Above: The clergy celebrating Mass. From left: Fathers Hugh Brown, Frank de Dood, Bishop Jeremiah Coffey and Father Peter Slater.By Jim Mynard
ST MICHAEL’S Parish Berwick celebrated its golden jubilee at the original site of the St Michael’s School recently.
This was a focus on a celebratory year for the parish.
Catholic heritage in the district, however, goes back many years before creation of the independent parish in 1956.
The Mass of celebration, attended by 800 people, was conducted around the site of the first school building, Wedge Hall.
Bishop of Sale, the Most Reverend Jeremiah Coffey, led the Mass assisted by Fathers Peter Slater, Hugh Brown and Frank de Dood.
Fr de Dood was a student at St Michael’s in its foundation year.
The service started with a procession of banners from the parish schools of St Michael’s and St Catherine’s primary schools, and both St Francis Xavier College campuses at Beaconsfield and Berwick.
Frank and Eileen Tuck then carried a branch of the historic oak tree that shades the church of St Michael’s to symbolise the history and growth of the parish.
Mark Sweeney carried an original brick made at the Officer quarry and used in construction of Wedge Hall.
Other bricks reclaimed from the building were used to build the gate surrounds at the entrance to St Michael’s.
Marie Goodall carried a new altar cloth made especially to suit the jubilee celebration, representing the many helpers who tend the church each week.
The new altar cloth displays the parish logo Sharing God’s Love.
Maree Chapman held her book, The Church on the Hill, published in 1996, which depicts the history and story of St Michael’s.
First principal at St Michael’s Sr De Sales attended the celebration.
Also present were former students Sr Rosaleen McCaffrey, Sr Alice Gleeson and Bob Fitzsimmons.
Fr Slater read a greeting from the second parish priest Fr Ron Poulson, now in retirement on the Mornington Peninsula.
Bishop Coffey paid tribute to the late Fathers Wedge and Todd and noted many fond stories parishioners had passed on about the two men.
Fr Wedge was tragically killed in an air accident at Menzies Creek in 1958.
Bishop Coffey also paid special tribute to Monsignor Gallagher for his 27 years of leadership at Berwick.
Monsignor Gallagher, who is living in retirement in Berwick, called at the celebration during the day.
A feature of the day was a photographic display in the old church and many posters about the history and growth of the parish.
This proved to be a popular area for people to meet and chat about the past.
Other parishioners welcomed back were Des and Carmel McKenna from Malmsbury, Mike and Anne Keogh, and Peter O’Halloran of Tweed Heads.
