Faith and Cultures Unite at Jubilee of Migrants

A wonderful spirit of community filled Sacred Heart Church in Morwell last Sunday, 5 October, for a joyful and outstandingly successful celebration of the Jubilee of Migrants. Hosted jointly by the Catholic parishes of Morwell and Lumen Christi (Churchill), the event was a vibrant local expression of the ongoing festivities for the Jubilee Year across the Diocese of Sale.

The day’s activities began with a congregation of around 500 worshippers joining together for a special multicultural mass celebrated by Bishop Greg Bennet, assisted by Parish Priest Fr James Fernandez and Fr Bernard Buckley from the Trafalgar parish. The mass included prayers in different languages, participants in national costumes and a joint choir from both parishes. The ceremony began with a colourful procession into the church with representatives of fifteen different countries carrying their national flags and depositing them around the church walls. Other highlights were, at the end of his homily, Bishop Greg led the congregation in a stirring rendition of “We are Australians” and at the conclusion of the mass a beautifully compiled slide show traced the history of the Latrobe Valley and its industries and the contribution to the community by migrants since the influx of migration after the second world war.

Following the mass, the procession of flags exited the church, and preceded by a spectacularly colourful Filipino drum band, led the congregation to the nearby carpark which had been set up with food marquees and a stage for entertainment. What ensued was an outstanding program of singing and dancing from many different cultures including Italian, Filipino, Sri Lankan, Fijian, Indian, and Indonesian which was warmly appreciated by the large and enthusiastic crowd. Food from six different cultures, including the Aussie BBQ, was freely available and much appreciated by those in attendance.

Parish priest Fr James said the success of the day was a testament to the cooperation between the parishes of Morwell and Churchill and he thanked all those who had worked so hard in the organisation of the day as well as the many generous sponsors and supporters who had contributed to the event.