iServi News | 30 July 2021 | Term 3, Week 2
Chapel: A place of sanctuary
Our spiritual development concerns the “search for transcendental meaning” in our lives. This development helps us understand God’s greater calling and purpose for us. As we grow in awareness, our faith supports us across times of challenge, celebration and loss.
At Servite, we support the spiritual growth of each student through our College Ministry programs. College Chaplain, Fra Rubenson works alongside Sr Chitra Justin and other members of our Ministry Team to support our students and staff to discover, explore and deepen their relationship with Jesus through their engagement with our Liturgical program. Through a dedicated approach to spiritual development, we invite reflection on our future growth and potential, as well as on our specific Catholic practices and symbols.
As we implement our Master Plan for campus development, we are consciously creating spaces to support spiritual development in our school. We are pleased to announce the College recently commissioned a new Chapel. Located within our Alexis Building, the Chapel is a dedicated space for our community to come and spend time with the Blessed Sacrament, participate in the Sacraments, prayer and liturgy and deepen their relationship with Jesus.
Mr Ryan Wiles
Director of Ministry
Saint Anthony Parish, Wanneroo
Servite College has had a deep connection with Saint Anthony Parish in Wanneroo, as reflected in the naming of our school’s Saint Anthony Priory. After many years our Servite Friars have moved back to Wanneroo to continue their long connection with this community. Fra Leonard Guiang, OSM, Assistant Parish Priest at Saint Anthony Parish, has shared with us a brief history of this wonderful community.
The first (recorded) Mass in Wanneroo was celebrated in 1887 by Fr James Duff in the home of the Gibbs family at the “The Ten Mile”. From this time, Mass was celebrated on an irregular basis by a priest from St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth who commuted on a bicycle to celebrate Mass in homes. From 1911 to 1927 Mass was offered monthly by priests from the Cathedral. Then from 1927 onwards, religious services were provided by Fr Redmond Prendiville, who later became the second Archbishop of Perth (1935 – 1968).
The first church in Wanneroo was erected, blessed, and opened on Sunday 17 July 1932 by the first Archbishop of Perth, His Grace Patrick Joseph Clune CSSR (1913 – 1935), at the cost of six hundred and seventy pounds. At the opening, he was accompanied by Fr Lancelot John Goody, who later also become the third Archbishop of Perth (1968 – 1983), who had recently returned from studying in Rome and Dalmatia. With his ability to preach in Italian, Slav, and English, he gave much joy and delight to the multicultural people in the locality.
In February 1937, Wanneroo and Osborne Park became one Parish under the jurisdiction of Monsignor Albert Langmead as Parish Priest. It remained under the care of St Kieran’s Parish Osborne Park until December 1951 when the Servite Friars arrived in Australia from the United States to assume pastoral care of Wanneroo as a Parish with Very Rev James Mary Keane, OSM being the first Parish Priest.
Father Keane arrived in Perth on 30 November 1951 and was greeted by Archbishop Redmond Prendiville. It was the Archbishop’s intention to create a new parish for the Servites (Order of the Servants of Mary – OSM) in a district outside Perth called Wanneroo. The large area was occupied by immigrant vegetable farmers mainly Italian and Yugoslav origin. They had already built a small church called Saint Anthony’s which was under the jurisdiction of Saint Kieran’s Parish. Since St Anthony’s was not yet a parish, Fr Keane took up residence at Osborne Park. Two days after his arrival, the Archbishop himself introduced Fr Keane to the parishioners of Saint Anthony’s. He laboriously worked in the parish of Osborne Park and Wanneroo, visiting, giving retreat, starting to offer a Novena to our Lady of Sorrows and the Pilgrim statue going from house to house for a week. In 1952, Fr Brunetti was appointed as the resident Parish Priest of St Anthony’s Parish.
In 2001, the present parish church was blessed and opened by the fifth Archbishop of Perth, His Grace Barry James Hickey (1991- 2012) and Fr Patrick ‘Paddy” Boyle as the Parish Priest. The Servite Fathers continued to care for the parish for fifty years, until 2002, Fr Fitzgerald, Fr Carlo Marchetti, Fr Patrick Boyle, Fr Pitzen, Fr Lawrence (Martin) Jenco – has been hostage in Lebanon of 19 months and the same time who gave the relic of St Anthony to the Crisafulli Family, Fr Spicer, Fr Christopher Ross, Fr Myles Lynch, and Fr Liam Mackle.
In 2003, the parish was returned to diocesan administration with the appointment of Fr Michael Separavich. Under his pastoral care, the Banksia Grove Primary Catholic School was established within the northern boundary of the parish. Diocesan priests took over the parish and Fr John Daly was appointed as the parish priest on 14 July 2007. Fr Benedict Lee was appointed as the parish priest from 2019 to 2021. He was the first Asian parish priest of the parish.
The Archbishop asked the Servites to return and take care of the St Anthony’s Parish. The sixth Archbishop of Perth, His Grace Timothy John Costelloe SDB appointed Fr Peter Porteous, OSM as the Parish Priest and Fr Leonard Guiang, OSM as the Assistant Priest on 2 March 2021. Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald George Sproxton visited the Parish on Sunday 20 June to celebrate the installation Mass, together with Fr Porteous and Assistant Priest and fellow Servite, Fr Leonard Guiang OSM.
The installation of Fr Porteous and Fr Guiang marks the return of the Servite Order to the Wanneroo Parish, following their arrival in 1951 and departure in 2003, after more than 52 years administering the Parish. Speaking to the congregation of some 250 people during his homily, Bishop Sproxton said Fr Peter Porteous with the assistance of Fr Leonard Guiang, will serve the parish which is so special to the Servites. “The return of the Servites to St Anthony’s has been welcomed by the parishioners, many of whom have experienced the care of the Order since they arrived in Western Australia,” Bishop Sproxton said.
When the parish was first established it extended from Main Street, Balcatta to Yanchep. These last seventy years have seen several parishes in the northern suburbs of Perth carved off from the original Parish of Wanneroo. Now the following places form part of the parish area: Wanneroo, Sinagra, Ashby, Hocking, Pearsall, Wangara, Gnangara, Joondalup, Edgewater, Lexia, Melaleuca and Jandabup.
Fr Leonard Guiang, OSM
Assistant Priest
St Anthony Parish, Wanneroo