As Christian disciples, and therefore and in a particular way as ordained ministers in God‘s Church, we have to know about Jesus, about who He was and what He taught, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has said.
Speaking at the 2026 Clergy Conference, held Tuesday 14 April to Thursday 16 April at Newman College Amphitheatre, Archbishop Costelloe headlined the conference with his speech entitled, ‘Do you love me?’.
The three-day conference shaped by prayer, fraternity and a searching question from the Acts of the Apostles focussed on the theme, “What are we to do, brothers?” (Acts 2:37).
The theme of the conference, drawn from the crowd’s response at Pentecost after hearing St Peter proclaim the risen Christ, framed the conference as a time of prayerful discernment for priests and deacons and serving the people of God across the Archdiocese.
The Conference program, which was MC’d by Chief, Mission Enhancement, Dr Debra Sayce, included keynote addresses, prayer, table conversations and Conversations in the Spirit, reflecting the synodal path encouraged by Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis before him.
The conference also commenced with the blessing of the Episcopal Ring, Pectoral Cross and Crosier for Bishop Nelson Po, whose Ordination as an Auxiliary Bishop took place on Thursday 16 April at St Mary’s Cathedral.
Opening the conference, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB invited clergy to return to the heart of their vocation: Jesus Christ.
The answer to the theme of the conference, ‘What must we do brothers?’ he said, must begin with taking Jesus seriously and taking Him at His word.
Archbishop Costelloe’s message was clear: if the three days together are to bear fruit in a renewal of their ministry and in a renewal of the life of the Church in the Archdiocese of Perth; then those present must do all they can to ensure that they identify both the challenges and opportunities.
“And the best ways to respond to them, all in the light of the Gospel, which is to say in the light of Christ,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.
Study, theology and preaching preparation were necessary, he said, but they must lead to deeper encounter with Christ through prayer and contemplation.
…”Then we have to gaze on the one we have come to know so much about so that through contemplative encounter He can take what we know and use it to shape and mould us into who He needs us to be.
In later reflections, Archbishop Costelloe further developed this response through the themes of communion, unity and priestly renewal.
Describing the effect of ordination of transforming a member of clergy into a ‘living kind of sacrament,’ Archbishop Costelloe went on to explain that any position of leadership or authority in the Church will ultimately only be effective to the extent that it is, as far as humanly possible, a faithful mirroring of Christ.
“Human weakness and fragility may be an explanation for our failure to be all that Christ is calling us to be, but they are not an excuse,” Archbishop Costelloe highlighted.
“If the prayer prayed at our ordination- may God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfilment – is not being fulfilled in your life or mine, this is our doing, not God’s,” he continued.
Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, reflecting on almost five decades of priestly and episcopal ministry in Perth, traced major changes in the life of the local Church since his ordination in 1977.
He recalled earlier patterns of parish appointments, clerical relationships and diocesan governance, before describing efforts to build healthier relationships among priests through support groups.
“The greatest challenge for all is the reception of the new cultures among us and mutual learning for us in the ways to develop relationships with the Priests and people that are respectful and needed for our Archdiocese,” Bishop Don explained.
The changes in our society have brought their own challenges too, he continued.
“I believe that our communities are more informed and responsible, and greater demands are put on the clergy to comply with the principles and standards for openness and accountability in our pastoral ministry and governance of the parishes,” Bishop Don explained.
He linked the conference theme to the Archdiocese’s work in parish renewal, including Parish Pastoral Council formation, the Archdiocesan Assembly, the proposed Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Adsumus process, which encourages parishioners to recognise their responsibility and stewardship for their communities.
Other contributions during the three-day conference included Dr Stephen Reid, Senior Research Officer at the National Centre for Pastoral Research, who spoke on Catholic clergy health and wellbeing, and Bishop George Kolodziej SDS, Bishop of Bunbury, who offered a keynote on the final day.
Archdiocesan agencies were also invited to participate in the Conference by attending the Ministry Fair, with a display of the work and services of their agency.
More to come…