Queensland’s Palm Island community marked the 100th anniversary of the first Mass on the island, in a joyful celebration of culture and faith. Source: In The Word.
Townsville Bishop Timothy Harris was chief celebrant at the anniversary Mass, celebrated on the Feast of Sts Joachim and Anne on July 26, and marking 100 years since the first Mass was said in a classroom in 1924.
Other priests present included the Society of the Divine Word provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD and administrator of St Anne’s Parish, Palm Island, Fr Manh Le SVD.
“This is a day worth celebrating,” Bishop Harris said in his homily.
“The truth is that the Catholic Church has not abandoned Palm Island or its people. The Catholic Church, through its first missionaries, the religious sisters and priests over the years to the present day, has served and continues to serve with love and devotion.”
Bishop Harris said it was reported that the Church had been present on the Island as far back as 1918, when a priest visited, but there was no permanent priest to pastoral responsibility.
“This took time, but it was Bishop Terence McGuire, the first bishop of the Diocese of Townsville, who did take pastoral responsibility and declared Palm Island a mission of the Church shortly after his consecration.
“This was an historical moment of joy, but Palm Islanders have not always had a happy past so for anything we may have done as ‘Church’, I apologise.
“Our overwhelming desire has always been to do good. Not only on this Island, but also on Fantome Island,” which is where the Church went to care for lepers, he said.
Bishop Harris said it was Jesus who “sent us here all those years ago”.
“We came with a purpose – we came in his name.”
A large number of people from Vietnamese communities in Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville took part in the day at the invitation of Fr Manh Le SVD, dressing in their traditional costume and bringing lots of spring rolls for the lunch.
“And to see Australia’s oldest culture celebrating together with one of its newest migrant cultures with the Vietnamese visitors was so touching. I was in tears,” Fr Le said.
FULL STORY
Palm Island community gives thanks for 100 years of the Eucharist (In The Word)
