News from Mackay
From Mackay to Rome
From Mackay to Rome
On the evening of Wednesday 29th January parishioners from St Patrick’s Mackay, St Mary’s South Mackay, St Francis Xavier West Mackay, St Michael’s Sarina, St John’s Walkerston, Holy Rosary Marian, Immaculate Conception Mirani and St Francis de Sale Finch Hatton, gathered in St Patrick’s College Hall on the bank of the Pioneer River to wish Fr Don well as he departed for 12 months study leave in Rome. Yes, these are all the parishes of which Fr Don is Parish Priest/Administrator. We were also joined by Fr Stephen Hanly our Dean and parishioners from the Northside.
People recognised that for 3 years Fr Don has worked tirelessly among our different faith communities sharing his wisdom, his love of God and his blessed mother and his gentle prayerful celebration of the Sunday Eucharist with us. Pope Francis in quoting St Bonaventure in On The Call to Holiness says The greatest possible wisdom is to share fruitfully what we have been given (#46) and Fr Don most certainly has done that. People are happy to hit the pause button while Fr Don takes time for renewal and refreshment.
There was no formal agenda other than a short speech and a time to pray and bless Fr Don. As we shared finger food and wine it was an opportunity to enjoy one another’s company and individually and then communally to send Fr Don on his way with our blessings and prayer. As one person remarked it was great to gather as the faith communities of Mackay.
In paying tribute to Fr Don for his as yet unfinished work among us, Mary Anne Baillie acknowledged Fr Don's gifts of being with people. She said all your undertakings are about one thing – being with the people of God; the people entrusted to your care, to walk with us, guide us, lead us in prayer and worship so that together we live out our baptismal call. She added, Another of your pastoral strengths is visitation. You have a time set aside each week especially for visiting the house bound. As well as taking your turn to be on call for the hospital emergencies an important part of your pastoral care is to the sick and dying. She went on to say. You have listened to people and from those listening meetings you have established parish pastoral councils to work with you in discerning and meeting the ongoing needs and concerns of our faith communities. We appreciate your collaborative approach to ministry – working with people. In conclusion Mary Anne, noting that Pope Francis in speaking of Eucharist and Sabbath in Laudato si wrote: Rest is another way of working, which forms part of our very essence. (LS #237) said: Fr Don your time of study will be another way of working – but one where you will have to concentrate on only one thing. You go with our prayers and blessing. May it also be a time of refreshment and renewal and enjoyment.
Elspit Mulherin secretary of St Patrick’s presented Fr Don with a monetary gift from the parishioners and wished him well for his time away.
Fr Don thanked everyone for their attendance and generosity, their support and work over the past three years. Fr Don expressed his gratitude to Bishop Michael for the opportunity to study in Rome, and to Fr Alex for stepping up to the role of Administrator. In acknowledging his confidence in Fr Alex, Fr Don also acknowledged his confidence in the support that Fr Alex would receive from the people. Fr Don assured us he would be back to continue his ministry with us.
The evening concluded with prayer. A litany to Mary, the praying of Psalm 121 for Fr Don’s safe going and returning and with everyone raising their hands in blessing over Fr Don while praying the blessing from the Book of Numbers:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Mary Anne Baillie
Letter from Fr Don
Fr Don with Marc Pitson who is a seminarian for the Diocese of Leeds, England on the rooftop terrace of the College.
Outside the temperature has just reached 1 degree Celsius on a bright sunny Saturday morning here in Rome. It is just one week since I left Australia and arrived at the Venerable English College to begin my study leave, undertaking a post-graduate course in Moral Theology at the Dominican university called The Angelicum - just a twenty-minute walk from the College. Having finalised enrolment details, the courses at the University in this first Semester will cover some current issues that we are facing in Australia including the Catholic principles in Bioethics, the Dignity of Human life, Family Life and the moral perspectives in the teaching of the last three Popes, with an emphasis on Laudato Si and Amoris Laetitia. I am fortunate to be residing at the English College which is a Seminary for the Dioceses of England and Wales having a 400-year-old tradition of forming priests for parishes there. In recent years, it includes students from Scandinavian countries and student priests like myself from Australia. From just this first week, I can already appreciate how study in Rome gives an amazing sense of the Universal Church. People come from all over the world to Rome to engage with the Church in all sorts of ways. Being here also gives a renewed appreciation of one’s local Church where our faith and ministry are lived out daily. I am grateful to Bishop Michael and the Diocese for this opportunity to study and the insights and experiences this year will bring….
Fr Don White
Sam Camilleri RIP
On the 3rd January, an 89 year old gentleman, Sam Camilleri from the our Parish of Walkerston died suddenly. What is so special about Sam is how he le
d his life.
As long as I have known Sam each Saturday Night at mass he took up the collection. He sat behind me in the same spot for the last 28 years. He was dedicated and involved with the Mass. Afterwards, he would assist in closing the church.
Socially he and his brother (Joe 86 yearsr old) played the guitar and played for numerous functions, free of charge, in fact they played at October dinner when our Bishop was guest speaker. They loved music.
He loved coming to our Men’s Dinner a round trip of 40 KM, he was a member for over 30 years and enjoyed the camaraderie with other members.
Sam was involved in growing sugar cane and the cattle industry, he worked hard and was still working up to his death, he never married and with his brother (Joe) and sister (Ann) never missed Mass. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and will be sadly missed.
Graham Featherstone
