Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has this week reflected on a pair of firsts – becoming the first bishop of a West Australian diocese elected President and the first member of a religious order.

In an interview with the Australian Catholic Bishops Communications platform, Media Blog, Team, Archbishop Costelloe admitted he was “surprised and somewhat daunted” when he was elected President of the Conference in May.

At the Bishops Conference’s biennial election of president and vice-president in May, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB was elected President, and Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP re-elected Vice-President.

In his address for the 2022 LifeLink Day launch for primary schools, Archbishop Costelloe began by defining the word ‘hero’ as “someone who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB made history this week when he was elected the new President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
He is the first president of the Bishops Conference from Western Australia and, as a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the first member of a religious order to be elected president.

It has been ten years since Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB assumed the role of Archbishop of Perth, witnessed by more than 1500 people who flocked at St Mary’s Cathedral Perth on 20 February 2012. By Amanda Murthy.

Perth Ukrainian Parish Priest Fr Ihor Hovoloko has this week spoken of the deep sadness of his people and the horror which is being visited upon them and asked for continued prayers, not only for the end of the war, but for the restoration of peace.

Father Ihor joined Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at St Mary‘s Cathedral for the Ash Wednesday Mass, on 2 March, marking the beginning of the season of Lent.

The Knights of the Southern Cross Western Australia commemorated their Centennial Mass and celebration on Saturday 12 February 2022, at St Mary’s Cathedral, looking back over a century of achievement promoting the interests of the Catholic community and Church.

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB was at All Saints Church on Friday 18 February to officially bless and open the new Greenwood parish centre, which has been ten years in the making.

Two ancient traditions from two different cultures were celebrated at Manning Parish on Sunday 6 February, with some 150 parishioners and members of Perth’s Chinese community gathering, first for the blessing and opening of the new Columbarium at St Pius X Church by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, followed by a special Mass to mark the Chinese New Year.

Manning’s parish priest, Fr Patrick Lim, has been a driving force behind the new Columbarium, both as an organiser and artist, and is also Chaplain to the Chinese Community. “I wear two hats,” laughed Fr Patrick.

A Christmas message from the Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB.