IPSWICH Mayor Paul Pisasale has been buoyed throughout the flood crisis by prayer and local support.
“The power of prayer is unbelievable,” he said a week after thousands of homes and hundreds of businesses were swamped by a 19.35m rise in the Bremer River.
“This is probably one of the most harrowing things I’ve had to deal with … (and) this is where faith comes in.”
“Born and bred” in Ipswich, south west of Brisbane, Cr Pisasale remains grateful to the local community including St Mary’s parish who have offered and given help to friends and strangers.
“I have witnessed the significant role church leaders play in crisis,” Cr Pisasale said.
“St Mary’s have played an incredible role and the interesting thing is people now want to know more about the Church.
“It isn’t what happens inside those four walls each Sunday so much.
“It’s about what we do on those other six days … leading by the example of Jesus.”
Cr Pisasale remembers the 1974 floods but said he “was just a young guy shovelling mud and helping people”.
“Now I find myself in a role where I need to stimulate the whole community,” he said. Admitting to moments of sadness recently, council staff too has buoyed his spirits along with visits from sporting stars, lifesavers and busloads of volunteers from other shires.
“Everywhere I go someone says, ‘I’m praying for you’ … and I appreciate it,” he said.
Even his mum, stuck in Rockhampton for a time but now home, has “had the rosary beads out”.
Many in Cr Pisasale’s family have leant a hand, while he remains “amazed” his 22 year-old son has “got away from the X-Box” to help so willingly.
“You teach your kids beliefs and hope they come to the fore,” Cr Pisasale said. “Young people have gone that extra mile in the clean up … they are going to make great leaders.”
While “much reflection is needed” his thoughts soon turned to lives lost in Grantham.
“We certainly need to celebrate that we’ve been able to minimise the death toll,” Cr Psasale said. “(But) my prayers are with the Grantham community for the loss of life seen there.”
Continuing to rebuild, the Ipswich City Council is also focussing on an appeal to “ensure cases don’t fall through the cracks”.
-Selina Venier
