the Ash Wednesday Mass, marking the beginning of the season of Lent.
PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
Archdiocese of Perth Episcopal Vicar for Adult Faith Formation and Education Fr Vincent Glynn signed the MOU on behalf of the Archdiocese of Perth, officiates the new Pathway Program Towards Formal Recognition of Theological Studies, at the MOU signing event held at UNDA Fremantle campus on 28 February. PHOTO: AMANDA MURTHY.
BUNBURY: LENT IS THE SPRINGTIME OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, SAYS BISHOP HOLOHAN
Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan has this week published a Pastoral Letter for the season of Lent. The full Letter is below.
- Renewing Celebrations of the Eucharist in the Bunbury Diocese –
Dear Brothers and Sisters
As we begin the season of Lent, we focus once again on why Jesus came. He taught ‘I came that they may have life and have it the full.’ He was speaking about his divine or ‘eternal life’ as the Son of God. Each Easter, we celebrate that the Risen Jesus shared this life with each of us through Baptism. How this life can change us Before Baptism, we were fully human. After Baptism, we are divine also by adoption, becoming adopted sons and daughters of God. Jesus calls us to nurture this divine life ‘to the full.’ As we strive to do so, increasingly we grow to think, feel, see, hear and respond to others like Jesus. We grow empowered to live his teachings, especially those we find more difficult.
Christian faith, therefore, is an empowering faith as we grow in personal relationship with the Risen Jesus himself. This makes it different from other faiths: it is not just or even primarily a set of teachings and values.
Lent – the ‘springtime’ of the Christian life
The word ‘lent’ comes from the
Anglo-Saxon word for ‘springtime’ when life-giving sap courses again through plants and trees. The beauty of flowers and leaves bursts forth. Lent is the springtime of the Christian life. As we seek to renew our efforts to nurture the divine life within ‘to the full’, Christ-like inner beauty emerges. We grow more Christ-like in love and forgiveness; mercy and kindness; justice and other Christlike qualities. This affects how we relate in our marriages, families, work and recreation places, retirement centres and wherever else we spend our daily lives.
The Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving seek to discipline the human weaknesses which hamper efforts to mature in the divine life. It is these which undermine efforts to think, feel, see, hear and respond to others like the Risen Jesus.
The Eucharist
This Lent, we as a Diocese will focus on renewing how we nurture the divine life within through celebrations of the Mass. Jesus taught that the Eucharist is essential for nourishing the divine life he shares with us. Without it, we suffer spiritual malnutrition. ‘If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life …’ Celebrating the Eucharist in our Diocese
In 2019, we celebrated a Diocesan Synod, but implementation of a number of its recommendations has been slow because of their complexity and Covid-related challenges. Also, we are a small Diocese and resources are limited. The priests of the Diocese too proposed a pastoral plan. Their first priority was the same as that of the Synod: to renew the celebration of the Eucharist in the Diocese.
Practical pastoral concerns
Both pre-Synod consultations and Synod discussions identified a number of issues to be addressed regarding the Mass. They included the reality that young people are ‘switched off’ by celebrations which seem routine and ‘boring’; many give up worship because they think that the Mass offers nothing to busy lives ; there seems to be a general lack of understanding of the Mass and its ritual; for some there is a loss of the sacred in how Masses are celebrated.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal outlines how Masses should be celebrated. It proposes many options to enrich Mass celebrations in parishes in ways to address these issues.
The purpose of these options is to assist celebrants to help parishioners to experience Christ and to cooperate with him as he seeks to enrich through the Mass their daily lives with spiritual gifts such as answers to prayers; guidance and answers to personal questions; freedom from personal weaknesses and sinfulness; empowerment to live as Christians in today’s Australia; deepening in personal relationships with the Risen Jesus himself.
What is needed to cooperate with Christ
To cooperate with Christ who seeks to share his gifts, we need to participate in the Eucharist with ‘the proper dispositions’ and attuned ‘minds and voices’.
As we seek to renew our efforts to nurture the divine life within ‘to the full’, Christ-like inner beauty emerges, says Bunbury Bishop Gerad Holohan, in his 2022 Lenten Pastoral Letter. PHOTO: RON TAN.
WA COVID UPDATE: BORDERS OPEN AS NEW RESTRICTIONS
TAKE EFFECT FOR PLACES OF
WORSHIP
By Jamie O'Brien
Western Australia’s hard border has today been dismantled after 697 days, just short four weeks after the original date set for the resumption of quarantine-free travel.
However, a new round of restrictions has also come into effect from 12:01am, Thursday, 3 March 2022, with Level 2 COVID-19 Public Health and Social Measures introduced state-wide. In issuing the directives, Vicar General, Fr Peter Whitely VG said that as community transmission of COVID-19 increases in our community, it is incumbent on all of us to exercise responsibility to ensure that every effort is made to reduce community transmission,
demonstrate diligent citizenship as well as demonstrate Christian concern and charity.
“The Archdiocese of Perth continues to support, and comply with, government directives and associated public health advice,” he said.
Read the latest directives from the Archdiocese of Perth https://www.perthcatholic.org. au/Our_Archdiocese-ArchbishopLatest_News-COVID19_Update_ Directives_for_Churches_and_ Chapels_within_the_Catholic_ Archdiocese_of_Perth_Level_2_ Public_Health_and_Social_ Measures_for_Western_Australia. htm
In addition to the existing indoor mask requirements, proof of vaccination, contact registration and restricted access to remote
Aboriginal communities, Level 2 measures include:
Mask Wearing
• Mask wearing requirements are now expanded to children in Years 3-6 in all public indoor settings (usual exemptions apply). Gathering limits
• All home gatherings are limited to a total of 10 people indoors and outdoors, except weddings and funerals.
• All private outdoor gatherings in a public space are limited to 50 people.
• The 2sqm square metre rule and 150-person capacity limit applies to places of worship and indoor or outdoor weddings and funerals.
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A Perth Catholic wearing a mask listens during Ash Wednesday Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, on 2 March, one day before Level 2 restrictions came into effect. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.