Friday 2 May 2025
Archbishop Costelloe SDB officially launches 2025 Winter Appeal for LifeLink
In his appeal letter this year, Archbishop Tim writes,
“The Church declared 2025 a “Holy Year of Jubilee” and called on Catholics around the world to be “Pilgrims of Hope”, encouraging us to be signs of hope for the many people who are excluded and marginalised in society.
We are also asked to recognise and celebrate those who give of themselves and their time to deliver hope to our brothers and sisters in need.
Pope Francis is a wonderful example for us when he said…
The people on the edges have much to teach us. In their difficulties they know the suffering Christ.
We need to let ourselves be evangelised by them. The new evangelisation is an invitation to put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way.
Archbishop Costelloe SDB said, “We don’t need to look far for ‘inspirational heroes of hope’ than one of the many agencies supported by LifeLink. The Shopfront, which serves on the frontline of need here in the Archdiocese of Perth, has been managed by Damian Walsh for almost 10 years with support provided predominately by a generous and loyal group of volunteers.
Every day, they warmly welcome ‘visitors’ to their ‘home’ in Bentley, providing meals, counselling, emergency relief, access to GP’s, basic foodstuffs and household items, a place to shower and refresh, linking them to other government and community support services.
These visitors come from all walks of life and for all sorts of reasons – homelessness, financial crisis, struggling with mental health conditions, needing emergency relief due to a critical change, looking for respite from their troubles. But one thing they share is the fundamental human need to feel seen, to feel genuinely cared about, to experience human interaction and engagement, to not feel isolated or lonely.”
A special issue of our LIFELINKS newsletter has been developed this year to help support the Archbishop’s Winter Appeal. It features the work The Shopfront agency – an organisation funded by your generous gifts to the Archbishop’s Winter Appeal.
Please take the time to read this newsletter. It is an opportunity to more fully understand the circumstances which lead to homelessness, the courageous challenges our brothers and sisters in need face, and how vitally important it is for us to understand, accept, recognise and walk with them on their journey.