SPECIAL REPORT: MARY IS ALL ABOUT HELPING US TO BE THE BEST DISCIPLES OF JESUS, SAYS ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE
By Jamie O'Brien
PERTH Archbishop Timothy Costelloe
SDB has last weekend told youth from the United Kingdom that the Church needs their energy, their enthusiasm, their restlessness and their idealism.
“And when I say the Church needs all this, I am really saying that God is asking this of you,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
Archbishop Costelloe was speaking at the 2023 Flame: Rise Up, National Youth Congress, held at Wembley’s OVO Arena in London, Saturday 4 March.
The Congress was organised by the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation of England and Wales, which includes the Catholic dioceses of England and Wales plus religious orders, movements and organisations engaged in youth ministry.
More than 8000 youth from schools, parishes, diocesan groups and religious groups, gathered in the
colourful arena holding up lights from their mobile phones in what is the first gathering of its kind for Catholic youth in the UK since 2019.
Every diocese in England and Wales was represented, with much cheering during a diocesan roll call.
Many groups travelled commenced the journey to the Congress from the early hours of the morning and faced lengthy journeys home afterwards.
Complete silence filled the arena as a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was brought to the front at the start of the six-hour event.
Students from St Angela's and St Bonaventure's schools in East London produced a short drama about the angel inspiring Mary to rise up and visit Elizabeth.
The Church, said Archbishop Costelloe, wearing his Salesian scarf, is always in danger of getting stuck and closing in on itself; thankfully God constantly does things to shake us all up.
“In our time God has given us Pope
Francis,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“He keeps reminding us that we have to become a missionary Church, a Church that doesn’t stay hidden inside its buildings but gets up, gets going, and takes some risks in order to share what we have with others,” he said.
Focusing on the theme of the Congress, which is based on the 2023 World Youth Day to be held in Portugal, Mary arose and went with haste, Archbishop Costelloe explained that Mary is often described as the very first and very best disciple of Jesus and for that reason she has a lot to teach us, that she really does matter.
“Mary is all about helping us to be the best disciples of Jesus that we can possibly be so she is always pointing us away from herself and directing us towards him,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“Remember what she said to the waiters at the wedding feast in Cana? The wine had run out – a very embarrassing situation for the new bride and groom – and Mary had gone to Jesus to see what he might do.
“Although she wasn’t sure just what that might be, she simply turned to the waiters and said, ‘You do whatever he tells you’.
“That’s her message to us as well; that’s what she most wants – that we do whatever the Lord is asking us to do,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has last weekend told youth from the UK that the Church needs their energy, their enthusiasm, their restlessness and their idealism. PHOTO: MARTIN MAZUR/CBCEW.
LITURGICAL FORMATION & RENEWAL PROGRAM: LITURGY TRANSFORMS US BY THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST
By Jamie O'Brien
By belonging to a community of worship and prayer, we can be an example of Christ’s love, mercy and forgiveness to the wider community in which we live, Centre for Liturgy Director, Sr Kerry Willison has said. Speaking on the launch of the second video for the Liturgical Formation and Renewal Program, Sr Kerry explains that liturgy comes from a Greek term leitourgia meaning “public work or work done on behalf of the people.”
“Liturgy can also refer to a community doing something together actively,” Sr Kerry said.
“Each time we celebrate a liturgical ritual of the church, it is an opportunity for us to open ourselves to the words and actions of each part of the ritual and allow ourselves to be transformed by the presence of Jesus Christ,” she said.
The Liturgical Formation and Renewal Program, launched on Ash
Wednesday in parishes across the Archdiocese, aims to encourage the Perth Catholic community to awaken a renewed love for and awareness of the extraordinary gift we have in the Eucharist, in the Mass.
Leading the program is the Episcopal Vicar for Education and Faith Formation, the Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn, supported by Centre for Liturgy Director, Sr Kerry Willison RSM, Director of Religious Education at Catholic Education Western Australia, Deacon Mark Powell, Director of the Centre for Faith Enrichment, Dr Marco Ceccarelli and Catechist Services Field Officer, Mildred Rego.
During the four weeks of lent, video messages highlighting an understanding of What is Sacramentality, Why we Gather to celebrate Liturgy, Signs and Symbols in the Liturgy and What is Liturgy, will be shown in our parish communities. The videos feature Fr Vincent Glynn, Sr Kerry Willison RSM and Mildred
Rego. Speaking to The Record about What is Liturgy, Sr Kerry said that in Pope Francis’ recent document Desiderio Desideravi, which means ‘I have earnestly desired’, he shares his reflections on the central nature of the Liturgy in the life of the Church.
“He goes on to say that he is simply offering prompts or cues for reflection that can aid in the contemplation of the beauty and truth of the Christian celebration,” Sr Kerry said.
“In Baptism our body is washed, and we are spiritually cleansed, in Confirmation, hands are laid on the head of a person and the Spirit comes alive in our hearts. In the Eucharist, we eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ and we are nourished with the spirit to live out our faith in our day to day lives,” she said.
The video is available to watch via the Archdiocesan YouTube, website and Centre for Liturgy website.
Archbishop Costelloe confirms a young girl on Pentecost Sunday 2021 at St Mary’s Cathedral.
PHOTO: RON TAN.
DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE: PERTH RELIGIOUS GIVE THANKS AND CELEBRATE MILESTONES OF SERVICE
Geraldton Emeritus Bishop Justin Bianchini has last month highlighted the important work of religious priests, brothers and sisters at Mass for the Day of Consecrated Life.
Speaking on the Feast of the Presentation, Thursday 2 February, at the Chapel of St Michael the Archangel, Leederville, Emeritus Bishop Bianchini said by attending the Mass, the congregation was giving thanks for the newborn Christ.
“We come today, to give thanks for this child. In this Mass we are saying to God, we offer Him to you, he is yours, and that we want to go along with His plan for us.
Religious Life, said Emeritus Bishop Bianchini, is very similar to the actions of Mary and Joseph who presented the baby Jesus in the temple.
“Each of you here, value you the precious gift of your human life, and you've given the most precious gift you have,” Emeritus Bishop Bianchini said. “You have felt called to offer it to God in this particular way. Offer
it back to God and to go along with God's plan for yourselves.
“I suppose you could say, in the words that Jesus said, ‘Behold, I come to do Your will,’
Joining Emeritus Bishop Bianchini for the Mass was Fr George Kolodziej SDS, Congregational Leader of the Salvatorians in Australia and other religious priests, sisters and brothers.
During the Mass all consecrated women and men renewed their commitment of vows after the blessings of the candles.
Several religious were also congratulated and given a special blessing by Emeritus Bishop Justin for celebrating milestones in their consecrated life journey
• Sr Anita Callaghan, SJA celebrated her 40 anniversary in 2022,
• Sr Graziana Chao OMSC celebrated 65 anniversary in 2022
• Sr Kathleen Hitchcock, SOSJ, Sr Mary Ryan, OP and Br Jim Van der Zalm celebrated their 50th
anniversary.
• Sr Mrytle, Sr Margaret Vance OP, Sr Margaret Culham, Sr Bernadette Hynes, Sr Francis Maguire, SOSJ, Br Peter Thrupp CFC and Br Terry Casey CFC celebrated their 60 anniversary;
• Sr Dora Mcguire, SOSJ, Sr Regina and Sr Cecilia OP all celebrated their 70th anniversary
Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition, Sr Lilian Bong SJA presented a welcoming message from the Vatican addressed to all religious persons at the commencement of Mass.
“The message was guided by the synodal journey that focuses on mission; which is ‘widening the tent, an attitude at the heart of missionary action,” Sr Lillian said.
Religious priests, sisters and brothers from across Perth came together for the Day of Consecrated Life, Thursday 2 February at St Michael the Archangel Chapel, Leederville, with Mass celebrated by Geraldton Emeritus Bishop Justin Bianchini. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
PROJECT COMPASSION 2023: NEW FOUND KNOWLEDGE OPENS DOORS FOR PRISCILLA IN ZIMBABWE
Priscilla lives with her husband and two grandchildren in the Hwange region.
Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe.
In 2022, an intense dry spell meant that many families were unable to produce sufficient crops, with many at risk of extreme hunger.
More than half of Zimbabwe’s population, 7.9 million people, live in extreme poverty.
With the support of Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas Hwange, Priscilla and her community learnt conservation farming to grow drought-resistant crops.
With her new-found knowledge, Priscilla helped train and support other farmers in her community to learn techniques to produce
better yields.
Her increased harvest from conservation farming allowed Priscilla to sell her crops and start poultry farming, selling eggs to grow her income stream and pay for her grandchildren’s education.
Caritas Hwange also helped rehabilitate the dip tank in her community so that Priscilla’s cattle can be healthy and free from tickborne diseases. Priscilla now has the skills she needs to diversify her income and support her family during the current drought.
During Lent, we are invited to take up the call to fast, pray and give alms. The impacts of the COVID19 pandemic and the many crises that have struck the world over the past 12 months mean that many communities are in great need of your support.
Schools and parishes can join Caritas Q&As to interact online with our staff, partners and program participants, or download resources to learn about Caritas Australia's work and Mission.
There are also resources for how to set up a local fundraiser for Project Compassion.
This year, there are accessible audio-narrated and audio-described videos for schools for each of the stories, as well as a wealth of other resources for the classroom and parish communities.
To learn more or donate to Project Compassion, visit Caritas Australia’s website: www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion/ or call 1800 024 413.
Teachers from across WA came together for the annual 2023 Commissioning Mass, Tuesday 31 January at St Mary’s Cathedral. PHOTO: RON TAN / ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH.