Forty is an important number in the Scriptures, explained Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, in his note of thanks at the conclusion of the 40th Anniversary Mass for the Diocese of Parramatta.
It is the number of years the Israelites were wandering in the desert, the number of days Jesus was tempted in the desert, and the number of days between Jesus’s resurrection and His Ascension.
“In preparation, in my pocket, I have a 40-page speech prepared for you,” he then joked.
Archbishop Balvo was principal celebrant alongside Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta and Bishop Robert McGuckin, Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba, at the Mass on Trinity Sunday, 31 May, which recognised and celebrated the youngest Diocese in Australia.
Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, standing on the right, next to Bishop Vincent, during the anniversary Mass. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, was full of clergy, consecrated men and women, civil leaders, heads of agencies and ministries and parishioners young and old from across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains – many in brightly coloured traditional national costume.
A combined choir of singers from across the Diocese were accompanied by violins, flutes, brass instruments and the Cathedral organ. The Prayers of the Faithful were said in English as well as Tagalog, Polish, Arabic, Malay and Tongan.
A celebration of gratitude, trust and hope in the future
In his homily, Bishop Vincent acknowledged the deep-rooted Catholic traditions of the early convicts of Parramatta which were nurtured over generations and the championing of Catholic education 200 years ago.
“We give thanks for our Catholic pioneers, including many missionary priests and religious who, like St Patrick, adopted a distant country as their home and left an indelible mark of the Gospel spirit in this place,” Bishop Vincent said.
“As you can see, we are the Church of new Australians, beginning with the sitting bishop himself.
“We not only host a variety of races, cultures and traditions, we also endeavour to demonstrate the richness, vitality and beauty of diversity like the first Pentecost we celebrated last week.”
Bishop Vincent acknowledged the deep-rooted Catholic traditions of Parramatta. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
Recognising the celebration being held on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Bishop Vincent encouraged the community to strive to reflect the God of love among all people.
“The Christian way of living cannot be other than the way shown in Jesus’ radical simplicity, solidarity and communion with God’s people and creation,” he said.
“It is with pride that we can say Parramatta has set the tone for an inclusive, welcoming and courageous Australia.
“The story of the Diocese of Parramatta is, above all, a story of people – people who welcomed strangers, helped the vulnerable and stood together in times of joy and challenge.
“As we give thanks to God to the pioneering men and women, to our bishops, clergy and religious that gave so much of themselves, let us also be resolved to respond to carry forward what we have inherited.
“May we be inspired to cultivate a future of hope and a civilisation of love, or, in the words of the late Pope Francis, ‘to be a Church where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the Gospel’.”
Diocese ‘on show’ during celebrations
Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Federal Member for McMahon, said “It was a privilege to join Bishop Vincent Long, His Excellency the Papal Nuncio Charles Balvo, and the broader Diocese of Parramatta community in celebrating this wonderful milestone.
Forty years of service, faith, and community is a remarkable achievement, and it was clear from the warmth and spirit of the day just how deeply the Diocese is woven into the fabric of Western Sydney.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Bishop Vincent and everyone who has contributed to the Diocese of Parramatta over these four decades. The work the Diocese does – supporting families, caring for the vulnerable, and bringing people together – reflects the very best of what community means. I look forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring.” he added.
Julia Finn, NSW MP for Granville, moved to the Diocese of Parramatta in 1994, and has represented the south-eastern parts of the Diocese at a state level since 2015.
Many present and past priests of the Diocese attended the Mass. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
“It was really great to see people from across the Diocese and the different ethnic groups actively engaged in the Mass. Having the different languages was meaningful and said a lot about our Diocese,” she said.
“This is the fastest growing diocese in Australia, it’s also the most multicultural and youngest, and that was very much on show here.
“Over the years, you’ve seen a real change with different waves of migration, and so many of them have come here with their Catholic faith.”
New diocese a draw for Fr Paul
Fr Paul Marshall, Rector of the Diocese’s Holy Spirit Seminary, was a seminarian when the Diocese of Parramatta was established, and when ordained a deacon in 1987 chose to commit himself to the Diocese.
“I chose the Diocese of Parramatta because Bishop Bede Heather was a visionary, he was very pastoral and ecumenical,” he said. “It was also a growth area with lots of young families.
“When I was first ordained, the Diocese was mainly an Anglo-Irish community, and then incrementally, it became a real mixture of people, refugees and those making a new start in a new land.
“I’ve loved the diversity of culture and the beautiful kinds of cuisines and cultures that have come with all the people.”
Seeing God’s creation in people, nature
Patrice Moriarty from Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park, has grown up in the Diocese of Parramatta and believes it has been a privilege to live and serve in what feels like a metropolitan diocese.
Many people dressed in traditional national costume. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
“One of the great things about our diocese is how beautiful and diverse it is and the richness of being able to see God’s creation in all of the people that are here and the different charisms and ways of praising and giving thanks to God,” she said.
“I went to Catholic primary and high schools, and I think they really set me up for life in the way of the education, but also educating the whole person to love and serve the Lord in creation and also in people as well.
“Part of our Dioceses is in the heritage-listed Blue Mountains, so it’s important that we care for creation, and that we make hearing the ‘cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’ at the heart of what we do.”
Cultural performances showcase ‘new Church’
Following Mass, the diversity of the Diocese was showcased with a generous multicultural afternoon tea and cultural performances from several Catholic chaplaincies.
Janika Fernando, from St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish, and a member of the Sri Lankan Catholic Association of NSW, was asked to be involved by the community’s chaplain.
“I really like being involved in my culture and being able to express that,” she explained.
Chaplaincies make migrants feel at home
With around 10% of the Catholic population in the Diocese migrating from the Philippines, Don Garcia from the Filipino chaplaincy said it was important to make sure they feel at home.
“When you migrate to a new country, there’s an isolation and sometimes a struggle to cope and blend in,” he said.
“Filipinos are very hospitable people, and it’s our culture to look after one another, so having a Filipino chaplaincy, newcomers can find someone to lean on, guide them and hopefully, bring them closer to Church as well.”
Images from the past 40 years were put up on the walls outside the Cathedral. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
Encouraging faith of next generation
To close out the celebrations, young members of the Samoan chaplaincy based at Sacred Heart Parish, Mt Druitt South, performed a traditional dance, inviting members of their community to join them at the end.
Monitini Polu, secretary of the Samoan chaplaincy, was proud to share the values and culture of his community with the wider Diocese.
“We’re very proud and very honoured to support whatever comes from the bishop or from the Diocese,” he said.
“A lot of people have been inspired to come back to the Church because of our Samoan choir.
“With a lot of things going on in the world, we are working hard to bring our youth together to learn and share their culture.
“They learn about their faith in school, but it also helps if they learn from their own community in their own language, and this will develop the whole parish, and we hope that someone might join the seminary or become a nun and continue to serve God.”
Many communities, above and below, performed after the Mass. Images: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
Hopes for the next 40 years and beyond
When asked for their hopes for the future of the Diocese as it grows, members of the faithful hope it will continue to grow, welcome more people and remain missionary to all.
“There’s a lot of hope that we will continue to grow and still be a really strong area for the Catholic faith,” Julia said.
Janika said: “I feel encouraged and supported in my faith as a young person in this Diocese, and I hope in the future, more young members get involved in the community.”
Don said: “I hope that there is continued support for local communities like ours to spread the Good News of the Lord.”
Fr Paul said: “I hope our priests, deacons and lay leaders take initiative in lots of areas of pastoral outreach, and that we have a change of heart about not looking inward to what we are as Catholics, but looking outward to a mission of who’s around us and how we can serve the community best.”
Patrice said: “I hope we continue to prosper, care for everybody, look after each other and be a light for the rest of the community in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.”
The Diocese of Parramatta was established on 8 April 1986 by Pope St John Paul II in response to the burgeoning population and cultural diversity of the western suburbs of Sydney.
It is now home to more than 322,000 Catholics who worship at 45 parishes and are representative of more than 40 multicultural communities.
The celebration of the anniversary of the Diocese of Parramatta aligns with the Diocesan Pastoral Plan’s priorities of Community and Mission and its aim to be a Church that is Inclusive and Welcoming, Renewed in Spirit and Prayer and Walking Together. Visit Synodality to learn more.
View images from the 40th anniversary Mass and cultural celebration on Flickr.
View a video celebrating our 40 years below on YouTube.
