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

Priest’s midnight prayer vigil as Maryborough’s levee breaks

byMark Bowling
10 January 2022
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Priest’s midnight prayer vigil as Maryborough’s levee breaks

Midnight prayes: Fr Lucius Edomobi witnessed rising floodwaters in Maryborough.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

LATE last night, after a levee protecting Maryborough’s business district failed, Fr Lucius Edomobi prayed as he witnessed floodwater rising on the grounds of the city’s heritage-listed St Mary’s Church.

Muddy, foul-smelling muck washed through the church garage adjacent to the main street, Adelaide Street, and crept higher up the hill towards the parish office and presbytery.

“I prayed. I was saying to God, ‘God please don’t allow this. Don’t allow this water to get to the office because the loss will be a trauma’,” St Mary’s parish priest Fr Edomobi said.

A few steps higher, iconic St Mary’s Church has stood as a beacon to the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland since 1872.

Prevention: Levee construction outside St Mary’s Church in Maryborough. The aim was to protect the heritage-listed church from floodwater.

Emergency officials had given assurances that a rapidly-constructed levee in Maryborough’s CBD and stretching through the grounds of St Mary’s, would stand firm against floodwaters predicted to rise above a major flood level of 10.5 metres.

However an underground stormwater valve failed just before 2pm on Sunday, allowing a massive water surge up through the drains and into the streets.

An urgent evacuation order was issued and a dozen pumps were deployed but could not stem the flow.

The floodwater water peaked just before midnight, two steps below the St Mary’s parish office containing valuable document, records and equipment.

One step higher, keeping vigil in the presbytery, Fr Edomobi heard the water pumps from the main street stop and there was an eerie silence.

“God really heard my prayer, it was just like a miracle,” he said.

Related Stories

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

Stranded flood victims airlifted supplies from Vinnies

As the flood emergency unfolded, Fr Edomobi said parishioners had encouraged him to leave the church and stay the night in a motel, but he had decided to stay instead.

“I haven’t experienced a flood before. I wanted to see what happens,” he said.

Originally from Nigeria, Fr Edomobi was appointed to Maryborough six months ago after serving as associate pastor at Living Waters Parish in Caboolture.

He’s delighted to have joined the Maryborough community.

“It’s a lovely, lovely environment here. Lovely church, especially the church,” he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology has cancelled a severe thunderstorms warning for Queensland’s Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett districts.

However further north, Cyclone Tiffany is delivering destructive wind gusts of up to 130kph are it approaches the coast.

Heavy rain and larges waves are expected to hit Cape York Peninsula.

People between Cape Tribulation and Cooktown are advised to secure boats and other property.  

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Jesus is star guiding people to joy, pope says on Epiphany

Next Post

School start delayed by two weeks

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

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

16 May 2022
Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

1 March 2022
Stranded flood victims airlifted supplies from Vinnies
News

Stranded flood victims airlifted supplies from Vinnies

28 February 2022 - Updated on 1 March 2022
Next Post

School start delayed by two weeks

Poitier’s roles put civil rights issues on the big screen

Poitier's roles put civil rights issues on the big screen

Pope Francis prays for Kazakhstan protest victims

Pope Francis prays for Kazakhstan protest victims

Popular News

  • From a humble start Albanese is sworn in as new prime minister

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

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What is the difference between a Sacramental and a civil marriage?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Life ‘is always sacred and inviolable’, Pope Francis says

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Why we need to protect the reef

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

Latest News

Myanmar military burns houses, destroys a village
News

Myanmar military burns houses, destroys a village

by CNS
24 May 2022
0

THE Myanmar military is accused of burning down an historic Catholic village during a raid. At least...

Life ‘is always sacred and inviolable’, Pope Francis says

Life ‘is always sacred and inviolable’, Pope Francis says

23 May 2022

From a humble start Albanese is sworn in as new prime minister

23 May 2022
Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

20 May 2022
Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

20 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