20 February 2015 Your news from across the Archdiocese of Perth Edition #19 Project Compassion focuses on food FOCUSED on the theme Food for Life, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe last Sunday launched the 2015 Caritas Australia Project Compassion appeal - one of Australia’s largest humanitarian fundraising and awareness-raising campaigns. The Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday, 15 February was attended by Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi as well as guests from Vasto, Perth’s Italian twin city, including Vasto Mayor, Luciano Antonio Lapenna. The Archbishop said that, through Caritas, the Church is seeking to throw a spotlight on global food issues. “Through the aid and development programs sponsored by Caritas, [we will] empower the world’s poorest people to establish sustainable food sources for life,” he said. The Archbishop went on to speak of how “Project Compassion is focused on giving people hope, and does so in a way that deeply respects the dignity of people’s right to self-determination”. He stated that “we are not really handing out charity” but, rather, that “we are helping people to live the lives God has created them to live: light of joy, lives of dignity, and lives of hope”. Quoting Project Compassion’s 2014 total fundraising of $11 million, the Archbishop invited the Catholic community to take EDITION #19 | 19 FEBRUARY 2015 Archbishop Costelloe launched the 2015 Caritas Australia Project Compassion appeal at St Mary’s Cathedral on 15 February. PHOTO: CARITAS home with them a Project Compassion gift box and suggested that families “make this a special part of your Lenten journey this year”. Each year, Project Compassion, which runs through the six weeks of Lent, brings hundreds of thousands of Australians justice and peace. Last year, supporters, schools and parishes across Australia raised nearly $11 million to help the world’s poorest communities. “Project Compassion has transformed the lives of many of the most marginalised people around the world,” Mr O’Callaghan said. Food is essential for all life, many of the world’s poorest people do not have a reliable food source, or enough money to buy food everyday together in solidarity with the world’s poor. Caritas Australia CEO, Paul O’Callaghan, said Project Compassion was an extraordinary, ongoing demonstration of the faith, love and generosity of caring supporters, all in the name of “It’s thanks to the generosity of the Australian supporters that Caritas has been able to work alongside communities over the long term in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Latin America and with First Australians.” The theme for this year’s Project Compassion, Food for Life, aligns closely with the Caritas Internationalis global initiative of One human family, food for all, aimed at ending hunger by 2025. “Food is essential for all life and, while we may take it for granted in Australia, many of the world’s poorest people do not have a reliable food source, or enough money to buy food every day,” Mr O’Callaghan said. During Lent, Australians are invited to raise funds for Project Compassion in a variety of ways. To donate to Project Compassion, or for fundraising ideas, go to www.caritas. org.au/projectcompassion or phone 1800 024 413. Full Text available at www.therecord.com.au Caritas works flat out for the less fortunate By Jamie O’Brien PANCAKES were aplenty at this week’s Shrove Tuesday festivities, thanks to Caritas Australia’s Perth office. The Perth arm of the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church extended an open invitation on Tuesday to all staff from Perth Catholic organisations and agencies to take a few moments and learn about the work of Caritas – through the words of guest speaker Gary Bonney – while enjoying some pancakes. Mr Bonney, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student currently studying Social Justice and Education at the University of Notre Dame’s Fremantle campus, talked about his experience of visiting an Indigenous community in Peru, in 2012, which formed part of his studies. Hailing originally from the Wongi tribe, near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Mr Bonney, (or Curly as he is known to family and friends) told the crowd gathered at the Pastoral Centre, Highgate The Perth-arm of Caritas Australia on Tuesday extended an open-invitation to all staff from Perth Catholic organisations and agencies, to learn about the work of Caritas. PHOTO: CARITAS about the impact of his experience in Peru seeing the work of Caritas first hand on his understanding of the real meaning of social justice. Mr Bonney said the work of Caritas in Peru was of significant importance to him, due to the focus on children, youth and families. “Not only have I been able to hear about the theory of Caritas’ work, I’ve been able to see it at the grassroots level,” Mr Bonney said. “It has really inspired me, and somewhat strengthened my faith in humanity,” he said. In speaking to Archdiocese of Perth Communications and Media Office Editor Jamie O’Brien, Mr Bonney said one of the highlights of his trip was being able to play the Didgeridoo for the Indigenous communities who live in the Andes mountains of Peru. Mr Bonney showed examples of how Caritas is helping in a region in Peru, not far from the capital, Lima, assisting people with growing their own food and building appropriate housing. He first became involved in Caritas through the Walk-AsOne Program. Full Text available at www.therecord.com.au Goody Hostel residents rise to the occasion for Pancake Day FLUFFY pancakes were piled up high when residents at Catholic Homes’ Archbishop Goody Hostel in East Perth enjoyed Shrove Tuesday celebrations this week. Elderly residents helped prepare their own feast, kicking off with a group pancake mixture-making from 9am Tuesday morning. And, in true Australian style, the bulk pancake batter was cooked outside on the barbeque for residents to enjoy with their morning tea. Catholic Homes EDITION #19 | 19 FEBRUARY 2015 Occupational Therapist Katarina Zubonja said residents had been looking forward to their pancake feast, and were heavily involved in the preparations. “Our Pancake Day celebrations are part of our Montessori-based approach to care, which focuses on involving residents in meaningful activities within their own community at AGH,” she said. “It’s about more than just an activity for the sake of doing an activity – it’s about creating enabling environments for our residents. The focus is on the ‘doing’ which enables residents to be as active and independent as possible. “So, while making pancakes might seem like a simple activity, for our residents it’s a chance to show off their culinary skills, to be engaged and involved in cooking food for themselves and for their fellow residents. And of course they get to eat the end result!” Catholic Homes Incorporated has been caring for seniors in the West Australian community for more than 40 years, providing a range of high-quality retirement and aged-care facilities. With a community made up of staff and residents from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, the not-forprofit organisation operates seven residential aged-care facilities and four independent-living villages in Belmont, Bunbury, Duncraig, East Perth, Guildford, Joondanna and Wilson. Students continue Ash Wednesday tradition at Kolbe Students from Kolbe Catholic College Rockingham continue an Ash Wednesday tradition of the school. PHOTO: LEANNE JOYCE Youth event set to ignite Perth’s Faith in 2015 By Marco Ceccarelli THE OVERWHELMING success of Ignite Youth in Brisbane, which has seen more than 1,300 people in attendance each year, will soon be extended to Perth. Christian youth groups and communities all over the city will be able to take advantage of the services offered by Ignite Youth as its organisers set the stage for a number of upcoming events in 2015. Ignite Youth will be introduced to Perth in the form of “Ignite Live”, a one-night concert style event that will be held six times throughout this year. The first of these will take place on Friday, 27 February 2015 at Prendiville Catholic College Performing Arts Centre, Ocean Reef. The evenings offer young aim of Ignite Live is to create an environment in which young people can be ignited by the Holy Spirit and return to their churches to pass on this positive energy to their “They can come to Ignite Live, because Ignite Live is not a youth group, it’s something youth groups can gather for if they wish.” Christians an opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ through music, prayer, reconciliation and a message from a youth communicator. As the title suggests, the peers and family members. The event lends itself as an invaluable tool for parishes, schools or community groups which may be looking for ways of diversifying their Christian youth programs. It presents itself as a supporting element to pastoral formation and ministry, immersing young people into an environment where a spiritual message is received in the context of music, dancing and socialising. “It’s our hope that ‘ignite’ becomes a key word in this establishment of Ignite Youth events in Perth,” said Perth co-ordinator and frequent guest speaker at the annual Ignite Conference in Brisbane, Ronan McGinniss. Full Text available at www.therecord.com.au EDITION #19 | 19 FEBRUARY 2015 Lent, a time of grace for a world of indifference POPE FRANCIS DELIVERS HIS 2015 LENTEN MESSAGE DEAR BROTHERS and Sisters, Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each communities and every believer. Above all it is a “time of grace” (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. “We love because he first has loved us” (1 Jn 4:19). He is not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place in his heart. He knows us by name, he cares for us and he seeks us out whenever we turn away from him. He is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about Pope Francis places ashes on the head of Cardinal Jozef Tomko during the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome on February 18. PHOTO: CNS/PAUL HARING those less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalisation of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront. When the people of God are converted to his love, they find answers to the questions that history continually raises. One of the most urgent chal- lenges which I would like to address in this message is precisely the globalisation of indifference. Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience. God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate. Full Text available at www.therecord.com.au Australia welcomes appointment of new Apostolic Nuncio HIS HOLINESS Pope Francis has this week appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, His Excellency Most Reverend Adolfo Tito Yllana, Titular Archbishop of Montecorvino and, until now, Apostolic Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Archbishop Yllana was born on 6 February 1948 in Naga City, Philippines. On 19 March 1972, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres, Philippines. Following his doctorate in civil and canon law, Archbishop Yllana completed post-graduate studies in international diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. Archbishop Yllana was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Titular Archbishop of Montecorvino on 13 December 2001. He was ordained a bishop on 6 January 2002. On 5 February 2002, Archbishop Yllana was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Solomon Islands and later appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan on 31 March 2006. Full Text available at www.therecord.com.au The e-Record is produced by the Archdiocese of Perth Communication and Media Office 21 Victoria Square, Perth WA 6000 | Ph: 9220 5900 | Email: [email protected] Most Reverend Adolfo Tito Yllana. PHOTO: SNIPVIEW.COM
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