Perth: August 1, 1996
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Claremont's youth pray for Sarah and Jane Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer, the two young women who disappeared after attending a night club in Claremont, were prayed for by young people in a special Mass at the suburb's parish Church, St Thomas', on the weekend. Members of the Performing Arts Ministry choir, a project of the archdiocese's Youth and Young Adult Ministry, sang hymns during Mass where parish priest, Fr Bryan Rosling, led the congregation in praying for the two women. Fr Rosling said the Mass combined prayers for young people in general as well as the two missing women. "It's a youth gathering to offer the Mass in part for all young people who have any special need at this time. But we're particularly interceding for Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer who have disappeared in this area," he said. Fr Rosling said the reality was that evil existed in the community. "We're praying that wherever they are they are in God's hands," he said of the two young women. The choir led a large congregation of mainly young people in the Sunday evening Mass which has become a regular centre of worship for the parish's youth.
Members of the Performing Arts Ministry lead the congregation in song at St Thomas's in prayer for Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer
Parishes in survey of /lust church life By Peter Rosengren Sixteen Perth parishes have been asked to participate in a ground breaking survey of Catholic life in Australia, and more may join in. Nearly 300 Catholic parishes across Australia have been invited to take part in the 1996 National Church Life Survey which surveys church-goers across a wide range of Christian denominations. It will be only the second time such a survey has been conducted in Australian churches and the first time Catholic parishioners have had the opportunity to participate. Liaison officer for the Catholic parishes in Perth for the survey is the former editor of The Record, Father Pat Cunningham. The parishes invited to participate later this year are: Armadale, Bencubbin, ComoKensington, East Cannington, Hilton, Kellerberrin, Queens
Park, Belmont, Kuhn, Kwinana, coming forward to be part of the Lesmurdie, Maddington, Moore. survey. Nedlands, Port Kennedy and He said 300 Catholic parishes Scarborough. were chosen because, as the Fr Cunningham said the largest Christian Church in remaining parishes of the arch- Australia and with almost three diocese would also receive a let- quarters of a million Catholics ter from Archbishop Barry attending Mass around the Hickey inviting them to partici- nation each weekend, surveying pate if they wanted to do so. all Catholic parishes would have But they would have to pay a been too big a job. joining fee and a per-person fee The survey involves people for the cost of processing the answering a questionnaire when information received, he said. they attend Sunday Mass and The National Church Life will include questions on a numSurvey will not be the only ber of topics ranging from relichurch survey this year. gious beliefs and practices The Archdiocese will also con- through to attitudes on social duct a Mass attendance count issues such as euthanasia, overover two weekends in December seas aid and land rights. in all parishes separately from Respondents will remain anonythe national survey. The first mous. count will be held on the weekFr Cunningham said there were end of 14-15 December; the sec- a number of advantages to parond will take place on Christmas ticipation in the National Church Eve and Christmas Day. Life Survey. NCLS coordinator for the "When the numbers from the Catholic Church in Australia, Bob National Church Life Survey are Dixon, said from Melbourne he lined up against those from the wanted to see more parishes (Government's) Census we can
The wisdom of St Kilda's streets - Page 9
identify the number who said they were Catholic with the numbers at Mass," he said. Fr Cunningham said the survey would not just be an exercise in comparing numbers; the involvement of Catholic parishes would sharpen the picture of the state of contemporary religious belief, attitude and practice in Australia. He said there was a "steady trickle" of information coming from the non-Catholic churches on the attitudes of their members and these churches had felt there was an imbalance in their surveys in not having the views of the largest congregation in Australia. According to the last census figures Catholics make up 27 per cent of the population while the next largest Christian denomination are the Anglicans, who represent 24 per cent. Those parishes interested in participating should contact Fr Cunningham through the Parish Life and Mission office on (09) 221 1548.
College leads way in joint venture - Page 3
Build a new civilisation: Archbishop Archbishop Barry Rickey has called on Catholics to build a new Christian civilisation out of the ruins of a disintegrating secular society using the teaching of the new Catechism as the basis for building a truly human civilisation. In a speech in Sydney this week, Archbishop Hickey said the Catechism was much more than a defence of Catholic teaching. "It is a tool of evangelisation, a New handbook for the Evangelisation that will speak afresh to people who have turned away from Christ," he said. He urged Catholic thinkers to be at the intersection of religion and public life, to enter current debates and present in a coherent and convincing manner the reality of a pre-existing objective moral order that is the God-given source of right and wrong. "It is not sufficient to withdraw from current moral and ethical debate and to work only at the level of personal faith, because culture is so pervasive and influential," he said. Full text - Pages 11 and 14
US prelates in war of words on Pope's role - Page 12