Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton has encouraged young artists of the Archdiocese to experience the joy of working together and performing together as they share expressions of themselves, their world, and Jesus with their audiences.
Delivering the homily at the Opening Mass for Catholic Education’s Spirit of the Arts Festival, Thursday 23 July at St Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Don said the Lord would provide the performers with the strength and grace required to showcase their love and dedication for the arts, as reflected in each of their performances.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sproxton for the occasion was fellow Perth Auxiliary Bishop Nelson Po and Mazenod College Rector, Fr Michael Twig OMI.
“This a time to celebrate the talents and achievements of our young people who are so engaged in this aspect of their education,” Bishop Don explained.
Artists, he continued, also have within them a great desire to leave their audiences with something to remember – not simply their performance but also what they are trying to communicate. This, he suggested, “goes back to the very beginnings of humanity.”
Taking the example of First Nations cave art, Bishop Don said there were numerous sites in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions where paintings have been left in caves by the first inhabitants of Australia.
The paintings, he suggested, are of particular significance not only to the descendants of those early people, but also to the unique culture of Australia. While very simple, they tell a story that was wished to be remembered. Today, many thousands of years later, they are.
“It’s that desire to leave something behind, to tell a story, that inspires future generations,” he said.
The positive influence that the arts can impart has also been recognised by Pope’s past and present.
At a recent concert event staged at the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, at which he was the special guest, Pope Leo XIV said, “the beauty of music invites us to encounter the one who is beauty itself.”
“My dear young friends, as you were singing, did you notice how music drew all of us into an experience of something new, something that was greater than any one of us alone could create? This is the experience of beauty,” he added.
“Continue to cultivate the gifts that God has given you and allow them to lead you towards Him.”
Similarly, Pope Francis in his 2019 Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit said the Church should not “overlook the importance of the arts.”
In the context of young people and the liturgy, he added that “music is particularly important,” as it represents an environment “in which the young are constantly immersed, as well as a culture and a language capable of arousing emotion and shaping identity.”
“Singing can be a great incentive to young people as they make their way through life,” he added.
The Catholic Schools Performing Arts Festival (Spirit of the Arts) 2026 runs from July to September across a variety of disciplines including choral and vocal, instrumental, drama and dance.
