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| FAITHFUL SERVICE: Cardinal Pell with (left) Fr Frank Martin and Mons John Walsh. Standing behind are (from left) Fr Bill Milsted, Fr John Crothers, Mons Kerry Bayada and Bishop Geoffrey Robinson. |
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THE good work of each of our priests reflects the beauty of the one they serve – Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Fr John Sullivan told a gathering of clergy celebrating more than 500 years of priestly service.
Fr Sullivan, retired parish priest of St Patrick’s Sutherland, was proposing a toast to a group of priests celebrating anniversaries of ordination of between 25 and 70 years.
“Each one reflects some of the beauty of the Good Shepherd and we thank them for the different faces of Jesus they present to the Church and to the people they serve,” Fr John said.
“We pray that they will continue to reflect very deeply and very sincerely the face of our Good Shepherd.”
The occasion was the annual Vianney Dinner held on July 21 at the former St Patrick’s Seminary at Manly, now the campus of the International College of Management.
The Archbishop of Sydney, George Cardinal Pell, presented each of the jubilarians with a gift and joined in congratulating them for their faithful service to the Church.
Before the dinner, organiser Fr John Knight said it was important for the clergy to gather at the dinner each year and honour the careers of their brother priests.
“It is a tremendous privilege to be a priest. I hope more men take up the call of Jesus to be disciples of God’s love,” he said.
Previously an annual event, the Vianney luncheon (named after the holy Curé d'Ars, St Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney 1786-1859) had been in hiatus for several years, before starting up again last year.
Jubilarians honoured this year were: Fr John Crothers, Fr Jozef Kolodziej, Fr Bill Milsted, Fr Peter Smith, Fr Reg Wilson (all 25 years); Fr Denis Alexander, Mons Kerry Bayada, Fr Frank Bendeich, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson (50 years); Fr Eric Burton, Fr Bill Hannon, Mons John Walsh (60 years); Fr Frank Martin (70 years).
Frs Kolodziej, Smith, Wilson, Alexander, Bendeich, Burton and Hannon were unable to attend the dinner.
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