Transmitting the word of God through the mainstream media has been a labour of love for Shalom World TV, an international television network which started in 2014 and is now planning to start regular productions in Australia from September 2017.
Shalom World TV emerged from the Indian network, Shalom Television, which began in 2005, promoting the work of local parishes and providing other faith-specific programs for not just Catholics, but for all people, transmitted in the regional Malayalam language.
Nine years later, it was decided that this work could be expanded to other countries in English, and Shalom World TV was set up, with its headquarters in Texas, USA. Since then, production centres have opened in the United Kingdom, Vatican City, Ireland and Canada.
Programs available through Shalom World TV include interviews, talk shows, movies, concerts, and coverage of live events – often from the Vatican. By Caroline Smith.

A parish is a place where people walk side-by-side with Jesus, and represent God’s community in the world, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB told attendees at a recent Mass to mark the 50th anniversary of blessing and opening of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Nollamara. The Mass, held on Sunday 24 September, brought together a church full of parishioners past and present, and was celebrated by Archbishop Costelloe and con-celebrated by Parish Priest Father Stanislaw Bendkowski SDS, Fr Laurence Murphy SDS and Fr Vincent Glynn. In his homily, Archbishop Costelloe said that such an anniversary was both a time of celebration and reflection on the nature of Catholic community at both parish and universal levels. “This anniversary is an occasion for gratitude, for acknowledgment, and for hope. I think it’s also an occasion for us as a Christian community to reflect on just why it is that we come to church week after week,” he said. By Caroline Smith.

With more than 20 years of dedicated work in the Archdiocese of Perth, Miriam Romiti has been well-placed to observe how it has changed and flourished. Mrs Romiti, who was Office Manager at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Highgate, has now retired from the role after 12 years, and said she has really enjoyed working with the diverse groups and Church employees based there. “I’ve worked with quite a few agencies through the Pastoral Centre. The Centre for Liturgy were here when I started back in 2005, and I loved helping with some of the liturgy projects they had,” she said. “I also enjoyed working with the Justice Ecology and Development Office (formerly the Social Justice Office). “Overall I’ve learned a lot about liturgy and social justice and people, and it’s been a very varied role.” Before joining the Pastoral Centre, Mrs Romiti was Secretary at Mirrabooka Parish, St Gerard Majella Church, where she worked alongside former Parish Priests, Father Geoff Aldous and Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton. By Caroline Smith.

Catholic Students from across Western Australia were last month given the opportunity to compete in the Speak for Faith Competition.

Mercy Health has last week announced it has introduced an entirely new model of care at its not-for-profit homes in Western Australia.

A new purpose-built Boarding House for Year Seven students will offer Aquinas boarders from across Western Australia a home away from home.

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has this week called on Catholics from across the Archdiocese to support a prayer initiative from Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council. The initiative was announced by Bishop delegate for Marriage and Family, the Most Rev Bishop Michael Kennedy.

In keeping with the strategic plan and putting into practice the true meaning of being disciples of Jesus, the 2017 Parish Secretaries Day Mass reiterated the Archbishop’s message of putting Christ at the heart of everything we say, everything we do and everything we are. By Natashya Fernandez.

To promote community understanding of issues synonymous with MercyCare’s values, this year’s MercyCare Oration 2017 took attendees on the personal journey of a lost five-year old boy from the backstreets of India to the beautiful Australian region of Tasmania. Shining the light on MercyCare’s fostering services, there was no one better to tell the story than Saroo Brierley himself. Held at the Hyatt Perth on 21 September, the event brought together 650 guests and dignitiaries, to hear Mr Brierley talk about his remarkable life story which inspired the Hollywood film, Lion. By Natashya Fernandez.

Walking thousands of kilometres alone in an African desert, with nothing but a soccer ball and an iPod for company, is something that few of us would contemplate. Canberra adventurer and Caritas Australia supporter, Matt Napier, however, did exactly that, walking thousands of kilometres to raise money for those living in poverty, with a 1900-kilometre walk across the Namib Desert.