Friday 29 April 2022
Archbishop Launches Annual Winter Appeal
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB launched his annual Winter Appeal for LifeLink, urging supporters to “give joyfully to help our brothers and sisters in need.”
In his appeal letter this year, His Grace writes “As I prepare this message in support of my annual Winter Appeal for LifeLink, my thoughts are very much on our forthcoming Easter celebrations, which for people of faith, is a joyous time of renewal and restrengthening.
At Easter, we are reminded of God’s love for us through the sacrifice that He made in offering His only son so that we may be saved. We are called to reflect on what it means to be ‘a person of faith’ and what steps we must take if we hope to walk in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.
As we have come to expect, Pope Francis lights the pathway for us to follow in his recent Lenten Message. He said,
“Let us not grow tired of doing good in active charity towards our neighbours.
During this Lent, may we practise almsgiving by giving joyfully (cf. 2 Cor 9:7). God who “supplies seed to the sower and bread for food” (2 Cor 9:10) enables each of us not only to have food to eat, but also to be generous in doing good to others.
While it is true that we have our entire life to sow goodness, let us take special advantage of this Lenten season to care for those close to us, and to reach out to our brothers and sisters who lie wounded along the path of life (cf. Lk 10:25-37).
Lent is a favourable time to seek out – and not to avoid – those in need; to reach out – and not to ignore – those who need a sympathetic ear and a good word; to visit – and not to abandon – those who are lonely.
Let us put into practice our call to do good to all, and take time to love the poor and needy, those abandoned and rejected, those discriminated against and marginalised (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 193)”.
“The Holy Father reminds us that it is in the action of demonstrating our faith, that we will truly see and experience God’s love for us.
When we reach out to help our brothers and sisters in need – the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the isolated and lonely, the abused and abandoned, and the sick – we demonstrate our love for God in a very real and tangible way.
We can all be a part of reaching out to help people in need throughout Western Australia through our collective support for the Church’s welfare agencies.
Our LifeLink Catholic Caring Agencies fulfil a mission of care to those most in need in the community … providing emergency housing, counselling support, emergency food and accommodation, employment and training programmes, migrant and refugee assistance, disability and respite support, support for women escaping domestic violence and more.
37,000 Western Australian families and individuals each year depend on LifeLink being there at their time of need… and we depend on YOU to help us continue to do so.
Let us continue to draw strength from God’s abiding love for us”.
Archbishop Costelloe has called on the Catholic community to join with him to help raise a minimum of $300,000 for people in desperate need throughout WA.