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 was designated a “ministry” in the Catholic Church in 1972 after formerly being a minor order in which all men who were in training for priesthood would be instituted.
Acolytes are most visible in their ceremonial functions, such 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, Edwin Tjandra, husband of Cynthia and father to five-month-old Francis, said he stepped forward for the role, partly to provide a witness to young Catholics.
“I think it is good for regeneration,” Mr Tjanrda, who is currently completing his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Western Australia, said.
“If you see young people in the Mass it will somehow give a new spirit to the Church, because as the Pope has said, the Church is young. So I hope that with my service it will attract more young people to participate in the service as well,” he said.
Mr Tjandra has recently moved to Guildford from Queens Park, and expects to serve Mass every two weeks, with parish priest, Fr Blasco Fonseca.
In spite of the theological training he has already received, he expects a big learning curve initially.
“I think it was only a small part of the training. The big training will happen in each parish by the experienced acolytes.”