The Catholic Weekly 9 October 2022

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 9, October, 2022 COMMUNITY LEADERS in the NSW southern city of Goulburn are outraged after vandals broke into an histor- ic old Catholic church under- going major restoration and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to the building. A police investigation is underway into the overnight attack on St Peter’s and Paul’s in Goulburn on 24 September. The church was about to mark its 150th anniversary on 30 November and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Regis- ter, having been the cathedral church for the former Diocese of Goulburn from 1871 to 1969. Parish Priest Fr Joshy Ku- rien estimates the vandals caused 70 thousand dol- lars worth of damage, after breaking three stained glass windows in the church and throwing a tin of gold-colour- ed paint over 100 year old parquetry flooring which was undergoing restoration. They also stole up to four metres of copper downpipe, which then led to water leak- ing into the cathedral, caus- ing further damage to floor- ing and painting on the walls which had just been com- pleted. Fr Joshy joined parish ¾ Michael Kenny Heartache as vandals target historic church volunteers in spending a few hours on the day after the at- tack scrubbing the floors to try and protect the parquetry. “This project was a big challenge to start with, as we started it about a year ago during the COVID pandemic and now we’re determined to get all the repair work done as best we can before the sched- uled reopening date on 30 No- vember”, he told The Catholic Weekly . “Fortunately we have se- curity cameras installed and we have footage of the crime which we’ve handed over to police”. Fr Joshy said it is very fortu- nate that some other aspects of the restoration work on the cathedral, including new Stations of the Cross and the altar are undergoing work off- site and were spared from the vandals. The head of the cathedral’s restoration committee, pa- rishioner and former NSW Senator, Ursula Stephens said the project has been planned St Peter’s and Paul’s historic old cathedral in Goulburn undergoing restoration. PHOTO: MARY QUEEN OF APOSTLES PARISH, GOULBURN by successive parish priests over four decades and the whole community is in deep shock that vandals would tar- get the church in this way. “We are conscious that we are custodians of a very sig- nificant piece of Australian history. This is the first dio- cese that was created outside Sydney and this is the mother church of that diocese which extended right down to the Victorian border. We are in- deed very much a city of churches in Goulburn which makes this vandalism espe- cially heart-breaking”, Ms Ste- phens said. She said an application has been sent to the Vatican for the restored church to be de- clared Australia’s sixth minor basilica. It would then join the likes of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney and St Patrick’s Cathe- dral in Melbourne in an elite group of churches to be given that title. “We’re hoping to hear back on our application next year in time for the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 23 June 2023”. Donations are welcome towards the Restoration Ap- peal for St Peter’s and Paul’s old cathedral in Goulburn. Findmore information here: https://www.sppoc.com.au/ donate/ I n this edition News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-11 8-9 25 28-29 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 Adam Wesselinoff (02) 9390 5400 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5256 The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204. “But I shall give less thought to the future, I shall work in the present. I feel such work is within my power. For I only succeed in small things, and when I am tried by anxiety, I am bound to say it is the small joys that release me.” - George Bernanos, Diary of a Country Priest QUOTABLE CatholicWeekly The For further information please contact the Grief Care Team on 02 9646 6908 or email [email protected] Visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Wave of Ligh t Pregnancy, Infant & Child Loss Memorial Service Grief Care 6pm, 11th October, 2022 St GerardMajella Lawns, Rookwood Catholic Cemetery Call Katie on (02) 9390 5402 www.catholicjobsonline.com.au Find the career you deserve Parish Priest Fr Joshy Kurien helps with the repair work after the vandals ‘attack’.