Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

How a Queensland priest became the ‘custodian’ of a painting gifted to Australia by Pope Paul VI

byMark Bowling
20 November 2020
Reading Time: 4 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Memories: Fr Jim Browne and “Flight into Egypt” a papal gift from 50 years ago.

A QUEENSLAND island is the unlikely home for a rare religious artwork brought to Australia by Pope Paul VI, 50 years ago.

The painting entitled Flight into Egypt hangs behind the domestic altar of retired priest Fr Jim Browne, who lives on Macleay Island, in Redland Bay between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

He describes himself as the “custodian” of the artwork, that was the pontiff’s gift to Australia’s then Prime Minister John Gorton during a papal visit in 1970.

Pope Paul VI arrived in Sydney on November 30 – the first pope to visit Australia.

“(Prime Minister) Gorton gave it to his daughter, and his daughter was living over here,” 83-year-old Fr Browne said.

“In about 2009 she gave it to me – it was in bubble wrap – and that’s how it came to be in my possession.”

The painting, complete with the papal insignia, takes pride of place in Fr Browne’s house that stands on the hill close to the Church of the Holy Spirit, where the priest still celebrates Mass.

“The artist was a personal friend of Paul VI,” Fr Browne said.

“The painting tells the story of Jesus’ flight into Egypt recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13-23). The focus is on Joseph.

“An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says take Mary and her child and go to Egypt because his life is threatened.”

Related Stories

Married couple of 50 years spend lockdown hand-stenciling Sandgate church

Brisbane artist guided by higher power travelling to Rome to see her work in the Vatican

When Pope Paul VI visited Australia 50 years ago, Fr Browne was an assistant priest in Holy Cross parish in Wooloowin.

He did not get to travel, see the pontiff or attend the highlight event of his tour – a commemorative bicentennial Mass at Randwick Racecourse, one of the largest gatherings in Australia’s history.

However the painting – a papal gift to a prime minister – now plays a significant role in Fr Browne’s daily prayer life.

“Always when I’m praying the Hail Mary as part of my preparation for my meditation I see that and I see Joseph there,” he said.

“And I think of two things – the Visitation and then the Flight into Egypt.”

RELATED STORY: Pope to beatify Pope Paul VI at end of synod on the family

He said many things come to mind, “all connected” – a journey through the Old and New testaments – the Ark of the Covenant and Mary the Ark of the living, New Covenant and Word of God.

Pope Paul VI spent only a few days in Australia. He was reported to be exhausted after gruelling touchdowns in Manila and Samoa.

He held a conference in Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral with 65 bishops from across Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, blessed the foundation stone of St Lucy’s school in Sydney, spoke to Aboriginal communities and delivered sermons.

In a farewell speech, Mr Gorton spoke of the significance of the first papal visit to Catholics across the nation.

“You have met many Australians, people from various walks of life, the old, the young, the native-born, the migrants but all Australians,” he said.

“And in addition, through radio and television, the message which you brought has been transferred to the remotest parts of this great continent.

“Now you are to continue your journey, and as you travel on, I hope you will have with you in your heart warm and happy memories of our nation.”

READ MORE STORIES ABOUT PAPAL VISITS TO AUSTRALIA:

  • JPII in Australia: The moment I was tackled by the Federal police during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Darwin in 1986
  • Key organiser of Pope John Paul II’s meeting with Indigenous Australians recalls blessed day
  • Pope urges daily prayer for youth

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Christians arrested at coal protest call on Church to recognise climate impact

Next Post

Vulnerable children in out-of-home care receive post-pandemic support on family camp

Mark Bowling

Mark is the joint winner of the Australian Variety Club 2000 Heart Award for his radio news reporting in East Timor, and has also won a Walkley award, Australia’s most-respected journalism award. Mark is the author of ‘Running Amok’ that chronicles his time as a foreign correspondent juggling news deadlines and the demands of being a husband and father. Mark is married with four children.

Related Posts

News

Married couple of 50 years spend lockdown hand-stenciling Sandgate church

6 June 2020
Antoinette Wijeyakulasuriya
News

Brisbane artist guided by higher power travelling to Rome to see her work in the Vatican

1 June 2018 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Next Post

Vulnerable children in out-of-home care receive post-pandemic support on family camp

Donahoe siblings with Fr Josh Whitehead from Caloundra parish

Parish's Alpha program leads siblings through unlikely faith journey together

Young couple from Brisbane 'counting down the days' to see family across the border

Popular News

  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Catholic relationship advisers offer five tips to look after your mental health
QLD

Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

by Joe Higgins
19 May 2022
0

FAITHFUL nationwide were getting out their rosary beads for a prayer event in honour of Australia’s patroness...

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022
Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

18 May 2022
Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

18 May 2022
Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

18 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping