The annual Patrick Oration, delivered on the feast of St Patrick, has become an important occasion for reflecting on the life of the Church and its mission in Melbourne. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli delivered the sixth Patrick Oration on Monday, St Patrick’s Day. at the Hotel Windsor.
In his address, Archbishop Comensoli spoke of light, renewal and the enduring power of faith, drawing on both historical and contemporary examples to illustrate how faith acts as a force for transformation.
Reflecting on the 2011 disaster in Fukushima, Japan, where an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown devastated the region, Archbishop Comensoli began his oration by recounting the story of a Buddhist monk who remained behind while others fled.
“As he made his way around the desolated land, he began planting sunflower seeds in the dead soil,” he said.
Over time, these sunflowers lifted the spirits of those who remained, with their vibrant, open faces seeking the light. But they also served a deeper purpose, drawing toxins from the soil and beginning the healing process for the land.
“The sunflowers broke down the cancer in the ground,” the Archbishop explained. “With the power of light, they drew out the poison of death.”
This story, Archbishop Comensoli said, carries profound symbolism for the Church, including in Melbourne. Just as the sunflowers transformed the poisoned land, faith brings healing, hope and new life to wounded hearts and communities.
Drawing a parallel between the sunflowers and the early Catholic settlers of Melbourne, Archbishop Comensoli turned to the history of St Patrick’s Cathedral.
“The seeds planted by early Melbourne Catholics – mostly made up of the working-class poor – were rather different to sunflower seeds, but they had a very similar intention,” he noted.
The “seeds” that built St Patrick’s were the blocks of bluestone excavated from local quarries and purchased with the small contributions of families who sought to establish a lasting home for their faith.
The cathedral, he said, was built not just as a place of worship, but as a shelter, a sanctuary and a place of belonging for God’s people.
He paid tribute to the immigrants and labourers who worked to build what is now one of Melbourne’s most recognisable landmarks.
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Turning to the Light: Archbishop Comensoli delivers 2025 Patrick Oration (Melbourne Catholic)
Patrick Oration 2025 (Melbourne Catholic)
