Salvatorian priests from the dioceses of Perth, Bunbury, Geraldton, Broome and Broken Bay, NSW gathered in St Simon Peter parish, Ocean Reef, on December 8 to celebrate their foundation day and to make their annual renewal of vows.   Salvatorian Superior: Fr Loska and Sr Greta, a Salvatorian from England celebrating her 50th anniversary by visiting her family in Perth.Pho...

The first step towards a national Catholic pregnancy support network was taken on November 8 when Archbishop John Bathersby launched Pregnancy Crisis Incorporated in Brisbane. PCI co-founders Alan and Patti Camp plan to establish national counselling, support and education services underpinned by a Catholic ethos and theology, which started in Queensland with the November 8 launch. &nbs...

Happiness... is in a glance. When former Record journalist Sylvia Defendi wed long-time beau Michael Wardle at Sacred Heart Church in Mundaring on December 13 in front of an intimate congregation of friends and family. There were smiles all round, including on the face of celebrant Fr Anthony Paganoni CS, a close family friend of the Defendis and former episcopal vicar for migrants in the...

The bishops of Western Australia deliver their Christmas messages to the Catholics in Australia   Archbishop Gerard Holohan: Is Christ's peace on earth a fantasy? This year is ending with so much turmoil on so many fronts.   The finance crisis has left people insecure because of a drop in their superannuation benefits.  There is the fear of businesses colla...

As he approaches the celebration of half a century since being ordained to the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Barry Hickey looks back on a life of work in the vineyards of the Lord, including the highs, the lows and the rewards.   The path was always clear: For the young Barry Hickey the priesthood was always the goal. He recalls wanting to be a priest ...

Archbishop Barry Hickey’s Christmas message At a time when others want to focus our minds on fear of economic crisis or climate change, Christmas reminds Catholics that we always live in the joy of God’s love for us. Whatever the circumstances that may come our way, we can always remind ourselves that the meaning of life is found in the goodness of God and his plans for...

“No answers are possible without turning to the author of life" Archbishop Barry Hickey says in new book.    Here's the blurb to a new book by His Grace, Barry James Hickey, the Archbishop of Perth: "The renewed interest in sacred scriptures has come at a very opportune moment when many young people are searching to find Jesus,” writes Archbi...

The pro-active Australian Catholic Students Association has personally travelled to the Holy See to pick up an icon they hope will inspire students around Oz as it has overseas.   By Anthony Barich The Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA) will host the historic Marian icon Sedes Sapientiae on behalf of the university students of Australia after a delegation ...

The heavenly night in which God invaded human history, What's the origin of the Nativity Scene?, St John Chrysostom on Christmas morning. For these stories, see the link below...   Backstage... Children of the Parish of the Good Shepherd in Kelmscott, actors and stage hands, ready to perform the Christmas story on Friday December 12. The Parish grounds were packed with hund...

If it is correct (a big “if”) that there are proportionately more Christians in Parliament than in the general population, what does it mean? There are too many Christians in parliament and they don’t reflect the make-up of modern Australia, according to Democrats leader Lyn Allison. People with very strong religious views were “heavily over-represented”. If it ...