I became a Catholic in 1997 and for the last 10 years I have played tennis on Fridays with an Anglican Rector, and a champion athlete who is an Agnostic and another friend who is a Pentecostal.
Faith does come up in the conversation and they know where I am at. It just shows it doesn’t matter where you are, be it work or on the tennis court.
There is always an opportunity to engage.
I work part-time as a National Assessor for Chartered Status for Engineers Australia. Originally, I was born in Singapore in 1949 and was baptised an Anglican as a child.
My mother was a Methodist (now the Uniting Church) and my father was an Anglican.
I went to a Methodist school in Singapore and then finished my schooling at Wesley College in Perth.
I became a resident at St George’s College (Anglican) whilst completing a four year degree in engineering.
I married in 1976 and we had my daughter Emily (the joy of my life).
My marriage broke down in 1988 causing a major life crisis for me (the marriage was annulled in 2001).
In 1990, I began attending an Anglican Church in Yokine and became a Pastoral Assistant and warden there.
The Rector was Paul Howells and he is one of the tennis players.
My faith continued to grow as I assisted in running ALPHA, a course offering the opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in 10 weekly sessions.
I have also played music for spirit growth sessions.
I started attending Flame Ministries in Perth and they came out to the Yokine Church to run one of their Flame Holy Spirit weekends.
It was through that, my Catholic friends and my reading about the faith that I felt a call to the Catholic Church. After receiving the OK from my Rector, I attended the RCIA with Fr Gerard Dickinson at St Mary’s Cathedral where I was later accepted into the Catholic Church.
Since becoming Catholic I have continued evangelisation in a variety of ways.
I assisted in running the ALPHA course in the Nedlands parish over two years and attended an ALPHA workshop in Sydney in 2003.
I have also done training in CaFÉ or Catholic Faith Exploration.
With encouragement from the Vatican, CaFE has been producing DVD resources for Catholics and those exploring the faith in faith formation, sacraments and youth, among otherss.
From 2001 to 2011 I was a Careline Counsellor at Sonshine Radio and helped train new counsellors.
I have also worked at the Shopfront in Maylands. Shopfront is an agency of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth, serviced predominantly by volunteers.
The role and function of The Shopfront is to relieve poverty and suffering in an environment that offers practical assistance, fellowship and hospitality.
I do praise and worship on a regular basis for retreats and healing Masses. I also assist Alan Ames in his talks with music.
In 2010 I attended a three-month training course on Fridays at Graylands Hospital and now have a certificate for pastoral work in Mental Health.
I go out to Graylands every Sunday and assist Fr Kevin Cummins with the music at Mass.
Fr Doug Harris is my spiritual director. I have always had one since becoming a Catholic, with the first being Fr Gerard Dickinson.
I think it helps me see where God is leading me.
I have been to Italy, Lourdes and was in Rome for the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop.
My daughter works for the Australian Embassy in Rome so I have been there four times to see her and the holy places in Italy.
I plan to go to Rome and Fatima this year.
Most recently I have attended a Legion of Mary retreat and also one run by the Marian Movement of Priests.
I found that it was more focused on the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Since converting, I have wanted to learn more about Mary so I found that interesting.
I have visited the crypts of St Peter, St Paul, St Thomas, St Luke, St Andrew and St Mark. I love the charisms of the Catholic Church like that of the Franciscans and have been to Assisi twice.
I love the sacraments like Reconciliation which I go to every four weeks.
I enjoy Adoration, where I like to pray as well as listen.
I have never had any regrets about joining the Catholic Church because it has opened up a whole new level in faith for me and was like ‘coming home’.
I think that it was just a matter of timing, that it occurred when I was ready.
The Anglican Church has not been around as long as the Catholic Church and if you want to learn more about the early Church and the lives of the Apostles and the teaching of the Saints you have to go back to the beginning.
Having been on a Scavi tour in Rome and seeing the bones of St Peter is being at the start.