KCP1 - Catholic Diocese of Broome

When deciding where to take my annual holidays , I checked out my frequent flyer points and discovered I had enough points for a flight to Broome.

Knowing how difficult it can be for priests in that Diocese to have a relief priest when they want to go on holidays, I offered my services to Bishop Christopher Saunders for three weekends.

The Bishop, a fellow canon lawyer, met me at the airport to announce that he had booked a Marriage Tribunal interview for me to conduct next morning.

Bishop Saunders provided me with a four-wheel drive vehicle that proved essential for what was to follow.

Heading north from Broome, my first stop was at Beagle Bay where I was greeted by Parish Priest, Fr Bernard Amah CSSp. I also visited The Hermitage of Fr Dan O'Donovan, a priest-hermit.

Some 200 kilometres from Broome is the aboriginal settlement of Djarindjin-Lombadina. The self-sufficiency of the Community and the fact that they have won a tidy towns award were an inspiration. Lombadina Beach with its pure white sands and crystal clear water is a site that an increasing number of tourists seek out. The local community now provides motel accommodation as well as a variety of tours and fishing trips. Here I was able to provide daily Mass, school Mass, school visits and socialised with the locals for two weekends before returning to Broome to take in the tourist sights.

The Bishop's plane, essential in this outback Diocese where parishes are often cut off in the wet season, delivered me mid-week to the Balgo Aboriginal Settlement. This parish in the Tanami Desert is closer to Alice Springs than to Broome.

While no longer termed a Mission, both parishes of Balgo and Djarindjin-Lombadina have Catholic Schools and life appears centred around Church activities. The presence of "Volunteers" and their commitment to the work was a genuine inspiration and an awakening that there must be many laypeople who have the talent to do the same.

At Balgo the highlight of the visit was the Sunday Liturgy. We could all learn from the spirit of prayer at such a celebration. The preparation began with a meeting of Liturgy Leaders on Thursday where the theme of the Mass was discussed and tasks allotted.

Mass commences with the blessing and sprinkling of holy water or sometimes an Aboriginal smoking ceremony. Someone is always deputed to welcome everybody in the name of the community. After the single reading in English comes a Kukatja abbreviated version and after the homily there is another version in the local language. For the Feast of Christ the King the presenter produced a painting to illustrate the message. The "sharing" or prayer of the faithful can last up to 30 minutes as a microphone is handed around and people pray in English, Kukatja or both languages.

While the priest and an extraordinary minister distribute communion, another blesses the children. For each function performed there is a special robe to indicate the ministry exercised.

The final blessing on this occasion was centred on the old people. The blessings are sung and everyone holds up their hands, seemingly aware that God's blessings come through all who are baptised.

A second Mass some 45 kilometres away at the Mulan "Church" (really a breezeway between two portable buildings) was similar but the language was Walmajarri. After morning tea provided by one of the parishioners the visiting group that came with us went swimming in a tributary river of Lake Gregory.

Sisters Jill O'Brien (formerly at Whyalla) and Carmel Posa (from Adelaide) who work at Notre Dame University in Broome had not been to Balgo and hitched a ride with the Bishop's pilot to pick me up from Balgo. We landed in Halls Creek to refuel and flew over Fitzroy Crossing on the way back to Broome. Now I really know the outback.

I would rate this the holiday experience of a lifetime. Bishop Saunders hopes that other priests might take up the challenge in the future to work in the remote Missions of Northern Australia.

Frequent Flyer Mission