IT was in January 1974 when The Catholic Leader first announced the foundation of St Peter’s Parish, and now 50 years on, it has proven to be a rock for Rochedale community.
Hundreds gathered to celebrate the golden jubilee of St Peter’s Parish Rochedale, a day parish priest Fr Johny Edapulavan says was “long in the making”.
“We started the plan about seven to eight months ago… which is a long time to sustain,” Fr Edapulavan said.
“And of course it magnifies as you start because suddenly the circle of people you need to include increases and then there’s groups and sub-groups.
“But it went well, it was a wonderful celebration.”
Bishop Tim Norton con-celebrated the Mass with past and present St Peter’s priests, including Fr Edapulavan , Fr Ashley Warbrooke, Fr Baiyi Gong, Fr John Gillen, with Deacon Mike Jones also serving.
Not long after the parish was established, the Presentation Sisters started St Peter’s Primary School just next door.
This pastoral connection is also shared with the Brigidine Order and The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, all acknowledged and thanked at the jubilee celebrations.
Sr Cecily Foster read a tribute from the St Peter’s foundation principal Vicki Parry Hills, recalling how the school began with just 44 students and the support of the parish community.
Parishioners Raylee and Bob Burns have also been at St Peter’s since the start, and said they have seen the growth and changes of the parish over the years first hand.
“It has changed from a farming community in the beginning, to now it’s a built up sort of suburban area, so there has been quite a transition,” Mr Burns said.
“If you sat in the church 50 years ago, this was a very Anglo Celtic Anglo-Saxon looking group of people,” Mrs Burns said.
“But now, even just visually, you can stand in front of the community and see how it’s changed in terms of composition,” she said.
Rochedale’s immigrant community play a large role in the parish, which was on full display during the jubilee celebrations.
Parishioner Nita Stratton-Funk said more than 30 different nationalities were represented on the day, which included a flag bearing procession.
“We also had some of the readings in different languages, and everyone felt really a part of it, no one felt left out,” Ms Stratton-Funk said.
“And the multicultural food played a big part in the celebrations afterwards, which was just great.”
St Peter’s also organised a commemorative book, celebrating the work they had done of the last 50 years. Fr Edapulavan said the community would first take a much deserved break after the jubilee celebrations, but said he was excited to see how they would grow in the future.
