www.therecord.com.au
21 SEPTEMBER 2023
Edition #451
PERTH CATHOLICS ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE WITH FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE AT LOCAL SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT LAUNCH
Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton speaks at the Perth launch of the 2023 Social Justice Statement, entitled, Listen, Learn, Love: A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples on Thursday 17 August. PHOTO: ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH/MICHELLE TAN.
By Ali Biddiscombe
The 2023 Social Justice Statement encourages us to think about what we do individually and as Catholic communities, to develop new ways of engaging with First Nations people, Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton has said. Speaking at the Perth launch of the 2023 Social Justice Statement, Thursday 31 August, Bishop Sproxton spoke about his time as Parish Priest of Mirrabooka in the late 90’s when he supported the recruitment of a first nations woman to the role of education assistant at local school. This year’s statement, Listen, Learn, Love: A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, was launched Thursday 17 August. While the Social Justice Statement is a teaching document of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, a large part of this year’s statement was
written by members of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, highlighting part of the message’s exhortation to “listen”. Facilitated by Justice, Ecology and Development Office Director Carol Mitchell, the Perth Launch opened to an emotive vision of ‘You’re the Voice’ at the Newman Siena Centre in Doubleview, with a Welcome to Country provided by New Norcia born Benedictine Sr Veronica Willaway OSB. “The statement is a critically important message for us all to respectfully and prayerfully discern,” Mrs Mitchell said. “It follows the gracious invitation from the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart and is timely given the approaching Referendum on the First Nation Peoples Voice to Parliament on Saturday, October 14. “It was a privilege to have Aunty Veronica Willaway, Aunty Donella Brown, Aunty Cheryl Lennox-Bradley and Lyn Odegaard also share some
of their personal stories of truthtelling and hope, so we may Listen, Learn and Love.” Mrs Mitchell acknowledged Bishop Sproxton’s many roles nationally and locally within the church as she welcomed him to speak. In opening, Bishop Sproxton said we were given a year to digest, to reflect and to discover ways in which to implement some of the ideas of the annual statement. He suggested as we approach the referendum – that we have an obligation to engage in research - thinking and in dialogue with others, to be clear as to which way we think we should vote as we have seen very little improvement or a closing in the gap, with our Indigenous population. “You will find practical ideas on how we as a church can re-engage, or perhaps, develop a new engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with whom we live,” he said. “This is something for us, regardless of what happens at the referendum vote, to be thinking, of what need we do individually, but also as Catholic communities, to develop new ways of engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people … in our local communities.” Bishop Sproxton said there were suggestions on new levels of engagement our local Archdiocese could implement including appointing more local Indigenous liaison officers to engage with schools, parishes and the community. Full Text available at
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