By Amanda Murthy, Catholic Education WA
“One of the greatest gifts of going to a Catholic school, is the opportunity to learn more about what a wonderful hero Jesus is and how important and exciting it is to follow Him.”
Those were the words of Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB to primary Catholic school students, at the official launch of the 2022 LifeLink Day launch for Primary Schools.
The launch, held virtually on Wednesday, 8 June, was also attended by LifeLink Chair and Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton and Catholic Education WA Director of Religious Education, Deacon Mark Powell.
The panel shared their LifeLink experiences and answered questions posed by students through the portal.
Archbishop Costelloe began his address by defining the word ‘hero’ as “someone who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”
“The great hero, of course, for us as Christians, is Jesus. He fits the dictionary definition perfectly. He certainly had great courage. He achieved remarkable things. Jesus had many noble qualities. The more we get to know Him the more, I think, we come to admire Him,” he said.
“Unless Jesus does become one of our heroes, and I think our greatest hero, then although we might think of ourselves as Christians, we might be missing out on the very best thing about being a Christian which is to know Jesus so well, and to be inspired so much by Him, that we say, I want to be like Him.”
Archbishop Costelloe said CEWA schools were huge contributors to charitable causes, including LifeLink agencies, providing food for people who are hungry; warm clothes and blankets for those who are cold. They help people with a disability and offer friendship and understanding for people who are isolated and lonely.
“LifeLink agencies (supported by your schools) do all these things because Jesus lived His life for others rather than just for Himself. And they do all these things because Jesus once said, “Whenever you do any of these things for those who are in need you actually do them for me.”
“One of the greatest gifts of going to a Catholic school, is the opportunity to learn more about what a wonderful hero Jesus is and how important and exciting it is to follow Him.”
This year, LifeLink aims to raise at least $120,000 to help nine charities.
Each year, Catholic schools hold multiple fundraising events and volunteer their services to support LifeLink agencies, including Catholic Ministry for People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Centacare Employment and Training, Centrecare Incorporated, Djooraminda, Emmanuel Centre, Emmaus Community, Identitywa, Daydawn Advocacy Centre, The Shopfront and Catholic Outreach.