Presentation to priests ‘inspiring and formative’

05 Jun 2014

By Matthew Biddle

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth

Perth Catholic priests say the recent fortnight of clergy seminars led by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB were among the best they have ever attended.

From May 19 to May 30, the Archbishop held two week-long seminars with 50 priests of the Archdiocese in attendance, where he spoke about the need for “pastoral practicality”.

Parish priest of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Gosnells, Fr Patrick Lim, described the seminars as “inspiring and formative”.

“Speaking as a systematic theologian, [the Archbishop] was able to present to us an understanding of the common priesthood we share in Christ by our baptism and the ministerial priesthood,” Fr Lim said.

“I left the conference with a sense of hope and energy that if we all work together and support each other in our lives, our faith and our mission we all can grow to be like Christ.

“We – laity, priests, deacons, religious, bishops – are a holy nation, a royal priesthood and a chosen people of God. As ordained priests we are not set apart, above and aside the people of God but in the midst. Christ is the priest, the head of the body (the Church).

“By our common priesthood, not just the ordained priests, we are all called to bring Christ to others – “We need to return Christ to the Church and Church to Christ” the Archbishop said. We all need to put Christ in our view and not to be drawn away from our calling by our baptism to be the face of Christ to others.”