Goldfields boosted by five acolytes

Parish of Kalgoorlie-Boulder gets new acolytes and 74 school children from two local Catholic primary schools confirmed in the Holy Spirit.               

 

Inside St Mary’s Church: Back Row from left to right: Acolytes Harry Argus and  Frank Andinach; Father Joseph Rathnaraj (PP); Fr Brian O’Loughlin (VG); Father Andrew Albis; acolyte John Joyce and server, Sam Brook. Front Row from Left to Right: Server, Alex Wallace; Acolytes, Murray Joyce, Ivan Loncar, Anthony Porter, Martin Haugg, Geoff Jones and Ronald Escalante.

 

By Harry Argus
The Goldfields parish of Kalgoorlie-Boulder received a significant boost last month when 74 school children were confirmed and five new acolytes were instituted by Perth Vicar General Fr Brian O’Loughlin.
Fr O’Loughlin arrived on August 22 and visited St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary Schools in Kalgoorlie and Boulder, to meet and talk to the children who were to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The next day at the 6.30pm parish Mass in St Mary’s Church in Kalgoorlie, 41 Year 7 students from St Mary’s Primary School in Kalgoorlie received the Sacrament of Confirmation, with some of the students singing in the choir. 
On August 24 at the 8am parish Mass at All Hallows Church in Boulder, 33 children also received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Fr O’Loughlin.
Of the 33 children, 18 Year 7 students were from St Joseph’s Primary School in Boulder, while 15 came from the “After Schools’ Hour Program”, which included 13 students from the Kalgoorlie and Boulder State Schools and two students from the Kambalda State School.
The very successful  “After Schools’ Hour Program” was organised and run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, with teachers from the two Catholic schools preparing their students for the Sacrament.
On the same morning at the 10am parish Mass in St Mary’s Church in Kalgoorlie, Fr O’Loughlin instituted Anthony Porter, Geoff Jones, Ivan Loncar, Martin Haugg and Ronald Escalante as acolytes into the parish of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. During each of the ceremonies, Frs Joseph Rathnaraj (parish priest) and Andrew Albis joined in the celebrations and concelebrated each of the Masses with Fr O’Loughlin.
At the end of each of the Masses, family, friends and parishioners gathered together at their parish halls to celebrate this special day in their Christian lives , with the children and acolytes. Another local man, John Evans, will be made an acolyte in a few weeks.