The Parish

Wanting to listen and ready to lead

New archbishop stakes it all on Perth.

Archbishop-designate Timothy Costelloe SDB would bring all his energy to his new role as the sixth Archbishop of Perth, he told a media conference at St Mary’s Cathedral on 20 February.

“From now on Perth is my home. Western Australia is my home and I look forward to becoming very much a part of the Church here in Perth, but also the wider society as well,” Bishop Costelloe said.

“The Bishop is called to be someone who does his very best to be a living sign of the presence of Jesus among his people as their good shepherd,” he said “I will commit all my energy to this role.”

As a Salesian, Bishop Costelloe said he had a special concern for the care and welfare of young people – the charism of the order’s founder, St John Bosco.

“But an Archbishop is an Archbishop for everybody. I hope I can assure everyone that I want to be available to everybody. I want to try and serve everybody as best I can.”

In his introductory remarks, Archbishop Hickey said that, like himself, Archbishop Costelloe would be directly responsible to the successor of Peter.

When asked what issues he would tackle, Bishop Costelloe said he would rather get the lie-of-the-land before listing specific issues.

“It’s all rather new to me. I really would prefer to come in as someone who wants to listen … to try and understand the reality of the Church and society generally here in Perth and Western Australia,” he said. “I’m sure certain areas and issues will emerge.”

He said he was “keen to be a faithful voice of the Church”.

In a lighter moment, Cathedral Dean, Michael Keating asked the born and bred Victorian about his Australian Football allegiance.

“In the household I grew up (in) you either barracked for Richmond or you found somewhere else to live,” Archbishop Costelloe replied.

He had developed an affinity for the Fremantle Dockers while lecturing at the University of Notre Dame, in the mid-to-late nineties.

While Richmond would remain his first team, the Dockers “might end up being my second”.

Archbishop-designate Costelloe will be officially installed as the sixth Archbishop of Perth on 21 March in St Mary’s Cathedral.

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