By Isobel Clare
On Monday 19 January, the 2025 cohort of the Knights Catholic Leadership Academy (KCLA) celebrated the achievements of the past year at their Graduation Mass and ceremony.
The students shared the evening with their families and friends, providing testimonies of their journey in the program and coming together to celebrate a beautiful Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral.
Celebrated by Fr Stephen Gorddard, a constant and faithful supporter of KCLA, the Mass was accompanied by beautiful music and faith-filled participation by all who attended.
In his homily, Fr Stephen reflected on the Gospel message, ‘new wines, fresh skins!’ (Mk 1:22). He encouraged the graduates to be the fresh wine of Christ to others in their witness of faith in the world, and to use the deeper connections with their faith that they have discovered throughout the year to share an openness with others and, as leaders, draw them into a deeper relationship with God through their example.
Following the Mass, students and their guests shared light refreshments in the Cathedral Parish Centre after which each student reflected on the experience and growth they had encountered over the twelve months with the KCLA.
Each testimony demonstrated the development of their faith, their ability to connect deeply with those around them, their gratitude for the support and guidance of their mentors, and what it meant to them to have an environment where they could nurture and strengthen their faith and develop as leaders in the community.
As remarked by those in attendance, the confidence of the graduates grew exponentially throughout the year, as witnessed in the way each presenter held the attention of the room as they gave witness to what KCLA had given them in terms of spiritual and personal growth.
KCLA was established by the Cathedral Branch of the Knights of the Southern Cross WA in 2016 to provide support, teaching and mentoring for young Catholics to assume new leadership roles in their communities.
As it enters its tenth year, KCLA continues to support the faith development of young people, helping them to contribute more fully to their communities, to themselves and to becoming an example to those who follow them in the Catholic faith.
Creating confidence in young people requires a special kind of care and instruction and with the assistance of dedicated lecturers, mentors, and catechists, KCLA students over the past nine years have been well guided toward developing their full potential as leaders.
“It has been amazing to witness our tenth KCLA cohort build leadership and faith – then bring that to life as a team through their student-led practicum, evangelising young people,” commented Tristan Kolay, one of KCLA’s longstanding project leaders.
“Developing our future leaders is an ongoing duty of care for all Catholics, not just those who are or have been leaders themselves. Each year it is most rewarding to see the progress that each group of students has made as leaders for our faith.”
For those interested in applying for the 2026 KCLA program, please visit https://kcla.org.au/ or contact the KSC WA State Office on 08 9368 2503.
