Dominican Sisters of Western Australia
"To contemplate and give to others the fruits of our contemplation."
GERALDTON PRESENCE
Geraldton Celebrates
the Ordination of the New Bishop!
The entire Diocese of Geraldton celebrated the ordination of the 9th Bishop of Geraldton, local man, Fr Michael Morrissey. The event took place in the Gym of Nagle Catholic College on 28th June 2017, in order to cater for the very large crowd of parishioners, family, friends and clergy who came to celebrate the life of the Diocese.
Bishop Michael is pictured here with his mother, Margaret Morrissey.
Bishop Michael's family is well-known in the region since their arrival in 1850. Bishop Michael was born on Noongall Station near Yalgoo in 1952 which provided him with wonderful experiences in caring for sheep and learning the practical skills of running a station.
When Bishop Michael was ordained a priest on 31 January 1981 in St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Geraldton, he probably had no idea that his farming skills would come in handy later on in his life when he would be called to be a "shepherd" to the Catholic community in the vast and varied Geraldton Diocese.
His ministry as a priest saw him working in the Pilbara at Port Hedland, South Hedland and Karratha and parishes around Geraldton and the nearby towns. Bishop Michael gained experience while working side by side with former Geraldton Bishop Justin Bianchini, especially as Vicar for Clergy. Bishop Michael also committed 30 years of service as a Chaplain of the Army Reserve.
SInce the Dominican Sisters of Western Australia was founded in the Geraldton Diocese, and is still represented by Sr Mary Ryan OP, Director of Centrecare, a number of Sisters made the journey from Perth to celebrate with Bishop Michael and the people of Geraldton. Those who attended the occasion are, from left to right: Sisters Margaret Scharf, Mary Ryan, Gemma Seaman, Regina O'Neill and Myrtle Anstey.
Photo: Sr Mary Ryan OP with the Executive management team and the Board Chairman: left to right Anne Smith, Tricia Robinson, Peter Creek (Chairman) Sr Mary Ryan, Linda
O’Brien, Delphine Williams.
Centacare Geraldton Takes Out
Top Honour
Centacare Family Services Geraldton Board and Staff are very proud to receive the Award from the Midwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Business Excellence in the Not for Profit Section.
The Award was received by Sr Mary Ryan OP(Director),
Peter Creek, Chairman, and the Executive Management Team; Anne Smith, Linda O’Brien, Delphine Williams and Tricia Robinson. This Award is a tribute to past and present Board Members, staff and volunteers who are the people responsible for providing excellent services across the Midwest and Gascoyne Regions.
Centacare operates in seven locations across the Midwest and Gascoyne: three offices in Geraldton, and one each in Carnarvon, Exmouth, Yalgoo and Mt Magnet. There are 47 staff members across the region providing over 19 Government funded – both State and Commonwealth - services to assist families and individuals. In the past year over 11,000 people have been assisted in one way or another across these services.
As Centacare is a registered Charity and a Public benevolent Institution, which allows tax deductions for donations, many donations have been received from local businesses to assist in providing for needs that may not be covered by Government funding. Over the years volunteers have also helped in many ways to continue the work of Centacare.