Vale Fr Phillip ‘Smiley’ McCormack ‘a pastor after the heart of God’
A parish priest who spent much of his 53 years since ordination on the Archdiocese of Hobart’s ‘Country Run’ has been remembered as a blessing in the lives of those he encountered.
Fr Phillip ‘Smiley’ McCormack died, aged 82, on 16 March.
Parishioners from around the state joined family, friends, priests and religious for Fr Phil’s funeral at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Newstead, on 24 March.
Phillip Percy McCormack was born in Latrobe on 25 February, 1943 to Patrick Leo and Gwenyth May (nee Bloomfield) McCormack. Alongside sister Barbara, he grew up in Kimberly. He was educated first by the Sisters of Mercy at St Patrick’s Catholic School in Latrobe and then at St Virgil’s College, Hobart, before undertaking seminary studies in Victoria. He was ordained by Archbishop Guilford Young at St Brendan’s College Hall, Devonport, on 30 July, 1971.
With his flat cap, twinkling smile and listening ear, Fr Phil endeared himself to parishioners with his kindness, sense of fun and succinct homilies. He was also known for his avid support for the Sydney Swans AFL team, and his enjoyment of greyhound and horse racing.
He was parish priest at Rosebery, Scottsdale, Queenstown, Wynyard, Latrobe and Circular Head and had various stints as assistant priest at the Cathedral, Cygnet, Devonport, Invermay, Launceston, Taroona and Mersey Leven.
At his funeral Mass, Archbishop Julian said Fr Phil’s life and ministry had enriched many lives.
“I am very conscious of his gentle spirit, his deep interest and love for people,” Archbishop Julian said. “Many of you have known that experience and have come to show your appreciation for God in the way that he’s been a blessing in your life.”
Homilist Fr Mark Freeman said that given Fr Phil’s life-long health challenges, it was ‘a miracle’ he lived to 82. As a three-year-old, he underwent surgery in Melbourne to remove a cyst from his brain.
“While this experience left his health challenged for the rest of his life, it also forged in him a resilience and a determination that enabled him to live fully his vocation to the priesthood and to do this in such a way that he has brought so much life and so much love to so many people over these past near-54 years.”
Fr Freeman said many stories about Fr Phil involved “the ordinary things of life: visiting the sick and the elderly; care for those in need; taking the time to listen and chat; having a meal at the hydro workers’ mess at Lynchford on the West Coast; placing a few bets on the horses; going to the dogs at White City – not that he would’ve admitted it too often – and following the football and keeping in touch with family and friends.
“The love that God has for each person, Fr Phil McCormack proclaimed this each and every time he preached at Mass or a funeral or at the cenotaph on Anzac Day. He revealed to us his trust in God in and through the hard work he put into these homilies, always short and to the point, always inviting us to something more, always opening up for us the fullness of life.”
Fr Freeman said he was blessed to follow Fr Phil as the parish priest on the West Coast.
“All I had to do was to keep my eyes fixed on his example of genuine love and concern for each and every person. Smiley showed me how to be a pastor after the heart of God …
“Smiley’s living of the priesthood, indeed his living full stop, teaches us about the dignity and the worth of each and every human being … If we want to know how to be a shepherd after the heart of Christ, then all we need to do is look to the humility, the courage, the generosity and the compassion of Fr Phil McCormack.”
Fr Phillip Percy (Smiley) McCormack, 25 February 1943 – 16 March 2025.