The Catholic Weekly 5 September 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 12 5, September, 2021 FEATURE Fr Harold with his proud mum Nenita at his Ordination. HEADING OFF to say Mass, Fr Harold Camonias packs his car with all the necessities including firewood, water, a sleeping bag, tent and camp stove. Despite driving the 500-kilometre round trip on mostly sealed roads, there are still many hazards and he takes great care to zig zag around the kangaroos, snakes and emus that randomly ap- pear in his path. Passing through tiny towns and remote properties, his dusty Mazda CX5 takes the twists and turns in the road like he’s lived in the bush all his life. After the long and solitary drive, he arrives and unlocks the Church and prepares to celebrate Mass … for one. Gerry Agnew is the “soul” parishioner in Leigh Creek, a former coal-mining town with a population of around 200. Living on his own, the 60-something-year-old local arrived from Ireland “many, many, years ago” and remem- bers a time when it was stand- ing room only at Mass. With four churches in its heyday, Leigh Creek today only has one non-denomina- tional place of worship used by Fr Harold and an Anglican minister who visits four times a year. Fr Harold is the Parish Priest of Flinders Ranges, which includes Quorn, Hawk- er, Carrieton, Leigh Creek and surrounds, in the Diocese of Port Pirie, which occupies 980,000 square kilometres, most of the state of South Australia including spiritual Uluru (Ayers Rock). Characterised by sheep and cattle stations, mining fields, the Aboriginal Lands, great stretches of wheat and barley, vines and orchards, it takes in the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, Flinders Ranges ¾ Debbie Cramsie and Nullabor Plain. He be- lieves the region should be known as the “soul” not the centre of Australia, and says his vocation is inspired by Catholics like Gerry who de- spite receiving the Eucharist only a few times a year has such strong faith. Fr Harold single-handedly provides spiritual direction to less than a hundred parish- ioners stretching across an area of around 12,000 square kilometres – roughly the size of Vanuatu, and despite the hardship, his smile lights up even the darkest night sky when reflecting on his calling. Not bad for a relatively “new Australian” who hails Following Christ in Frombustling Manila to the quiet Nullabor Plain, Fr Harold Camonias has found that no journey is too l fromThe Philippines … about as much of a contrast to the bush as you can get. He says his rural posting has given him the opportuni- ty to not only see the beauty of God’s creation … but also his sense of humour. After 10 years, he has adopted many Aussie staples but also misses many delica- cies from his homeland. He still craves lugaw (rice por- ridge) and sinigang or soup with tamarind base, both Fil- ipino favourites and quite dif- ficult to make as he can’t get the ingredients locally, but has also come to love a good pub steak and quandong cheesecake. He said he believes it’s God’s will that he spreads the Good News and leads peo- ple into personal encounters and relationships with Christ wherever they are, including Leigh Creek. “Gerry is the only parish- ioner who comes to Mass every time I am in town, and more than me ministering to my parishioner, he is the one that always inspires me,” he said. “Yes, I bring to him Je- sus present in the Eucharist but I see Jesus in him in his faithfulness. I admit that it sometimes enters my mind to cancel going all that way out there but in the end, I always feel I was ministered more by him than by me to him.” After spending a few hours over a cup of tea and sand- wiches chatting about some of life’s complex and not so complex questions, Fr Harold heads home. Depending on how he feels he may drive all the way or pull over and camp for the night in a tent by the side of the road. After a decade Down Under, he knows more about surviving in the wild than most Aussies and thinks nothing of sleeping under the stars leaving his life in God’s hands. He has become an expert in what’s needed for a life on the road and never leaves home without water, first aid kit, sunscreen, mosquito coils and his $10 hat from Big W at which smiles and admits “would be nice if it was an Akubra”. Hailing from such a densely populated city to the isolation of the bush, there are many challenges but also the time he gets alone with God. “I enjoy talking to God in the silence of the place and the beauty of this rugged country,” he said. “Always for me the bonus is to camp in the bush and to dwell in solitude with the Lord. If I’m Along with bush survival skills Fr Harold has developed his eye for photography, with stunning images including, at left, the Flinders Rangers and, above, Carrieton. ALL PHOTOS SUPPLIED If I can bring Jesus to one soul no matter how far it may be, I would say I have humbly followed Jesus command and mission in me.” Fr Harold Camonias