The three Advent themes of preparing, waiting and receiving were recently thrust into the limelight by parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Highgate as their Advent Mission event once again gained widespread popularity.
Held over three evenings (7 to 9 December) of the Advent season and facilitated by The Catholic Guy Impact Centre, the parish also used the event to promote and welcome people from within the wider Perth community to join them in this formative experience.
The event featured a number of musical performances and talks that were both spiritual and practical, with the main presentations given by local site leader for The Catholic Guy Impact Centre, Kylie Duff, and Permanent Deacon Aaron Peters, both of whom were invited to speak by Parish Priest of Sacred Heart, Fr Irek Czech.
The event gave attendees the opportunity to reflect on their faith, spend time in prayer and absorb an educational and spiritual experience which allowed them to enter more deeply into the season of Advent.
Each night participants were given the opportunity to respond to the theme with a variety of prayer and reflection experiences, including the sacrament of reconciliation.
The event also allowed time for fellowship and conversation, with attendees enjoying food and drinks outside the Church after each session.
“Our hope was that parishioners who attended were able to reflect, learn and fully experience the power of God,” Fr Czech said.
Well-known for its charm and beauty, the Sacred Heart Church was further enhanced throughout the event with a special lighting set up brought in especially for the mission.
As a follow-up to the Advent Mission, The Catholic Guy team also held a ‘Carols by Candlelight’ event a week later to further engage the parish community.