St Patrick’s Wangaratta celebrated 160 years of parish life in May this year. Parishioners worked hard for months to ensure festivities were fitting for the occasion which was attended by Clergy and dignitaries from across Victoria. Wangaratta parishioner, Peter Murray, fills us in on the festivities which included a nine-day Novena, Commemorative Mass and luncheon, and sharing a vision for the future.
By Peter Murray
In May Fr Nathan, Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Wangaratta, and Robert Waterman, Parish Council member, ran a 9-day Novena. Several priests and parishioners who formerly served the district were in attendance. The peak occasion of the fortnight was a festive Saturday, 20 May, to celebrate the founding of the Wangaratta Mission (later Parish) by Fr George Devitt Galen in 1863.
Earlier in the year the Parish Council, led by chairman Franco Cudini and secretary Mary Garlick, set up task forces and called on several individuals with expertise to ensure a memorable day.
Bishop Shane Mackinlay was principal celebrant for the 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Mass with ten other priests as co-celebrants and another ten in the congregation. Many had served in the Parish including Fr John Ryan, a local boy who was ordained and said his first Mass during St Patrick’s week-long Centenary celebrations in 1963.
Dignitaries able to be present included retired Bishop Les Tomlinson and former Anglican Bishop of Wangaratta John Parks, Tim McCurdy MLA for Ovens, Deputy Mayor of the Rural City of Wangaratta Harry Bussell, the Presbyterian Minister for Wangaratta Region and Adrian Johnstone CEO of St Catherine’s Aged Care.
At the beginning of the Mass Peter Murray gave a brief outline of the reasons for and the agenda of the festivity. He pointed out that the focus was on the achievements of 160 years. Coincidentally, he also felt we should also acknowledge that this year marked 180 years since the first recorded baptism of a local, Mary Jane Davenport. Plus it is 170 years since the first priest, Fr Patrick Smyth, briefly resided in the village before moving to the population centre of the Ovens Mining District, Beechworth.
Peter added that ten years ago Monsignor John White was gathering ideas for the Parish’s 150-year celebration. Tragically his plans, other than a Mass and the launching of a history, fell by the wayside when he was incapacitated and forced to retire due to terminal cancer.
After the 160-years Mass, which was blessed by the voices of a Melbourne Filipino Choir and a full congregation, more than two hundred filed into the hall. There they sat down to an excellent luncheon managed by Alison King and Christine McMahon and their team of volunteers.
Most carried a brochure that summarised the Wangaratta and Moyhu Parishes’ background and their facilities – schools, churches, hall, Delany Chapel, etc. Over the decades St Patrick’s original district had been subdivided in whole or part into a dozen parishes.
Not surprisingly, many dallied on their way to the luncheon because on the short way from church to hall many old acquaintances struck up conversations and shared stories.
As people passed through the supper room, most took time to consider purchasing commemorative wines, inscribed pens, or copies of the parish history, As the Spirit Leads by Peter Murray. Moira Hill and her helpers had all the memorabilia well organised.
Moira’s daughter Simone Kirwan had done much in preparing local press articles as precursors to the occasion.
To the right of the entrance of the hall was a display of early baptismal and marriage register pages, plus enlargements of photos mainly drawn from the amazing albums compiled by the Brigidine Sisters between 1890 and 1960s. Also presented were photographs of the extensive 1960s constructions which were taken by Fr James Byrne while he was living at St Patrick’s and before he acquired his own presbytery at Our Lady’s Parish, South Wangaratta.
Many gathered around the display after the luncheon. Some sought copies or the actual displayed photos! Some did so because they recognised forebears. There were also some gasps as ladies recognised themselves or their mothers in the blue veils of the Children of Mary. One elderly man recognised his grandfather as an altar server. That’s a sharp eye!
Once everyone was settled, punctuality-driven MC Franco Cudini called on Peter Murray to speak of his recent research on Fr Galen. Peter explained how our first parish priest was a person of mixed but useful experiences. Though young, he had moved from isolated County Donegal, to education at religiously-split County Cavan, to priestly studies in industrial Durham, UK, and finally to pioneering Melbourne to find his brother.
Bishop Goold convinced him to stay in his infant diocese. He became assistant to the Principal of St Patrick’s College and was ordained by the bishop in July 1863. About six weeks afterwards Bishop Goold sent him to Beechworth.
While in Ireland and Durham, George Galen became an admirer of the neo-gothic architecture of Augustine Pugin. By chance Pugin’s former understudy, William Wardell, was designing St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne; he was later to design a replacement for the burnt St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, too.
The enthusiastic young Fr Galen struck up a friendship with Wardell and persuaded him to design St Patrick’s Church, Wangaratta. Sadly, after six years of struggle Fr Galen succumbed to tuberculosis before he could celebrate in his church.
Fr Thomas Egan completed the roofing and furnishing the year after. Four years later St Kilian’s, Sandhurst, St Joseph’s Beechworth and St Patrick’s Wangaratta became the earliest parishes of the new Diocese of Sandhurst.
Bishop Shane spoke of later developments in the parish and noted the strenuous efforts in the past to pass on the faith and meet the needs of a varied and growing population. He had done his own reading and research thoroughly, for which the audience expressed much pleasure.
An unexpected highlight followed with the so-called Three Amigos (Fr Nathan, Fr Junjun and Mons. Cris) revealing how well they could harmonise singing an Aussie favourite, The Seekers’ Georgie Girl – with gusto and only a slight Filipino accent! We later heard they had been practising for hours in Wodonga.
Under Fr Nathan’s watchful eye, Bishop Shane then displayed how well he could stab and slice the 160-year cake – not ‘160-year-old cake’ as one participant suggested as he took a grinning mouthful.
Presentations ended with the drawing of the raffle: First prize, two nights for two at the scenic Chrismont Guesthouse at Cheshunt went to Lorna Cheong; second, an Aroma Deli hamper was won by Colleen O’Brien; third, a Booktique voucher was handed to Margaret Sartori and a quilt to Dianne Kerr.
MC Franco thanked the donors, particularly Arnie and Jo Pizzini, and Tony Molinaro. Finally, he acknowledged all helpers and attendees who had made the occasion so memorable. Informal gatherings lasted well after the formal arrangements.
