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W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A’ S A WA R D - W I N N I N G C AT H O L I C N E W S P A P E R S I N C E 1 8 7 4
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Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB reflects on the lessons in the debate over same-sex marriage - Pages 10-11
World.
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therecord.com.au
Vatican II, the council that changed the Church, is half a century old. - Pages 12-13
AIDS and leprosy charity, well known to Perth Catholics, receives setback
We’ll carry on for the children
Tan Chen Dan, then aged nine, smiled when Record journalist Robert Hiini snapped her photo in 2009. Tan, who was suffering from HIV-AIDS, was being cared for by religious sisters at the Hongjiang Loving Care Centre, established by the Macau-based Catholic charity Casa Ricci Social Services. The little-known but remarkable work carried out by Casa Ricci, established by Spanish Jesuit Fr Luis Ruiz, received a setback in early September when a Chinese partner agency abruptly removed children from centres operated by Casa Ricci. Story - Page 6
Ceremony sees 148 instituted to serve at the altar By Robert Hiini THE ARCHDIOCESE of Perth received 148 men for service as acolytes at St Mary’s Cathedral on September 25. The men were instituted by Bishop Donald Sproxton after four weeks of training, conducted on Tuesday nights by the Archdiocesan Centre for Liturgy. The number is one of the largest on record and bests that of two years ago when 117 men were received into the role. The office of acolyte is a minor order in the Church; one in which
all men who go on to be priests are instituted. Acolytes are most visible in their ceremonial functions, such
They then placed their hands on the chalices as Bishop Sproxton led them in prayer. as serving at Mass, but many are also involved in providing faith formation in their parishes. The new acolytes were instituted in a ritual
which involved the men coming forward onto the Cathedral sanctuary in small groups. They placed their hands on chalices, set on the altar, as Bishop Sproxton led them in prayer for their institution, future service and duties in the acolytate. One of those men, a convert to Catholicism, Edwin Tjandra, husband of Cynthia and father to fivemonth-old Francis, said he stepped forward for the role, partly to provide a witness to young Catholics. “I think it is good for regenContinued on Page 2
Acolyte and convert Edwin Tjandra, with wife Cynthia and son Francis.
R HIINI