Archbishop Prowse’s impassioned address about spiritual power

Archbishop Prowse made an impassioned speech to the Leaders’ Formation Symposium.

Archbishop Prowse made an impassioned address to the Catholic Leaders’ Formation Symposium at St Christopher’s parish centre today, emphasising the Catholic Church in Australia’s need to improve its use of spiritual power.

“What we’re about today is not about egos, and showing off and talking about infrastructures, yes of course we need to have the plan… but it’s God’s work. It’s GOD’S WORK,” Archbishop Prowse said.

“We’re not managers, we’re not a corporation… WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, and from that body comes spiritual power, and from nowhere else.”

“Spiritual power comes from Jesus Christ, and our encounter with Jesus Christ, alive in his church.”

The Archbishop’s address set the tone for the passion and direction of the Symposium attended by more than 140 leaders of the church from within the Archdiocese and from as far afield as Darwin.

The purpose of the Symposium, organised by the Catholic School’s Youth Ministry and the La Salle Academy at Australian Catholic University, was to establish a professional formation network for leaders in Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses and other Church organisations engaged in evangelisation.

The Symposium included sessions on faith formation, talks by Youth Ministers, tailored seminars and a listening and dialogue session to assist in preparing submissions for the Plenary Council.

Archbishop Prowse said that our youth are challenging us to provide for them the true spiritual substance of the faith.

“[They are asking us] where have you put the Lord, my Lord and God,” he said.

“You’ve put him into policies, you’ve put him into infrastructure, you’ve put him into great and wonderful things but you haven’t told us for the first time that I am loved by the God of love and I can experience that through the Holy Spirit today… that’s the charigma. And that’s what we Catholics have to get more involved in.”