President of the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, of Melbourne, last week delivered his 2016 Easter Message, encouraging all Catholics to heed the message of Pope Francis in the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The Archdiocese of Perth has reinforced its dedication to vocations – particularly to the diocesan priesthood – with the creation of a new Vocations Office in Victoria Square.
With Lent being a season of reflection, one local parish found a way to encourage this, gathering young people together through an overnight 24-hour fast at the beginning of the season.
St John of God Health Care (SJGHC) has introduced a new scholarship for staff that offers an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the group’s founding Sisters and patron saint.
When English-born tenor Richard Butler joined the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) for its first performance of St John’s Passion on 23 March, he brought with him a unique knowledge and history of Church music, nurtured since childhood.
The annual St Patrick’s Day mass brought an array of green to St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth, but also an acknowledgement of how the saint contributed to the Catholic faith in Ireland, based on his close relationship with God.
Just as the crowds and government officials tried to dodge responsibility for Jesus’ fate after He was arrested, so, today, too, many individuals and countries want someone else to care for refugees fleeing violence and migrants seeking a better life, Pope Francis said.
Easter is our spiritual springtime of glorious celebration. Hopefully, this is as evident in our lives as it is in our liturgies which are beautiful, prayerful connections with the living God and the paschal mystery that is at the core of our faith.
As we celebrate the great Easter mystery in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, I am reminded more forcefully than ever that Easter Sunday only makes sense in the light of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Another word we know for Easter is Passover. It’s the word the Jews use for that memorable time in their Faith history when Moses led them from slavery in Egypt, through the Red Sea, to freedom.