26 MAY 2022
www.therecord.com.au
Edition #384
STUDENTS CHALLENGED AT LIFELINK LAUNCH – BE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR SOCIETY
The Executive Director of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), Dr Debra Sayce; Archbishop of Perth, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB; LifeLink Chair, Bishop Don Sproxton; and the Director of Religious Education for CEWA, Deacon Mark Powell. PHOTO: RON TAN.
Catholic students throughout Western Australia have been challenged to open their eyes to what is happening to the poorest members of society and to be inquiring enough to get to know the Christ who identifies so strongly with them. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB spoke to students via webcam on 19 May for this year’s LifeLink Day launch, commending the efforts of Catholic schools in raising funds throughout the year for the social outreach agencies of the Archdiocese of Perth. Archbishop Costelloe was joined by the Executive Director of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), Dr Debra Sayce, and LifeLink Chair, Bishop Don Sproxton, in a launch compered by CEWA’s Director of Religious Education, Deacon Mark Powell. Student Kate from Seton Catholic College asked Archbishop Costelloe
what trends he saw as requiring more support from LifeLink-supported agencies. Noting the pressure that rising interest rates would have on households with mortgages, “providing for the needs of the family becomes even more of a challenge”, the Archbishop related his personal experience of living in the heart of the city. “There's an ever-growing number of homeless people that I pass by, each morning or evening when I go for a walk,” he said. “That's a growing problem and is telling us something about how well or badly we care for those who are struggling. “At the Cathedral, we have many people knocking on the door of the Cathedral presbytery, looking for food. And these things are growing all the time. “So, I think we really only have to open
our eyes and have a look around us, and we'll see all kinds of needs that are a sign of the direction our society is taking, and therefore of the direction that our Christian living needs to take in order to respond to it.” Catholic primary and secondary schools have raised more than $2.5 million since LifeLink Day was established in 1999, raising $138,363 in 2021 for the good works of LifeLinksupported agencies. In answering student questions, the Archbishop noted the work of the LifeLink-supported drop-in centre, The Shopfront, “a drop-in centre, where no questions are asked, no judgements are made, people are just made to feel welcome and provided with a meal and provided with some company”. Full Text available at
www.therecord.com.au
1