By Courtney Mares Bells rang out over the hilltop town of Assisi on the night of 22 March as Franciscan friars closed the month-long public veneration of the bones of St Francis of Assisi, which drew more than 370,000 pilgrims from around the world to pray before the beloved saint. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, who is president of the Italian bishops' conference, presided over the cl...

A large congregation gathered to celebrate and bear witness to the ordination of Jhee Baguinat. Photo: Samuel Chan/ Archdiocese of Perth. By Jamie O’Brien and Phil Bayne Whenever I hear the stories of those who are about to be ordained, I'm always impressed by the perseverance and generosity of those men who make themselves available to wholeheartedly give themselves to the Church and th...

Set on a boat-shaped base, the 1.5 meter-wooden cross is made from Australian recycled timber and incorporates the Southern Cross constellation. Photo: Archdiocese of Melbourne. This Easter season, Catholic parishes, parishioners and communities across Western Australia are invited to participate in a special moment in the life of the Church - the Pilgrimage of the Migrant Jubilee Cross tha...

The latest WA census results confirm the enduring appeal of Catholic schools to families as enrolments grew for the sixth consecutive year. In the year to February 2026, enrolments increased by 1.5 percent with more than 84,500 students now enrolled. The growth was recorded in both metro and country schools, across primary and secondary year levels. First Nations students account for ...

Outstanding support for the Archbishop’s 2025 LifeLink Day Initiative was recognised recently with the Archbishop’s 2025 Spirit Award presented to John XXIII College in Mount Claremont (secondary schools award) and Mercy College in Koondoola (primary schools award). LifeLink Chair and Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, said, while the Award structure formally recognises a secondary and pr...

By Jamie O'Brien and Phil Bayne It's almost impossible to fully grasp the extent of the good which our priests and indeed all our ordained ministers have done and continue to do for God's people, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has said. “As ministers of God's grace, we've been drawn into the very ministry of Christ himself,” he continued, speaking to the nearly 200 clergy who gat...

By Courtney Mares For the first time in eight centuries, the mortal remains of St Francis of Assisi are being exposed for an extended period of public veneration, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world to pray before "the Little Poor Man of Assisi." The bones of the beloved saint were unveiled for public display on 22 February in the Lower Church of the Basilica ...

By John Mulderig The validity of faith is a major theme in the sensitive marital drama Midwinter Break (Focus). As adapted from co-writer Bernard MacLaverty’s 2017 novel by director Polly Findlay, the film is an exploration of how contrasting personalities and outlooks can serve either as a source of nuptial balance or of corrosive discord. Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville star in a scen...

Sisilia refilling her cup from newly installed water taps at her school in rural Tanzania. Photo: Caritas Australia. Thirteen‑year‑old Sisilia, from remote Tanzania, spent much of her childhood walking long distances to collect water each day, time that kept her from school and placed her dreams further out of reach. Today, thanks to Project Compassion and the support of the Diocese of M...

Dear friends, I thank you for your commitment: it is a very great and generous service that you give to your parish, and I encourage you to persevere faithfully. (Pope Leo XIV audience with French altar servers, 25.08.2025). Fifty years after he was first approached by Fr Pat Ahern to consider becoming an acolyte, John Foss, a parishioner at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Bruce Rock, is still...