RESIDENTS of the district, together with past residents, visitors and the Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Bishop Mark Coleridge, came together on Saturday for the re-opening and Consecration of Bombala’s Catholic Church.
The Parish was pleased to welcome former Parish Priest, Fr Frank Fuchs, Mayor Bob Stewart and wife Anne, Rev Arnold Bartholomew and Keith and Doreen Rumph of the Presbyterian community, Rev Ken and Margaret Foster and parishioners of St Mathias’ Anglican parish, and Andrew and Nancy Groves and family from the Assembly of God community.
Anna Vincent, Chair of the Parish Council welcomed all by acknowledging the first stewards of these lands, the Yuin and Ngarigo Ngarigo indigenous peoples.
Builders, Neil Rankin and Don Hassan were present to hand the keys of the restored church to Archbishop Coleridge and GO Engineers partner and project manager, Geoff Bowland handed over the completed specifications of works.
Ray Turnbull and Nick Spoljaric represented all the locals involved in trades and supplies of materials.
The Archbishop reminded participants in the ancient ritual, of the story of God’s love through Jesus Christ for all people and that they were part of that story and this new chapter was a further outpouring of God’s gifts upon the community, all for the sake of love and peace in the world.
A tangible link with the past was the insertion into the Altar of relics of the saints. The saints chosen to represented in Bombala’s Altar are Martyrs from the first years of the Church in Rome, St Vincent de Paul, the Apostle of Charity, his co-worker, St Louise de Marillac, foundress of the Daughters of Charity and Australia’s own saint Blessed Mary Mac Killop.
Stories shared among the locals and visitors on Saturday made the day a memorable one. One local recalled a family story from the day on which the church was first opened in May 1942. Her parents first took notice of each other at that event and a romance blossomed.
Someone else who could not attend on Saturday, but was present those sixty-six years ago was Dr Mc Callum, formerly of Delegate, but now retired and living in Manly. He sent greetings to one and all.
The festivities concluded with a remembrance for farmers, fishermen and foresters during these hard times, led by Murray Garnock and the Archbishop and the blessing of St May’s Parish Centre and St Joseph’s School renovations.
Fr Mick Mac Andrew, current Parish Priest, was heard to remark during the day, that the successful completion of the works, which took almost two years in researching and planning before the four months and one week of building, would now allow him to “once again be a fulltime priest, taking off the hard hat”.
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