With several published books to his name and a passion for ancient civilizations, Dr Martin Drum lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, tells The Record, why he admires Julius Caesar how he would fare in the Roman army and why he would cannot do without his hat on a deserted island. Which politician living or dead do you admire the ...

It's been one of the most controversial moves in US politics for years. A White House policy that came into effect in August requires faith-based institutions, along with other employers, to provide health insurance for their employees that fully covers contraception, sterilisation and drugs that can act as abortifacients. Vigorous Catholic opposition led to claims there is a “war on women”...

One of the outstanding features of St Mary’s Cathedral is its major pipe organ, usually referred to as ‘the Dodd organ.’ Cathedral music director Jacinta Jakovcevic reflects on the difference its installation in 1910 made to the musical culture of Perth – religious and secular – at the time. The mighty Dodd Organ in St Mary’s Cathedral at Victoria Square in the heart of Perth’s central b...

Music is in his blood, it’s been a part of his life for as long as he can remember; from singing in the car with his father to being a part of St Mary’s Cathedral choir. He graduated from WAPPA and has an album titled Tenebrae Reflections under his belt, Cameron Van Reyk tells The Record  what songs he has on his ipod, what being part of the ‘Lumina’ means to him and how his one year old ne...

When American astronaut Neil Armstrong passed away on August 25 just days after turning 82 the whole world stopped, just as it had on  July 21, 1969, when Armstrong descended the ladder of the Eagle lunar lander and set foot on the moon. On hearing the news of Armstrong’s death, millions of people around the world were taken back, in an instant, to the event which seemed, for three days,...

By Fr Sean Fernandez When senior Church leaders describe figures and events in the Bible as myths, it does not mean they have stopped believing in Scripture, writes Fr Sean Fernandez. It is really all to do with the developments of modern Catholic biblical scholarship. During the course of a discussion on a recent episode of ABC TV’s Q&A program, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney ref...

I am a secondary teacher teaching Religious Education and involved in the organisation of Year 7–10 retreats at Aquinas College. My wife Therese and I have three children – Joshua five and a half, Jacob four and Marie Grace almost two. I am involved in the Society of Catholic Teachers Australia and the Catholic Men’s Fellowship in Perth. I am aware of the need to allow more time fo...

When I asked the world's first recorded Deafblind priest whether he had ever prayed to God for physical healing he becomes more animated than at any other time in our interview. “No, no, no”, Fr Cyril Axelrod states emphatically, “My deafness and blindness are gifts from God. My prayer to Him is that I can help those who are not blind to see.” It is a statement that epitomises this humbl...

It’s late August as I write, and even though our summer in Canada officially lasts until the Autumnal Equinox (22 September), the season is waning. The grass is dry and fading; leaves are turning yellow; my vegetable garden has nearly expired but for the corn and pumpkin—and the weeds, of course. For some reason, they seem to have incredible staying power. Funny that. Horticulture and...

I know a woman who frequently goes to confession, yet doesn't seem to make any progress in virtue, remaining an habitual and vicious gossip. What elements are necessary for a valid confession? Although I answered in an earlier column the question about what true sorrow and the resolution not to sin again imply in confession your question involves another important aspect of moral life: t...