By Adele Parsons
It was a privilege and with great Joy that I travelled to Geraldton to witness the commissioning of new catechists for the Diocese of Geraldton, as a representative of Catholic Women’s League WA.
As many of you will recall, this was a project undertaken prior to the occurrence of COVID.
Funding of $5000 was granted to CWL Geraldton to facilitate the implementation of this project.
Thanks to the drive of Jan Bowen, Maria Flavel and Yvonne Fahl, the project became a reality when Catholic Education WA’s Catechist Service agreed to provide presenters for the Formation Course.
Over a series of sessions, presenters Dr Pina Ford, Catherine Nguyen, Stephen Harris and Mildred Rego travelled to Geraldton to conduct the training sessions.
The sessions came to a halt with the advent of COVID and subsequently availability of presenters.
Happily, the final sessions were able to be completed recently and Geraldton Bishop Michael Morrissey declared that Laetare Sunday would be a day he would ensure he was available to commission the catechists for the Geraldton Diocese.
Nine catechists graduated from the course and seven of these were commissioned at the Sunday Mass celebration with a beautiful sung Mass led by Fr Robert Cross.
The diocese’s existing catechist, Mary Sterry, was the reader for the occasion.
In his address, Bishop Michael congratulated the graduates for their persistence with thanks to their families for supporting them in their endeavours.
He also expressed that it was wonderful to have graduates stepping forward from multi-cultural backgrounds.
Bishop Michael also expressed grateful thanks to CWLWA for backing this endeavour asking me to carry his thanks back to all of you.
He has also written his thanks to CWL National President and to the Australian Bishop’s Conference.
Grateful thanks were also given to Dr Pina Ford and Catherine Nguyen for their contributions over the course (including a Diocesan Retreat the previous day) and travelling to Geraldton for the presentation, with thanks also for the other two presenters, Stephen Harris and Mildred Rego.
A wonderful celebratory morning tea was held in the Community Centre afterwards with an open invitation to parishioners and the catechist’s families.
Here the catechists were acknowledged and presented with their certificates.
Once again, Bishop Michael expressed his thanks for the Geraldton members of CWL and CWLWA for backing this enterprise.
He gave me the opportunity to congratulate the ladies and to suggest that there is always opportunity for membership of CWL. As many of these ladies have young families and others have caring duties, their time is perhaps limited, so once again, I congratulate all these wonderful women for their dedication to spreading the faith.
Blessings and congratulations to Lady Pacheco, Liberty Lopez, Khatarina Rahayu, Vivienne, Chapman, Avery Chisholm, Anna Tanner, Janice King, Putput Asih and Jan Bowen.