Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe’s LifeLink Day for Catholic Schools Initiative will hold extra significance in 2026 with commemorative prayer cards provided to every Catholic school student, teacher and member of staff across the Perth Archdiocese.
Gifted to the Perth Catholic school community by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, a total of 85,000 prayer cards were produced.
The double-sided prayer cards – that could also double as a bookmark – contain the Prayer of St Francis of Assisi, in recognition of the special Jubilee Year coinciding with the 800th anniversary of his death announced by Pope Leo XIV, and the LifeLink Prayer for Charity.
They also serve to acknowledge the generous support of schools and students for The Archbishop’s LifeLink Day Initiative since it was first launched in 1999.
Prior to their distribution, Bishop Sproxton visited Scott Print in Northbridge to pray a special blessing over them.
Since its establishment, LifeLink Day has been embraced by Catholic schools across the Archdiocese, becoming an important event on their annual calendars.
Each year, thousands of Western Australian families and individuals reach out to LifeLink agencies for help with issues such as homelessness, unemployment, financial hardship, domestic violence, addiction, and mental health.
Archbishop Costelloe said the support for LifeLink Day made a significant difference to the lives of those that the initiative seeks to help.
“Through your support of LifeLink, you are reaching out with love and compassion to help our brothers and sisters in need, and in doing so, walking in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd,” he said.
Bishop Sproxton, who is also the Chair of LifeLink, said there were many people who were “living a little better” due to the generosity of Catholic school communities.
“While we don’t necessarily see the people we help, we know they are there, and that’s enough reason for us to support LifeLink,” he said.
The LifeLink Day for Catholic Schools Initiative seeks to:
- Promote understanding of the Church’s response to people in need within the community.
- Instil in Catholic students attending Archdiocesan Schools a sense of responsibility for caring for the less fortunate.
- Provide education and information about the work of the LifeLink social service agencies.
Encourage a practical demonstration of Faith by asking students, teachers and schools to organise fundraising events for LifeLink Day, the proceeds from which directly aid people in real need within the community.
