Traditionally celebrated across parishes on the first weekend of July, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mass is a celebration of the efforts by both the Indigenous community and the Catholic Church to achieve integration and solidarity as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Yet as with all events in the Archdiocese (and across the world) in 2020, with the spectre of COVID-19 rearing its head threateningly over the first half of the year, it was uncertain even just a month ago as to whether or not the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mass would be able to proceed.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) to rethink ways empower Catholics to celebrate the event, modifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday resources to work in a digital setting, including the first-ever planned live-streaming coverage of the Mass from St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide, at 9.30am AWST on the NATSICC homepage.
As such, it was with great excitement that in the Archdiocese of Perth, NATSICC, in conjunction with Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, was able to announce that this year will continue the tradition, with some slight modifications, thanks to the reopening of Churches across WA in Phase four.
The Archdiocese of Perth’s Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (ACM) Director Donella Brown confirmed that the ACM plans to celebrate Aboriginal Sunday Mass locally on 12 July at Holy Trinity Church, Embleton Parish.
“We have invited the community to the attend Mass on this day and because Embleton Parish is a smaller church we have asked people let us know if they are attending to ensure that we are following correct social distancing and other procedures,” Ms Brown explained.
“Historically, Aboriginal Sunday is always celebrated on the first Sunday of school holidays and as such, the opportunity for schools to mark the occasion varies throughout the year.” she explained.
“Many parishes that have celebrated in the past have been anticipating the release of the Aboriginal Sunday Resource package.
“With the assistance of the Centre for Liturgy, we have shared the information with parishes, and I am hopeful that even with COVID-19 factored in parishes that have taken the lead in the past will still be keen to celebrate Aboriginal Sunday.”
However, with NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations being pushed back to early November, because of COVID-19, Ms Brown is planning to co-ordinate further liturgical celebrations later in the year to coincide with the national recognition of Indigenous achievements.
NATSICC prayed and discerned for many months as to the theme for this year’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday and while there were many options discussed, the developing COVID-19 situation and its widespread effects and the concerns that it generated throughout indigenous communities, made one specific theme clear: “Together in the Spirit”.
Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green OSPPE, Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, said we must meet people where they are and walk alongside our First Nation’s peoples on their journey to reconciliation and justice just as Jesus did.
“As Catholics, we can set an example for the rest of Australia to follow by coming together as equals and friends in our schools, parishes and organisations in the name of Jesus Christ and in the spirit of mutual respect and unity as one people,” Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green encouraged.
Aboriginal and Islander Catholic ministries are in place in most states and territories and work on a local level to enable the Church to adapt both liturgically and pastorally while ensuring the basic welfare needs of Australia’s First Peoples are met.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics number across Australia more than 133,000 and are a growing demographic in the Church.
In fact, with a growth rate of 187 per cent since 1986 (seven per cent annually since 2016), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represent one of the fastest growing, most significant populations of believers in the Church today.