Joyous celebration recalls legacy of faith

By Wendy Shaw

Past and present parishioners and friends from around Tasmania flocked to Westbury for three days of joyous celebration marking the 150th anniversary of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Meander Valley Parish Priest Fr Ben Brooks described it as “an amazing weekend from start to finish”. He was speaking outside a sunlit church following the sesquicentenary Mass on 26 May.

The festivities included a celebratory dinner at the Westbury Hotel on 24 May, a historical display in the church and an uplifting musical recital on 25 May, and the anniversary Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, followed by a shared lunch at the showgrounds on 26 May.

During his homily, Fr Brooks reflected that although ‘the esteemed’ Fr James Hogan, Westbury’s first resident priest, is remembered as a driving force behind the construction of the church, he didn’t build it on his own.

“We could look at each brick, each stone that makes up this church and recognise that for each one of those stones there is a person and a story, a way that they were drawn into the building of this place and how they lived the love of God in their family life, in the community, in the weddings, the baptisms, the funerals, the weekly liturgies in which we come to praise God,” he said.

“They have all made this place.”

A display at the front of the church featured the parish’s Book of Remembrance as a way to include the parishioners ‘who have gone before’.

Fr Brooks acknowledged the enduring contribution to the parish of the Sisters of St Joseph, with the 137th anniversary of their Tasmanian foundation at Westbury coinciding with the celebrations.

He also thanked the sesquicentenary organising committee of Sr Val Becker rsj, Kate Bennett and Carmel Taylor.

Sr Val of Westbury said Holy Trinity has a “lovely spirit of community” and special significance for Josephites from the opening Mass on 24 May, 1874.

“As a Sister of St Joseph, there is a strong connection with the opening as [Josephites’ co-founder] Julian Tenison Woods preached at the opening Mass and at the benediction later in the evening,” Sr Val said.

“And the Sisters of St Joseph have been here continuously since 1887.”

Kate Bennett of Westbury added that the parish offers “a true sense of belonging”.

“I’m a fairly new-comer of seven years and the closeness of the community, the welcome, the hospitality and the atmosphere make this special,” she said. “There are also lots of hidden talents and personalities.”

Carmel Taylor, of Westwood, highlighted the strong sense of community and the history of the church as special features at Holy Trinity.

She also mentioned Fr Hogan, the pioneering parish priest who served from 1850 to 1899 and is buried in front of the altar.

“I feel his presence in the church and it is such a strong connection with the past, remembering him and all the people who have been before,” she said.

Fr Brooks said the anniversary was a time for thanksgiving and reflection.

“This weekend, we reflect and give thanks for the thousands of people – priests, religious and lay – who, in the past, have built this church and through their commitment to the faith have made this a place where the life-giving love of the Trinity is experienced and from which it emanates,” he said.

“We also acknowledge those who today continue this legacy of faith in the Westbury area through service to one another and the community.

“Finally, we pray that this place will continue to be a source of faith and spiritual nourishment to future generations as they are called to enter into the dynamic love of the Holy Trinity.”