The Australia-Pacific Province
Melbourne, Australia, 7 October 2017 -- The Australia-Pacific Province celebrated Province Day on 7 October 2017, on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Forty members of the Province gathered at the Province Centre at Ascot Vale for the Mass and Dinner which also commemorated those confreres celebrating Jubilees of Profession or Ordination this year, of which there were sixteen.
The Provincial, Fr Greg Chambers, presided at the Mass and preached the homily which focussed on the role of Mary in our Salesian tradition.
Two confreres who celebrated anniversaries of profession on 31 January have since passed to the Lord before this event took place: Fr John Murphy (Senior) (75 years) and Fr Joe Pulis (65 years).
Three other confreres who also celebrated anniversaries of profession this year have spent time ministering in the Australia-Pacific Province, but have returned to their country of origin and were not able to be present, though were remembered with affection: Fr Julian Carvazan (70 years), Fr Luigi Pavanello (60 years), and Fr Carmelo Sacco (50 years).
The others honoured for Profession anniversaries were: Fr Bob Curmi (70 years), Br Noel Hannabery (60 years), Fr John Murphy (Junior) (50 years), Fr Michael Court (40 years) and Fr Martin Tanti (25 years).
Those celebrating anniversaries of Ordination were: Fr John Briffa (60 years), Fr Michael Ledda (50 years) Fr Peter Kerin (40 years), and Frs Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyit, Jose Pazheparambil and Fr Joe Binh Dinh (25 years).
Representative of the wonderful ‘internationality’ of our Australia-Pacific Province the jubilarians’ countries of birth include Australia, Malta, Italy, India and Vietnam and their countries of ministry include Australia, Samoa, New Zealand, Malta, England, India, Kenya, Tanzania and Italy!
Ad Multos Annos!
On the same day, with sadness, we learned of the death of Br Cahill Gleisner after a short illness.
Cahill was 87 years of age and had been professed for 66 years. He was the first of his novitiate of three (1950) to return to the Lord; Fr Frank Freeman and Br Joe Ellul remain as active members of our Province – 200 years of ministry in the Congregation!
The photo of four of the Jubilarians with the Provincial: Fr Martin Tanti, Fr Mathew VJ, Fr Greg Chambers (Provincial), Fr Jose Pazheparambil and Fr John Briffa.
