Australia Day celebration in Melbourne

By Fr. Anthony Quang, SDB

Melbourne, Australia, 26 January 2018 -- Salesians SDB and Salesian Sisters FMA gathering at St Margaret Mary’s Brunswick to celebrate the Australia Day 26th January 2018. Traditionally every year most of the Salesian Brothers and Priests as well majority of FMA Sisters living in Melbourne were invited to St Margaret Mary’s Brunswick to pray together at 11.30am. Then followed the fraternal sharing and the BBQ lunch.

There are about 25 Salesians and few other friends of Don Bosco came for this celebration. Fr Anthony Nguyen, parish priest and rector of the community welcomes everybody, in a special way also welcomes Fr William Matthews, the new Provincial. The prayers were lead by Br David O’Brien and after prayers all were invited to share food and drink to mark the memorable day of Australia.

From 1946, January 26 was called Australia Day in all states and territories of the country, and since 1994, the Australia Day public holiday has been on January 26 throughout the country. Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet of eleven convict ships from Great Britain, and the first Governor of New South Wales, arrived at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788 and raised the Union Jack to signal the beginning of the colony.

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