A new era of Catholic Education begun last week when Tim McDonald was commissioned as the director of Catholic Education in Western Australia. Mr McDonald’s wife, children and father looked on as he was commissioned by Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at St Michael’s Chapel in Leederville in the presence of the Catholic Education community. Dozens of principals were commissioned...

It was a beautiful night for the inaugural new event of ‘Shrine Time’ held by the WA Schoenstatt Movement on Sunday, October 28. Fr Clayton Mitchell, the youth music ministry of Sacred Heart Parish, Thornlie and around 25 young adults came to a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration; Benediction; reflection and praise and worship at Mt Richon. Youth and young adults came from Armadale; Ca...

The Society of Catholic Teachers Australia held its annual conference in Perth recently, to coincide with the start of the Year of Faith, featuring internationally renowned Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers as its keynote speaker. The ‘Dynamic Deacon’ TV personality from the USA arrived in Perth for five days of conferences, a men’s retreat, preaching and a youth event. Deacon Harold’s dynam...

The University of Notre Dame hosted the opening ceremony for the Tournament of Minds, a problem-solving program for teams of both primary and secondary aged school children. Over 500 students gathered at the Fremantle campus and listened to the opening address given by Professor Celia Hammond, the University’s Vice Chancellor. “As someone who is passionate about education, about the s...

Over 30 young adults from Perth answered the universal call to holiness when they attended the Catholic Youth Ministry retreat at Eagles Nest in Gidgegannup over the weekend of October 5-7. The aim of the retreat was to bring Christ into the everyday lives of the young as many are of the misguided opinion that holiness is reserved for the clergy. “The retreat’s theme was the ‘universa...

Peace-maker par excellence, Bishop Vincent Boi-Nai SVD, will speak at three different events in Perth next week, sharing his hands-on knowledge of peace building and the state of interreligious dialogue in Ghana. Bishop Vincent has been active for more than a decade in conflict resolution among rival tribal groups in his predominantly Muslim Diocese of Yendi, making him one of the region...

Five Kelmscott Catholics found themselves in a somewhat unexpected place when they hit the stage on October 17 for the final of ABC 720’s Exhumed competition. The String Tanglers, as they are otherwise known, were one of eight Perth bands to make the final, performing their own versions of folk classics Whiskey in the Jar and Dirty Old Town, to a packed Fly By Night Club in Fremantle. ...

St Luke’s Woodvale has come a long way since the first members of the parish met for their first official Mass in the staff room of Woodvale Senior Highschool, on February 28, 1987. Last Sunday, a packed St Luke’s Church, which opened in April 1995, played host to a vibrant celebration of the St Luke church and school community. Parish Priest Fr Francesco Mascarenhas was joined in celebra...

The Year of Grace is principally an invitation to encounter Christ anew and it is one that hordes of Catholics throughout Australia are taking up, national Year of Grace Project Officer Father Peter Brock said when he visited Perth last week. More than four months after the year began at Pentecost, YOG initiatives have taken flight throughout the country. Fr Brock says that every dioc...

Maida Vale parishioners rolled out their pets for the celebration of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on Thursday October 4. Celebrations began with a blessing of pets with parish priest Fr Elver Delicano conducting the ceremony with assistance from Fr Larry Rodillas and Deacon Trevor Lyra. Both Fr Elver and Fr Larry (from Northhampton Parish) were also celebrating their 10th anniver...