AFTER just shy of a decade as parish priest in Wodonga, Father Dennis Crameri has announced he will be stepping down from active ministry.
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The popular preacher was farewelled at a special mass yesterday morning, attended by students from St Augustine’s Primary School.
Father Crameri is planning to spend the next 12 months living at his property in Mitta.
The Sandhurst Diocese has appointed Father Junjun Amaya to step in during his absence.
With his second stint in Wodonga coming to an end (after two years in the Border in the mid-80s), Father Crameri said it was the people he would miss the most.
“It’s a very hospitable, lovely place to be,” he said.
“The office, the schools, the parish – it’s a very vibrant community.”
Continued growth in Catholic Education Wodonga's schools was among Father Crameri's highlights from his time on the Border.
The makeover of Sacred Heart Church on Beechworth Road, the continued development of St Francis of Assisi Primary School in Baranduda (formerly Frayne College) and further building developments at other Wodonga schools have gone ahead under Father Crameri's watch.
“We've seen a great growth in our schools, physically certainly, but also in what's been happening on the ground,” he said.
“The spirit that abounds, the leadership we have as well.
“It's great to be able to look back and know it's in a great place, that's certainly been a highlight for me.”
St Augustine's Primary School principal Joseph Quinn said Father Crameri had left a lasting impression on several generations of students.
“He always has a positive outlook on everything, whatever he does is trying to get us to improve,” Mr Quinn said yesterday.
“You talk about every school improving, he's been the driver of that.
“He's a builder – he doesn't sit still with growth and development.
“His planning for the future of our schools has been instrumental, the growth we've seen in enrolments and the Catholic presence in Albury and Wodonga has been really positive.
“The way he interacts with the students, uses humour and makes each of them feel special is memorable.
“He doesn't judge, he just accepts people as they are – his door is always open.”