Nicholas Donnelly and Sandy Toop are just two in the army of volunteers who have completed the painting of St Mary’s historic cathedral fence. Painting of the fence commenced in April. It was begun with help from sailors from the USS Carl Vinson, a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, when it visited Perth earlier this year. Often, when US forces visit ports, volunteers are made available f...

One of Perth’s oldest buildings, St John’s Pro-Cathedral on Victoria Avenue in East Perth has received a grant of $59,000 from Lotterywest to ensure it can be preserved. It is the third and largest Conservation of Cultural Heritage grant the Pro-Cathedral has received from Lotterywest, which has given more than $95,000 over the past eight years. The grant was approved by Premier Colin Ba...

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB entered a packed church to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Mt Carmel with the congregation on July 15. Fr Paul Raj assisted the Archbishop during Mass and the combined choir gave its best to mark the festive occasion. Scapulars were distributed to the members of the congregation as they entered the church and after Communion Archbishop Costelloe...

Three members of the Bentley conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) are working hard to help the underprivileged people of their area. Their efforts are a lesson in how the little local chapters of the Society – known as conferences – can do a huge amount of good work, often unnoticed and unseen. Tom and Pat Thomas, of Santa Clara Parish in Bentley and Flo Robinson, of ...

Among the experiences for Perth pilgrims in Rome for Archbishop Timothy Costelloe’s reception of the pallium was Mass concelebrated on June 27 by a contingent of Perth clergy in the Chapel of Santa Lucia in Tinta. The historic chapel, dating from at least 1002AD and rebuilt in the 16th century, is attached to Fraterna Domus where Perth pilgrims stayed while in Rome. Among those concel...

People are often uncertain how to handle a request for money from someone begging on Perth’s streets but the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community’s Outreach worker Mark Reidy says “the signs are a sign” and these people are desperate for help. “When seeing beggars on the streets asking for money, don’t ignore them, look away and put them at the back of your mind. Acknowledge them and give...

During the 1990s, in my former parish of Manning, I instructed, baptised, received into the Church and confirmed some 60 young people, mostly students at Curtin University or other educational colleges, from Indonesia or other parts of South East Asia. This special pastoral work introduced me to many new friends.  It also created the need for a support group to help with the religious in...

Perth musicians, Pipe Organ Plus will perform the upcoming concert, Terrae, on September 23 at the Basilica of St Patrick in Fremantle. The concert will focus on the music of France from the Renaissance to the end of the 20th century. It will be held at 2.30pm at the Basilica on the corner of Parry and Adelaide Streets in Fremantle. To wrap up the afternoon’s entertainment, organis...

St Luke’s Parish in Woodvale has a thriving Friendship Group of over-60s who meet in the parish hall for activities and get together regularly for other events. Its president, Judy Anderson, told The Record the group has been going for 17 years and has 40 members who meet once a month. The membership fee is $5 and the monthly meeting is held at noon on a Monday, with the annual genera...

St Emilie’s kicks off participation in Year of Grace and makes it a cause for multiple celebrations It was a grace-filled start for the Parish of St Emilie, Canning Vale when it launched its “Year of Grace’ on Sunday 17 June - also the Feast Day of St Emilie de Vialar, the parish patroness and foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition. Parishioners at all...