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Reforming the
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Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB reflects on authority as it is meant to be exercised in the Church - Pages 12-13
Nigel Hayward on the human costs of ‘austerity’ - Page 17
St Denis’ littlies win visit from Sunny the Sunflower
Kindergarten students at St Denis Primary in Joondanna came second in Sunny’s Scarecrow Competition at the annual Garden Week expo where visitors voted for their favourite scarecrow. The class received a visit from Sunny the Sunflower on June 7 who congratulated them for their efforts and awarded them a bird feeder and sunflower windmills for their school garden. PHOTO: THERAPY FOCUS
Two WA women honoured in Queen’s Birthday list for service to nation’s first peoples
Honours for Indigenous work By Matthew Biddle TWO WEST Australians who have devoted their lives to serving Indigenous communities were among those to be recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Sister Valerie Deakin, of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict in Geraldton, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for “service to Indigenous communities in Western Australia
and the Northern Territory”. June Oscar (pictured at left), an alumna of the University of Notre Dame’s Broome campus, was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia, for “distinguished service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia, particularly through health and social welfare programs”. Sr Valerie said the award came as a complete surprise. “About 10 days before it was announced on the Queen’s Birthday holiday, I got this lovely letter in the
mail with embossing, and I knew it was something special,” she explained. “I’m discovering it’s a great honour to receive an Australian medal because I’m getting opportunities to speak to the media about my involvement with the first peoples of this land over many years.” Sr Valerie, whose older brother, Bishop Hilton Deakin, was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2003, said she had always wanted to work in
Aboriginal ministry. “The congregation that I belong to happens to be the very first religious congregation founded in Australia,” she said. “And I always had this desire that wouldn’t it be wonderful if this first congregation was able to work in a good way with the first peoples of this land.” Sr Valerie said she was “thrilled” when she got the opportunity to live at Wiluna, situated in WA’s midContinued - Page 15 June Oscar reflects on award - Page 10