The very first edition of The Western Australian Catholic Record newspaper saw the light of day on Monday, 6 July 1874. There were only 7,000 Catholics in the diocese of Perth at that time, which meant that resources were very limited.
This, however, did not kill off the idea to establish a Catholic paper, nor the enthusiasm of the intrepid founding staff. Fr Gibney was appointed editor and the famous JT Reilly supported Fr Gibney with his experience. The initiative was in response to the reluctance of the secular press to report on issues that concerned Catholics, and, when it did, the stories were not always presented fairly.
The paper became very popular with the Catholics, who, we are told, looked forward to the arrival of the next copy of The WA Catholic Record. The paper provided them with a sense of connection, as many lived in very isolated areas. The news it delivered came from overseas and from the other colonies around Australia, as well as the news from the developing districts of the Swan River Colony.
In time, The Record archive became the great repository of the history of the Church of Perth, that comprised the entire land mass of what is Western Australia. The newspaper served the people of our state for 140 years. The digital version that we have today – The eRecord – is very different and in keeping with the times in which we live. Some of the needs of our Catholic community are strikingly the same, so I expect that this new version of The Record, in magazine format, will be very welcome.
This first edition of The Record Magazine comes to us at the glorious time of Easter. The Resurrection of Jesus is the central event that gives rise to our faith. St Paul was overcome with joy and wonder when he wrote that, if Christ is not risen, then our faith is in vain.
I have often thought about the power of the faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ, and how it was so real to the first Christians. The Apostles, almost to a man, were prepared to give up their lives for the faith. You would have to be crazy to die for an unfounded hope. No, they gave their lives in witness to what they had seen when they encountered the Risen Lord. Death had lost its sting. Jesus had defeated the powers over death.
Easter for us, in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, has a special significance. As we celebrate the events of Holy Week, we are drawn to meditate on how the mercy of the Father was shown to us. No one except the Son of God could lift the burden of sin from our shoulders. No one could crush sin and its demeaning effects in us, except the Son of God. There can be no greater sign given to us of the love and mercy of God. The Father sent His Son to redeem us.
Let us meditate on so great a mystery so that we may be caught up in the same joy and wonder of St Paul. May our reflection in Holy Week and the season of Easter have the power to enlarge our capacity to be merciful, understanding of one another and ready to forgive. The new life of Easter has the power to make of each of us outstanding images of the Merciful Father.
May the Risen Lord bless you and your families in this glorious time.
Bishop Don Sproxton
From page 5 0from Issue 1: ‘The Year of Mercy: Seeking an Encounter with Christ’ of The Record Magazine