We walk together, serve the archdiocese together, guided by the Holy Spirit whose voice and direction we constantly try to capture.
Those words, in the spirit of synodality cultivated by Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV, are the foundations on which the Centre for Faith Enrichment (CFE) continues to develop, 50 years after its establishment in 1976.
Delivering the homily at the anniversary Mass held on Saturday 12 September at the Chapel of St Michael the Archangel in Leederville, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said the CFE sought to “share the richness of our Catholic faith with the pilgrim people of God” in a world and a church which is very different from those of the mid-1970s when the centre was established.
Referencing the Gospel of the day, Archbishop Costelloe said from the Christian faith perspective, it could seem that society today “is building its house not on solid rock but on shifting sands.”
“We can no longer rely on what we once took for granted – the common cultural heritage of our Christian faith and values…the depths of our Christian faith make no sense and are of little interest to large segments of the population,” he suggested.
As Christians however, he said, “our hope ultimately lies not in ourselves but in God”, even when the world seems to be unravelling around us.”
“Our task as disciples of Jesus, as members of the Catholic community of faith, is to continue to be faithful to all that we are and all that we have; constantly proposing to our society, never imposing, by what we say…and do, that Jesus Christ is the light of the world – not just our light, but the light of the world,” he said.
This, he suggested, lay at the heart of the CFE mission, “where you are called to provide the foundations, the solid rock upon which those who sense a call from God to deepen their faith can rely with confidence.”
“You are called to strengthen those who seek to be the missionary disciples, which both Pope Francis and Pope Leo have identified as the central challenge for us today.
“You are called to play an important role in ensuring that the faith of the people of God in this part of the world…is a faith that rests on the solid rock of the Word of God and the living tradition of the Church. Solid rock, not shifting sand.”
In concluding, Archbishop Costelloe said the anniversary paid tribute to the past and laid the foundations for the future.
“Let’s pray that today marks not just the end of something, but the beginning of another 50 years of creative fidelity to the Lord, as we work together to form the Synodal Church, which, through the work of the Spirit, is taking shape in us and around us.”
In his message of thanks, CFE Director Dr Marco Ceccarelli said, “Today we celebrate an agency that for the past 50 years has offered faith formation, Catholic education and Christian culture to the Archdiocese of Perth, and which has been a place where many people have come searching for answers to questions of life, faith and meaning.”
“The Centre for Faith Enrichment is a place of gathering called to make people feel at home,” he continued.
“It is a place where people can grow in faith through listening, learning, questioning and sometimes sitting in silence with what they have received, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within their lives. It is a place where their faith and their encounter with Christ matures, is strengthened, and brings them back wanting more. That, in my opinion, is its great charism.
“So today, we look back with immense gratitude to God for what He has done with the centre and how He has used so many people over half a century to announce the Good News.”
Vicar General the Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn VG, who served as the director of the Maranatha Institute from 1999 to 2005, said formation was at the heart of what the CFE sought to achieve.
“Initially I thought it was about teaching information but it’s really about formation; helping people to be formed, particularly in the life of the Church, but also in their own relationship with each other, and with the person of Jesus Christ,” he said.
As a facilitator, Fr Vincent said the thing that brought him the most satisfaction was people’s ‘aha moment’.
“I’d see their eyes light up, where they had discovered something for the first time…and they’d go, ‘Oh, that’s it. That’s what we mean by this,’” he recalled.
A history of faith enrichment
The Centre for Faith Enrichment traces its roots back to 1976 and the establishment of the Holy Spirit Institute of Religious Formation that followed a Conference of Major Superiors of Western Australia. Later renamed the Maranatha Institute, it was established to assist sisters retiring from active apostolates to serve in ministries such as home visits, intercession and spiritual renewal. Its inaugural Director was Sr Mary Berry RSM.
In 1981, Archbishop Goody, on the advice of the Conference, extended the program to lay men and women who wanted to be formed for service in their parishes and Church agencies.
Seven years later, it extended further to anyone who wanted to grow their faith. Classes included Scripture, liturgy, sacraments, prayer, morality, Church history, spirituality, the lives of the saints and Catholic social teaching.
In 1989, courses became available as part of a formal program of study. The one-year Adult Faith Education Program grew into a full pathway: a Certificate of Adult Faith Education, followed by a Diploma of Pastoral Ministry. From 2003 to 2013, this mission was carried across the country, delivering the Beginning Theology Program in partnership with the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
Its renaming to the Centre for Faith Enrichment in 2015 brought with it online learning, offering faith formation to those who could not physically be present.
In 2021, a partnership with the University of Notre Dame Australia resulted in the Pathway Program that allowed CFE students to attain formal recognition of theological studies and receive an Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma of Theology.
Over the years, CFE has also collaborated with other diocesan agencies to develop a range of formation and support programs, including the soon-to-be-launched Called to Mission and Ministry formation program, which supports those who have discerned their call to serve or are already serving in ministerial roles within the Archdiocese.