On April 25^th as people from around Australia gathered for services to mark Anzac Day, so too we gathered in the town of Muttaburra at 5am. I had been asked to participate in this service. Muttaburra with its population of 85 people would, I think be one of the smallest towns in the Diocese of Rockhampton. The Church shares the same patrom as the Cathedral: St. Joseph.

 On April 24^th I had a lesson (preparing three little boys to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation) in Aramac which is north of here and just under 90km east of Muttaburra. So after my lesson I drove west and stayed the night with Pearl Langdon who for many years has been the Catholic contact person in town. Some people may be aware that Pearl’s husband Doug (deceased) discovered Muttaburrasaurus langdoni on their property.

What was different and special about this Anzac Day service was the unveiling and prayer for blessing of a plaque and symbolic representation to remember those military and civilian men and women who have taken their own lives as a result of the trauma which they experienced. In each of the five towns within the Barcaldine Shire a similar memorial was unveiled this year. A white poppy has been adopted as the symbol. “Respected and Remembered”: these words head the dedication. The suicide of a mate several weeks after the longest battle (May 12 – June 6, 1968) and many years later, the derogatory letter to his mate’s family from a military officer, prompted Clarence Ormsby, a NZ Vietnam veteran whose unit operated with an Australian Task Force, to respond in this way. He has been instrumental in the project which seems to be slowly spreading e.g. the unveiling in Budgewoi, NSW. The overarching hope is to focus on mental health and to prevent suicide. I felt privileged to be invited to be present and to participate, the more because of the death of my cousin in the Vietnam War, as well as experiencing the terrible grief of those whose loved ones have taken their own lives. May they rest in peace and may we all grow in sensitivity to each other’s struggles and sadness.

More information is available on the internet.

 Sr. Mary Farrelly, Western Pastoral Ministry