Hundreds of faithful gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary St Marys to witness the unveiling and blessing of a new awe-inspiring Marian statue, generously crafted by famous Australian migrant artist and devoted parishioner, Marijan Bekic.
Sculptor Marijan Bekic with his art: a statue of Our Lady of Fatima at St Marys. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
Croation-born Bekic is famously known for creating ‘The Australian Farmer’: an eight-metre-tall granite statue in the rural town of Wudinna, South Australia. He sculpted the two-metre tall solid granite statue of Our Lady of Fatima as an offering for the church in St Marys, where he has been a parishioner for many years.
(L-R): Fr Joseph Huong Vu SDB, Fr Peter Hoang SDB, Fr Jeff Miller SDB, Bishop Vincent, Marijan Bekic, Fr Brendan Murphy SDB, Fr Shane Reade SDB. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
Bishop Vincent Long, Marijan Bekic and Parish Priest Fr Brendan Murphy. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
Our Lady of Fatima is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. The three children were Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
The statue reflects the history of the parish, its strong Marian connection, and the context of the Fatima message regarding the need to pray for peace and pray the Rosary – a message that is particularly significant in today’s world.
Marijan Bekic sculpting the statue in late February 2024. Image: supplied.
Bishop of Parramatta, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv concelebrated a Holy Mass on Saturday 13 October with Parish Priest Fr Brendan Murphy SBD, Frs Joseph Huong Vu SDB, Jeff Miller SDB, Peter Hoang SDB (Salesian Provincial) and Shane Reade SDB (visiting from Melbourne).
Bishop Vincent described the statue as a “labour of love” and said the timing of the unveiling and blessing of the Marian statue was particularly significant.
Crane lifting the statue into place at Our Lady of the Rosary, St Marys. Image: supplied.
“How fitting it is that we dedicate this sculpture on 13 October – a day universally connected with Our Lady of Fatima,” Bishop Vincent said.
“We gather with joy and gratitude to bless a new feature that will stand as a symbol of this parish community and as a testament to our devotion,” he said.
Carved in two types of Australian white granite, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima appears standing atop an oak tree carved from South Australian granite. The statue also features the three children of Fatima, who were sculpted from same West Australian granite block as the statue of Our Lady.
Hundreds gathered for the Special Mass and Blessing. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
Blessing of the statue by Bishop Vincent Long. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
Exquisite details of the statue include a 360-degree base featuring 12 sheep in pasture, and an intricately carved crucifix on the rosary held by Our Lady.
Parish Priest Reverend Brendan Murphy SDB said the statue – which stands at the front of the Church grounds facing the main street – will provide intercession and protection for all who come to worship at Our Lady of the Rosary St Marys.
Fr Brendan said it was the first religious art for the parish, which reflects the name and history of our parish, mission and community.
“This statue will evangelise,” he said.
Block of granite from Port Lincoln, South Australia. Image: supplied.
Block of granite from Western Australia. Image: supplied.
“A very big thank you to Marijan Bekic for this wonderful contribution to the parish community and to the wider community.
“The statue will be very visible to the wider community and is bound to have a wonderful influence,” he said.
Our Lady of the Rosary Church was established in 1946 to cater for the growing Catholic population in St Marys. The parish has become a significant place of worship for more than 2000 Catholic families and individuals of all walks of life, who are looking to deepen their relationship with God.
The statue of Our Lady of Fatima pays homage to the parish’s name through art, as Our Lady of Fatima stressed the importance of praying the rosary in each of Her apparitions, as she asked the children to pray the rosary every day for peace.
Invited to say a few words during the Mass, artist Marijan Bekic reflected on the eight–month process of the statue’s creation; and in doing so, he received a standing ovation from the faithful who gathered in the packed church.
Having migrated to Australia in 1989 with his wife and two of his three children, after completing a formal degree in arts and sculpting in Berne, Switzerland; Marijan said his journey to “become” an artist was challenging.
However, as he was sculpting the statue of Our Lady, students from Our Lady of the Rosary Primary were invited to watch the progress and ask him questions. One of those questions became a crystallising moment in his life.
“On one occasion a boy asked me: “How old are you?”
“At that moment, images of my whole childhood went through my mind – particularly of times when I was dreaming to ‘become’ an artist. I was always looking to ‘become’ an artist.
“That boy made me realise in that moment that with God’s grace and the gift He has planted in me, I am actually living my dream.”
Marijan Bekic puts the final touches on the statue ahead of its unveiling. Image: supplied.
Marijan acknowledged the Croatian Knights of the Precious Blood, a group of Roman Catholic lay men dedicated to making a positive impact in society – of which he is a member. He also thanked his wife Jasna for her support during their 45 years of marriage, as well as his children, who posed for photos by the statue with community members on the day.
Marijan Bekic with his wife, Jasna. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
View the full gallery of images of the unveiling and blessing ceremony on our Flickr page.
For more information about the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, visit the parish website.
Read Marijan Bekic’s artist profile on the Crystal Lake Park website.
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Image: Diocese of Parramatta/Visualeyes Photography.
