The St Mark’s Inala community came together in all its multicultural richness recently at a special Mass to celebrate the 65th anniversary since the establishment of the parish.
The day was extra joyful because it marked the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that the church was filled to capacity.
“It was great to have a full church again, especially for this special day,” says Parish Priest, Fr Boni Buahendri SVD.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge was the chief celebrant of the Mass and other special guests included Queensland Premier, and St Mark’s parishioner, Anastasia Palaszczuk, along with Federal MP Milton Dick, the Vice-Provincial of the Divine Word Missionaries Fr Nick de Groot SVD and the Provincial of the Holy Spirit Sisters Sr Shalini Philomena M. Chakkummootil SSpS.
Fr Boni says the 65th anniversary was an occasion to look back with gratitude on the pioneers of the parish and to celebrate the vibrant community which exists today.
“The parish was actually started by SVD priests,” Fr Boni says. “Fr Aloysius Kasprus SVD was the first Parish Priest. He had been in Papua New Guinea and then came to Queensland and started the St Mark’s Parish in 1956.”
The Parish’s history records show that Fr Kasprus’ house was also the Mass Centre and parish office. In the first years of the parish there was such a shortage of space that during the celebration of Mass some parishioners would be sitting on the edge of Fr Kasprus’ bath while others outside looked in through the windows.
Today, the Parish is a large and multicultural community, with many of these different cultures on display during the anniversary celebrations.
“I told everyone they had to come to the Mass in their cultural dress,” Fr Boni says. “And everybody did! It looked great.
“St Mark’s is known as the house of migrants and refugees and at the anniversary Mass we saw people in the national dress of Vietnam, Samoa, Tonga, the Philippines, Africa, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka, Australia’s First Nations peoples and Australians of Anglo-Saxon and European heritage.”
The Gospels were carried in with a traditional Tongan procession and the Offertory Gifts were brought in with Samoan dancers.
“All of the different cultures were incorporated in the liturgy, especially through dancing and singing,” Fr Boni says.
“It was a real celebration of our unity in diversity.”
After the Mass, Archbishop Coleridge officially blessed the newly renovated parish office.
Fr Boni says the Anniversary Mass was timed to celebrate the Feast of St Mark the Evangelist.
“When I first arrived in the Parish I asked them how they celebrated St Mark’s feast day, but no one really knew about it, because it falls on April 25, which is ANZAC Day,” he says.
“So, we held it a week earlier, on April 18.
“It was a wonderful celebration and it has become a starting point for us to bring people together after the COVID period and be reunited as a community and move forward into the light in the spirit of Easter.”