The official opening and re-dedication of Perth’s St Mary’s Cathedral would take place on December 8, 2009, Archbishop Barry Hickey announced on July 22. December 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and both the Cathedral and the Archdiocese are dedicated to Mary under that title. The pro-Cathedral in Victoria Avenue was originally called the c...

Addressing seminarians, Archbishop urges them to leave comfort zone of priesthood and be accessible to people immersed in daily life.   Archbishop Barry Hickey receives Michael Cornell and Brennan Sia as candidates for the priesthood at St Charles Seminary in Guildford early in July. Photo: Francis Constantino.   By Anthony Barich Priests should be...

Perth and Sydney diocese using the internet to reach out.   Derek Boylen.   By Anthony Barich Perth’s Catholic Marriage Education Services Director is reaching hundreds of thousands of people outside the Church by posting blogs on social networking site Twitter under the identity ‘Marriage Man.’ CMES director Derek Boylen started...

From 17-18 August, the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, will host a special icon presented to the world’s universities by Pope John Paul II.   “Make the University an environment where knowledge is cultivated, a place where the individual finds direction for the future, knowledge, inspiration for effective service of society.” This was the request by ...

Although a modern culture of indifference makes their job one of the hardest, vocations ministers from around the country had a productive national conference in Perth last week.     Vocations ministers from around the country enjoy a visit to St Patrick’s Basilica in Fremantle and to the University of Notre Dame last week. Apprpoximately 100 were meeting ...

Caritas and the University of Notre Dame Australia combined forces and harnessed technology to assist Fijian youth in a surprising way   Caritas Australia programs coordinator Kirsty Robertson with Fijian students using the latest technology. Photo courtesy of UNDA.   By Anthony Barich Fiji, located in a seismic zone and prone to flash flooding and c...

Centuries-old holy orders still struggle for acceptance. By Anthony Barich Deacons are still facing resistance by priests and laypeople throughout Australia, the chair of the National Committee for Deacons’ has told The Record. While the diaconate dates back to St Stephen, martyred by St Paul before the evangelist’s conversion, the permanent diaconate is still ...

Pope urges workers’ voices be heard, unions adapt to global economy. Union members march and rally for jobs in Lansing, Michigan, in early June. When Pope Benedict XVI released his third encyclical in early July, “Caritas in Veritate”, he stressed that the voice of workers must be heard as heads of state , industry moguls, labour union leaders and environmentalists deve...

If more doctors understand palliative care best practices, euthanasia will go nowhere, says bioethicist.   Fr Joseph Parkinson   By Anthony Barich More resources are needed to improve some doctors’ “primitive” understanding of the world’s best palliative care in order to relieve the push for euthanasia laws, Perth bioethici...

The current crisis has underscored the need for a new ethics to guide the world Fr Bruce Duncan says in analysing Pope Benedict’s latest encyclical.   Fr Bruce Duncan studied economics and politics at the University of Sydney, completing his doctorate in political science in 1987. Since 1986, he has taught at Yarra Theological Union in Box Hill in Melbourne, where he ...