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
We d n e s d a y, O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 2
the
Parish.
DOWN AMONG OUR
SCHOOLIE BARBARIANS
The behaviour of youth at school balls is often cheap, trashy and symptomatic of something gone very wrong, writes Dr Andrew Kania – Pages 10-11
the
N at i o n .
the
World.
$2.00
therecord.com.au
TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO
LOVE
Melbourne academic Dr Gerard O’Shea offers parents an inspiring message of hope – Pages 12-13
New Zealand priest brings unique ministry to those searching for a cure
Hands of healing - and faith
As assistants pray with a man in the background, Father John Rea SM, a Marist priest from New Zealand, listens as another man describes what he wants Fr Rea to pray over him for at Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Gosnells on October 25. Fr Rea, who has a remarkable reputation for his healing ministry, including scientifically inexplicable healings of injuries, infertility and terminal illnesses, was in Perth over the last fortnight to attend numerous gatherings organised by the Catholic Disciples of Jesus community. STORY, PHOTOS - PAGE 6 PHOTO: PETER ROSENGREN
Relic of Jesuit missionary draws faithful crowds By Juanita Shepherd THOUSANDS of people flocked to churches across Perth as the right arm of St Francis Xavier, founding Jesuit and 16th century missionary extraordinaire, visited parishes across the archdiocese as part of the celebration of the Year of Grace. Accompanying the relic was Father Richard Shortall, a Jesuit priest from New Zealand, who said it was an honour to be travelling
with it. He told The Record it was the first time he has travelled with the relic of St Francis, a saint who is special to him as they both come from the same order. “St Francis is a fellow Jesuit, a brother and companion,” Fr Shortall said. “The Provincial who is the head of the Jesuit Order asked me to go with the relic. I was quite surprised and delighted to be asked.” In Perth, his travels with the
relic took him to St Francis Xavier Parish in Hilbert, Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Nedlands, St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth and the Redemptorist Monastery in North Perth before heading off to the Diocese of Geraldton. Together with Bishop Donald Sproxton and Hilbert parish priest Fr Kazimierz Stuglik, Fr Shortall concelebrated a children’s Mass at Hilbert in honour of the relic’s visit (see story, Page 7).
“Watching people of all ages, the old and the young, come and pray to St Francis was incredible,” Karen Hart, the co-ordinator for the relic’s visit to Perth told The Record. She said she had received a call from Bishop Sproxton in June who asked her to become the co-ordinator for the relic’s visit. She had never done anything like this before; after accepting Bishop Sproxton’s offer, Mrs Hart immediately began researching the saint; in
so doing, she embarked on her own journey. “The Year of Grace is about being Christ-centred and St Francis was about that,” Mrs Hart said. “It was remarkable to have Christ touching our lives through the relic.” St Xavier, the former Patron Saint of Australia, holds a special place in the heart of the Catholic faithful and wider Christian Church in Continued - Pages 8 & 9