Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia

3 OCTOBER 2021 “Return the Church to Christ and return Christ to the Church.”

Plenary Council Member, Gemma Thomson, carries the Cross out of Church at the conclusion of the Opening Mass.

Plenary Councils Members: (left to right) Sr Lucy Van Kessell PBVM, Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, Fr Brian McKenna, Fr Vincent Glynn EV, Sr Chitra Justin, Marco Ceccarelli, Damian Walsh, Fr Phillip Fleay, Sr Mary Ryan OP, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Jonathan Antony (Melbourne), Gemma Thomson, Eva Skira, Angela Mcarthy, Prof Francis Campbell, Catherine Nguyen, Fr Michael Moore SM, Fr George Kolodziej SDS and Fr Peter Whitely VG

“Return the Church to Christ and return Christ to the Church.” OPENING MASS OF THE FIFTH PLENARY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB emphasised that “perhaps the most important thing that God is asking of us at this time is to return the Church to Christ and return Christ to the Church” he said at the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.

As President of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, Archbishop Costelloe warmly welcomed everyone attending this special Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth, which was livestreamed via the Plenary Council website and social media to thousands of members of ‘our Catholic family’ across Australia, and the world.

All Perth Archdiocese Plenary Council Members, their families and friends were present for the Mass which marked the start of a focused nine-month period of discernment for the Catholic Church in Australia. It came after three-and-a-half years of preparation, including a significant period of national consultation. That consultation focused on the question:

“What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?”

The Plenary Council, the first such event in Australia since 1937, saw more than 278 Members across Australia meet online and in person over the six days commencing on Monday October 4. The Archdiocese of Perth has a total of 18 Members, which includes several members of the clergy, lay people, Heads of Religious Orders and organisations.

In his Homily, Archbishop Costelloe highlighted that what has always been true in theory and in principle, urgently needs to become true in the day-to-day experience of everyone who encounters us.

“We must become, even more than we are already, a community of true disciples,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “We must become a living icon of Christ who humbled himself, taking the form of a servant. We must learn from the One who is meek and humble of heart. We are being sent by Him as He was sent by his Father. If we remain in Him, as branches remain part of the vine, we will bear much fruit.”

The nature and mission of the Lord’s Church is at the centre for the teaching of Lumen Gentium, Archbishop Costelloe explained. Lumen Gentium was promulgated during the Second Vatican Council in 1964.

“We are, the Council tells us, the People of God on pilgrimage towards our heavenly homeland, called to walk together in faith, with courage and hope.

Our response to this call will determine the extent to which we become in practice what Lumen Gentium tells us we are in principle: “a kind of sacrament, that is a sign and instrument, of communion with God and unity amongst all people” (LG 1).

This is, said Archbishop Costelloe, the challenge which lies ahead of us, for surely God is asking us in Australia at this time to rediscover and live more faithfully our vocation to be a Pilgrim People, brothers and sisters in a community of disciples.

“We are on the way – but we are not there yet.”

The Mass to close the first general assembly was celebrated at 10am AEST on Sunday, October 10, and livestreamed from St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB welcomes the congregation, including Members and guests, to the Opening Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia

The Aboriginal Cross stands in front of the lectern for the Book of the Gospels