Record
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
the the
We d n e s d a y, J u n e 4 , 2 0 1 4
Parish.
the
N at i o n .
the
World.
$2.00
therecord.com.au
Happy LifeLink Day Catholic school students joined Perth’s bishops, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and Bishop Don Sproxton on May 23 at this year’s LifeLink launch to help Catholic agencies in providing support to Perth’s most disadvantaged individuals and communities - Reports below and page 7. ARCHBISHOP Costelloe and Bishop Sproxton joined a number of dignatories at the 2014 launch of LifeLink hosted by Irene McCormack Catholic College in Butler on May 23 in the presence of representatives from Brighton Primary School, St Andrews Catholic Primary School and Butler College. Bishop Sproxton reminded staff and students, many of whom were watching via live video stream, that LifeLink was established in 1994 by Emeritus Archbishop Hickey to identify and unite Church based welfare services. “By collecting all these agencies under one banner, we communicate our message so much better,” said Bishop Sproxton. “LifeLink is not a welfare organisation - it is the fundraising and promotional arm supporting, and most importantly funding, the work of social service
agencies in the Archdiocese” which “currently helps fund many wonderful organisations” and “provide services and support” to the most disadvantaged. “LifeLink supported agencies reach out to help more than 31,000 Western Australians in need each year” he continued, “equivalent to the entire populations of Butler, Merriwa, Ridgewood and Clarkson.” He spoke of how “LifeLink agencies deliver more than $47 million in professional programs and direct services to help people in need throughout WA each year. Thankfully, much of this work is funded by Government grants and service contracts and with the generous support of Lotterywest. Archbishop Costelloe spoke passionately about the place of LifeLink in the life of the Church as its heartbeat in society. “You
can’t be a Christian, or at least not a very serious one, if you don’t have a heart for those who are in difficulty and need a helping hand”, the Archbishop said. “You can’t really say you are following [Jesus] if you ignore what he said and what he did.” The Archbishop threw out a challenge to the young people to
and your circle of friends and your family, you can quickly begin to see that not everything is as good as we would like it to be, not just for ourselves but for others as well.” Students were then told how “the whole programme of LifeLink is the idea that, as disciples of Jesus, we are meant, even when life is tough for us, to be the ones who reach
“We are meant, even when life is tough for us, to be the ones who reach out to others.” “open your minds and your hearts, even more than you have already, to this man who once shook the world up by what he said and by what he did and who wants to shake our world up today, by what you say and by what you do. “When you begin to scratch the surface of our society, and maybe even the surface of your school
out to others. While LifeLink itself is focussed on raising money so that the Catholic community in WA is in a position to offer practical help to those in need,” the Archbishop said, “its success depends on whether or not the members of the Catholic community are really tuned in to the message of Jesus – it depends on whether or not you as individu-
Proud partner of The Record Home, Contents, Car, Landlord, Caravan and Travel Insurance CCI PI The Record JAN14 - PrintAd.indd 1
als and as school communities, are really tuned into the message of Jesus.” Archbishop Costelloe then asked the question: “Am I closed in on myself, focussed on my own needs, intent on organising my life to suit my own wishes, or do I have a heart that can really feel for others and will drive me to do something for them?” He then spoke of his special prayer for pupils and staff, that God would place “a new heart and to put a new spirit is us”. The Archbishop ended by announcing the winners of the 2014 Archbishop’s Spirit Award: Prendiville Catholic College, who last year were able to raise $10,000, and Irene McCormack Catholic College who raised just over $5,000. More information about LifeLink is available at the LifeLink website - www.lifelink.com.au
1300 655 003 www.catholicinsurance.org.au 22/01/2014 9:53:12 AM