Fr Joseph Reddy SVD has bid a fond farewell to parishioners at Mary, Mother of the Church parish in Macquarie Fields as he prepares to take up a new assignment in the Townsville Diocese.
Fr Joseph has been Assistant Priest at Macquarie Fields since April 2017 and says his time there taught him a lot.
“I came in as a total stranger and now feel so blessed to be part of your lives,” he said in a farewell speech to parishioners.
“When I left home (in India), I never knew what the future held for me in a new country, miles away from my home and familiar surroundings
“Thank you for embracing me and giving me such support and guidance during my time here.”
Fr Joseph said his missionary life had been enhanced by his SVD confreres, Fr Linh Nguyen and Fr Bosco Son, who were Parish Priests during his time at Macquarie Fields.
“They have given me such a freedom to learn and they introduced me very well to the pastoral ministries in the parish life here at Mary, Mother of the Church,” he said.
As a newcomer to Australia, Fr Joseph said he mastered his driving skills while helping out at Oran Park parish and working as a university chaplain at Campbelltown.
“The ministries at Whidden Nursing Home, Campbelltown Hospital and particularly in our school, St Francis Catholic College, formed me dearly,” he said. “I would like to thank the Principal, Mr Simon Abernethy and the school team for giving me the best opportunities to interact and share love and faith at the school.”
Fr Joseph also nominated his work with the youth group, the opportunity to go to Panama for World Youth Day 2019, and the Way of the Cross celebrated in the parish World Youth Day as cherished memories.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had improved his technical knowledge as he learnt to live-cast daily Masses and he had also enjoyed writing a number of articles for SVD publications.
“Forest Gump says ‘Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get until you open it’. What I got in the last three years was a box of great memories that will give me enough strength and courage to plunge into the future with hope,” he said.
Fr Joseph will take up his new assignment as Parish Priest at Kirwan Parish in Townsville early in the New Year. He will be assisted by the newly ordained Fr Clement Baffoe SVD. Fr Manh Le SVD has also been assigned to Townsville. He began his ministry on Palm Island with the Holy Spirit Sisters this month.
PHOTOS: Fr Joseph Reddy SVD with parishioners at his farewell from Mary Mother of the Church parish in Macquarie Fields.