For the first time in more than 30 years, the Archdiocese of Perth has on 13 July held an Archdiocesan Assembly.
More than 100 delegates from parishes, agencies and offices across the Archdiocese gathered for the occasion, including nominated clergy, religious, and lay delegates.
The 2024 Assembly, operating within the framework provided by Canon Law, focussed on investigating, considering, and formulating practical strategies for pastoral works and initiatives with the diocese – namely on establishing a Diocesan Pastoral Council that reflects the way of synodality as emphasised by Pope Francis.
A Diocesan Pastoral Council, as outlined in Canon Law, is a consultative body offering support and advice to the Bishop. For Perth, the aim is to create a council that embodies “synodality,” a collaborative approach encouraging participation from clergy, religious figures, and lay Catholics.
Led by Vicar General and Episcopal Vicar for Education, the Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn, the delegates of the Assembly were asked to reflect, listen and discern specific questions over three sessions, each lasting nearly an hour.
The Assembly commenced with Iona Presentation College Dean of Mission and Catholic Identity, Gemma Thomson opening the day as MC, before welcoming speeches by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton and the Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn.
Looking back on his experience with the first Assembly in 1990, Bishop Don spoke about his experience of that, which brough the Year of Mission to a close.
Working with the Pastoral Planning Office, Bishop Don, who was parish priest of Wogan Hills at the time, together with Mercy Sister Joan Smith RSM and Year of Mission consultant Robin Beech were tasked with developing better communication between the Pastoral Planning Office and the clergy.
“In some ways, that Assembly was like a synod as it produced three outcomes that were to be implemented across the Archdiocese,” Bishop Sproxton explained.
“These were the development of an integrated communications network; parish renewal and the future of parishes; and ongoing participation of the people of the Archdiocese in decision making,” he said.
SJOG Group Director Mission Integration, Tara Peters, continued the day by hosting a session focussed on the theme, ‘Journeying together led by the spirit,’.
Delegates, undertaking the listening and discernment process, were invited to, “Reflecting on the scripture passage 1 Corinthians 12: 1, 4-11 and attuning our hearts to the synthesis report of the journey we have been on during the last 12 months, what speaks to you most?”
Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB closed the Assembly, speaking about the “See” “Judge” “Act” methodology of Belgian Cardinal Joseph Cardijn who founded Young Christian Workers
“See, which is to acknowledge what the situation is, Judge and then Act,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.
“This morning, we didn’t start with the See. We started with prayer,” Archbishop Costelloe he said.
Drawing on his experience of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, Archbishop Costelloe recalled how some deeply challenging moments were overcome because organisers had decided to spend at least 20 minutes in a deep, contemplative and well-prepared prayer experience.
“…if we enter into the discernment process, through a deep prayerful experience, that will change, everything, it will change the way we see each other,” Archbishop Costelloe emphasised.
Continuing his speech, Archbishop Costelloe noted in the context of ‘Judge’, he prefers to use the word ‘Discerning’, particularly in light of the fact that we are all trying to read the signs of the times.
“Often people quote, Gaudium et Spes about discerning or scrutinising the signs of the times, and leave out the last part, ‘In the Light of the Gospel’.
“If we’re disciples of Jesus, our decisions about how we move forward and how we organise ourselves and what decisions we might make – if they’re not made in the light of the Gospel, then they’re not decisions of disciples.”
Looking at the method of ‘Act’, Archbishop Costelloe reflected on the feedback from the Listening and Discernment sessions, which included comments about mission.
“One of the challenges the Church faces is that it can so easily become self-referential,” Archbishop Costelloe expressed.
“Pope Francis is very insistent on his belief that the Lord, at this stage in our history, is inviting us very consciously and very deliberately, to become a missionary oriented church.
“A (missionary) Church which looks outward to what we can do for others, rather than a Church that looks always inward to how we can sure up our falling numbers or something like that,” Archbishop Costelloe continued.
“And maybe, if we shift from a maintenance approach to the Church to a missionary approach to the church, the beauty of our faith in the attractiveness of the Christian gospel will become more obvious to more people. And all of a sudden, the Church will begin to grow in numbers,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
One of the next steps for the Assembly, Archbishop Costelloe explained, is for the information and feedback that was generated at the Assembly to be collated and will be presented to him so that decisions can be made on how to move forward.
Archbishop Costelloe noted he will be supported by a soon to be formed Implementation Advisory Committee, which will help him to discern the kinds of questions the Assembly Delegates have been talking about in terms of makeup of the Council, its membership and function.
“In other words, I’d like it to be a Synodal Discernment Council, rather than anything else,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.