A 600 year-old river red gum is set to take centre stage next month with a ritual that prompted its nickname - The Mass Tree.
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The giant specimen stands within sight of the Murray River at Wahgunyah.
In 1869, a time of paddle steamers and horses, the tree hosted the first Catholic mass in the village.
Now next month, to mark the 150th anniversary of that milestone, Rutherglen Catholic priest Father Brian Carey will officiate mass at the tree.
"I think it's very significant," Father Carey said.
"It's a link with our past, our Christian faith of the people there at the time and mass is celebrated every Sunday now in the little wooden church in Dennison Street, so it's quite significant it continues until today.
"It's good to celebrate the coming together of people to be strengthened in our faiths and strengthened in our community."
In 1946, a plaque was attached to the trunk of the tree to mark the 1869 mass given by Beechworth priest William Tierney and role of Margaret Mary Burrows who in the words of the metal plate "prepared the altar in her tent at this tree".
Mrs Burrows and her husband and children were living in a nearby bark hut with the tent, from Ireland, housing materials used in the mass.
Twin sons, John and William, who were born in the tent, were altar boys at the first mass, which was observed by Aborigines as well as settlers.
The chairperson of the Wahgunyah History Group Sue Fenn wants to hear from Burrows descendants so they can be invited to the commemorative gathering on October 27.
She said tragically Mrs Burrows later drowned in Sunday Creek, a tributary of the Murray River, that runs nearby the Mass Tree.
Once known as the Holy Tree, the gum has been hailed for its botanical import as well as its religious tie.
"Corowa Landcare has estimated the tree to be 600 years old and it's classified by the National Trust as a tree of significance and it's on the Indigo Shire register as a tree of significance," Mrs Fenn said.
The mass will be held at 11am on Sunday October 27 with the occasion described as ecumenical.
It will be followed by lunch in the nearby Willows area which runs off Short Street, fronts the Murray River and was once home to a caravan park.
