Inspirational reflections on faith, mission, and service featured prominently at the Knights of the Southern Cross WA Leadership Breakfast. Source: The Record.
Three women who hold prominent positions in mission, outreach and religious education shared personal reflections on faith, vocation and service that revealed not only the diversity of their journeys but also a shared commitment to mission in the Perth Archdiocese.
Their experiences highlighted several unifying themes: the power of lived witness, the importance of formation and community, the reality of non-linear vocational paths, and the enduring call to accompany others in faith.
Debra Sayce, Perth Archdiocese’s chief of mission enhancement and outreach, said her life and vocation were shaped by five defining identities: mother, wife, migrant, learner and Catholic.
More than just labels, Dr Sayce said they were living threads woven into her story of faith, education and service.
A self-described “lifelong learner,” Dr Sayce said education is not simply about acquiring knowledge, but also sharing it in ways that transform lives, particularly with young people.
The integration of faith and learning, she said, underpins her belief that understanding faith requires knowledge. Without formation, faith risks becoming shallow or disconnected. With it, faith becomes something that can be lived, shared, and deepened.
A similar emphasis on lived faith was shared by Tara Peters, chief mission integration officer at St John of God Health Care.
Her career path was far from linear. Beginning in finance, Ms Peters moved into Catholic lay ministry, leading to 16 years of service within a faith community. When this chapter came to an unexpected end, she was left searching for direction.
Ms Peters reflected that it was through these “crooked lines” that God was at work.
Her eventual appointment to a leadership role in mission integration brought together her professional experience and her commitment to faith, allowing her to support the formation of caregivers and foster a culture rooted in dignity and human flourishing.
For Syona Fernandez, head of Religious Education at Lumen Christi College, the journey of faith is deeply relational. Raised in a migrant family, she credits her parents and teachers as the first witnesses of faith in her life.
A pivotal moment came in her younger years through the life of Mother Teresa. Inspired by the words, “I’m just a pencil in the hand of God,” Ms Fernandez embraced a vision of faith centred on availability and service
FULL STORY
Reflections on faith: stories of witness from Perth’s Catholic leaders (By Phil Bayne, The Record)
