WA HEADS OF CHURCHES THANK AND RENEW SUPPORT FOR CHAPLAINS AT ANNUAL BLESSING SERVICE
By Michelle Tan
Chaplains and Pastoral Carers across different industries and agencies came together on 18 September 2022 to reflect and give thanks to God for their ministries.
Held at St George’s Anglican Cathedral, the inaugural Service of Blessing was organised by the WA Heads of Churches.
Anglican Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy AO presided over the service and generously provided support through the Anglican Diocese of Perth.
The Service of Blessing is to be an annual event and was supposed to take place in early 2021 but was cancelled because of the COVID19 pandemic.
After a year’s delay, Chaplains and Pastoral Carers serving in Hospitals, Prisons, Schools, Aged Care, Workplace, Sports, Community, Emergency Services, Military, and local Churches could finally meet and celebrate the call to serve in the community.
Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton represented the Archdiocese of Perth and in the delivery of the opening address, he said: “Ideally, chaplains are people who have been prepared for ministry and, after discernment by their faith community, are commissioned and sent, to work in a distinctive pastoral field. So it is that the chaplain becomes an extension of the Christian community, in a discreet mission of the Church.”
“The chaplain participates in the
mission that Christ has committed to the Christian community, and is called to be, fundamentally, a bridge builder for those who are looking for the love and mercy of God.”
“Chaplains go to the margins of society as signs of God's mercy, carrying their own stories of encounter with Christ and ministering the Good News of the love of God for each person.
“They give an account of their own hope and trust in God, and walk with the other, being there for them, offering companionship on their journey through important stages of life. You can be in places that other ministers cannot be.”
“The Heads of Churches in Western Australia wants every chaplain and pastoral carer to know that we recognise, honour and value very deeply the extraordinary commitment and resilience that you show in ministry.”
“These are only possible because of your faith in God and the love of Christ that urges you on. We admire these spiritual gifts that you manifest. We understand your need, as well, for emotional support and solidarity with your colleagues. We want to reassure you that we are committed to supporting you as your brothers and sisters in faith.”
In closing, he reminded those present that the body of Christ need to commit to praying for one another in the various ministries, and “continue to seek the face of Christ in each person we encounter.”
Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, far right, at the WA Heads of Churches inaugural Service of Blessing, Sunday 18 September at St George’s Anglican Cathedral, from left, King Edward Memorial Hospital Head of Department Pastoral Care Services Sheldrin D’Rozario, Anglican Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy third from left, and Uniting Church Moderator, Suzie Thomas Photo: Michelle Tan. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
CHILD POVERTY NEEDS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED - IF
NOT
ELIMINATED FROM AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY, SAYS CENTRECARE INC DIRECTOR
An upcoming symposium will explore what contributes to child poverty, its impact on the lives of children and their families, current impediments to addressing it as well as avenues for its resolution.
Focused on the theme of halving child poverty by 2030, the Symposium is
being hosted by the WA Committee for Anti-Poverty Week, which works to inform and educate the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it.
This year Anti-Poverty Week will run from 16 to 22 October, with
the Symposium to take place on Monday 17 October, from 9am to 1pm at Government House, 13 St George’s Tce. Admission is free.
WA Anti-Poverty Week Committee Co-Chair, Centrecare Inc Director, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo, explained to The Record that approximately three quarters of a million Australian children live in poverty, with 100,000 of these in Western Australia.
“If all Australian children are to thrive, then child poverty needs to be significantly reduced - if not eliminated from Australian society,”
Mr Pietropiccolo said.
“By working together to raise awareness and take action on the issue of child poverty, we can make sure all Australian children and families can meet their basic needs,” he said.
PREPARATIONS FOR NATIONAL EVANGELISATION CONFERENCE RAMPING UP
Speakers and topics continue to be confirmed for the upcoming national evangelisation conference, dubbed “Evangelise”, to be hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry.
Brisbane’s Clare Schwantes (Liturgical Formation of the People of God), Perth’s Derek Boylen (Marriage and Family), Parramatta’s Qwayne Guevara (Young Ministry PostCOVID) and Wilcannia-Forbes’
Sr Elizabeth Young RSM (Rural and Remote Community Ministry) will all host keynote presentations during the online conference from October 20 to 22.
The conference will feature three Perth keynote speakers, Fr George Kolodziej SDS, Derek Boylen and Mario Borg.
Fr Kolodziej, Congregational leader of the Salvatorians in Australia and Chaplain at Catholic Education WA, will speak on the topic of ‘Joy-filled missionary disciples’ on Friday, October 21.
For more information about the conference, including details of presenters and an outline of the event program, and to register, visit www.evangelisation.catholic.org.au
WA Anti-Poverty Week Committee Co-Chair, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo AM, explained to The Record that approximately three quarters of a million Australian children live in poverty. PHOTO: MAX HOH
The upcoming Evangelise conference is hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
TEENAGE VERTIGO ROCK SPIRIT OF THE ARTS STAGE
The musical talents of six Year 11 and 12 Seton Catholic College students, have taken them well beyond the walls of their music classroom.
Jay Chandler-Brennan, Noah Drogan, Giuliano Formato, Tiana Garbin, Lachlan Paterson, and Aliyah Portinha who represent rock band Teenage Vertigo, performed their original music at the Catholic Performing Arts Festival at Corpus Christi on Wednesday 3 August.
At the end of the event, the band was awarded ‘most outstanding performance.’
Seton Director of Music
Emily Dakin said, from the beginning, there was an energy and drive among the students that was exciting.
“So we started to look at how we could
develop their skills,” Ms Dakin said.
“Teenage Vertigo have since refined their technical and performance skills in the senior music course and accepted several opportunities provided to them by the music department including performing at bigger events, producing original music, and handling of their social media marketing.
“It has been really exciting to work with lots of musicians over the past two years,” bandmate Paterson said.
“Opportunities such as writing workshops with Eskimo Joe’s Kav Temperley and Carla Geneve, as well as performance workshops with drummer Talya Valenti and tenor Paul O’Neill have extended the
skills of the band. We are also fortunate to be mentored weekly by guitarist Domenic Barrett.”
The band has professionally recorded two original songs at Vision Recording studios with Jon Clements.
One of these songs “Jellyfish” was entered in Triple J’s Unearthed High 2022 Competition. “Jellyfish” was played on the station several times.
“It was so fun; getting to record our own music and do something we would never usually have the funding for” says drummer Tiana Garbin.
Teenage band Vertigo, from Seton Catholic College at their school ball in 2022. Below Right: A band member shows his skills on the guitar. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED/CEWA.
OBITUARY: CHRIST’S MERCY RECALLED IN THE LIFE OF FR MILTON ARIAS
Perth priest Fr Milton Arias was recently farewelled during a funeral service in his home Diocese of Valledupar, Columbia. Fr Milton passed away on 8 August 2022.
In an interview with The Record for his ordination to the priesthood in 2003, Fr Milton said he felt very privileged that God has called him.
“I have been shown Christ’s mercy, forgiven my sins and am very grateful.”
The Record publishes that interview with Fr Milton as a special tribute to his life and service to the Archdiocese of Perth,
“My name is Milton Arias. I come from Colombia, am 27 years old and the only child from a Catholic family. I was ordained to the Diaconate on July 11 this year and I have completed my formation and studies here in Perth. Since I was little, I thought that my vocation was to look after my parents. As I started to grow, I discovered that this situation was affecting me
a lot because I was a very insecure person who struggled even to make the smallest decision.
I remember how my friends used to make fun of me because I was never allowed to go out for parties, and this really made me suffer.
In those years I could not be bothered about vocation because my parents were giving me whatever they could, so I felt I needed nothing from anyone. At this moment too my head was full of projects of becoming someone. This is when I decided to study medicine, but it meant moving out into another city and I really did not want to be away from the family home, so I gave it a miss.
Afterwards I began my studies as a Mechanical Engineer so that I could become involved in the racing car business, but I had to study it in another country, so this plan was also shattered.
After these two failures I was a bit angry with myself and I decided to
work and enjoy life. It was at this point that my mother invited me to listen to some adult catechesis of the Neocatechumenal Way given in my parish and I went, just to placate her, because every year she would invite me and I would give her the same answer “may be next year.”
For me this was like a wakeup call that Christ sent to me because I was starting to make a mess of my life. In that catechesis, too, I saw the Church as a mother who came to offer me a possibility to experience real life and not the dreams I had in mind.
This was manifested in a community formed with a different kind of people who I had not previously met but who made me feel welcomed and where I was able to sense the risen Christ speaking to each one of us.
After a few years walking with this community, I began to think seriously about marriage. In fact, there were some girls in that community who told me I was not their type to marry. It is amazing to see how God has a funny sense of humour because I never thought of becoming a priest. Even the fact of thinking about it made me laugh. Then I had my own excuse, I am an only child so, humanly speaking, I could not become a priest. In 1992 coming back from work, I was invited to the World Youth Day meeting in Denver with Pope John Paul II but I did not attend. Later in the same year there was a meeting with all the young people in my country and there I heard a priest saying that when God calls there is no way to escape his call.
This was the starting point of my vocation to the priesthood."
Perth Priest Fr Milton Arias, second from left, was ordained a priest on 6 December 2003 by then Archbishop Barry Hickey, third from left. Also pictured are Fr Milton's parents. PHOTO: THE RECORD