The people of Holy Family Parish came together in Ingleburn recently to welcome their new parish priest, Fr Henry Adler SVD.
Holy Family Parish is a big, vibrant, multicultural parish on Sydney’s south-western outskirts, comprised of the two communities of Ingleburn and Minto.
The welcoming Mass had been scheduled to be a formal installation of Fr Henry to his role as parish priest by Wollongong Bishop Brian Mascord. However, the installation was postponed when Bishop Mascord was unwell.
But, with all the arrangements made and the welcome cake already baked, the parish community continued with the welcome Mass, followed by a morning tea. Members of the Sydney SVD community, including Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD and Vice-Provincial, Fr Nick de Groot SVD, also attended.
Holy Family Parish at Ingleburn sits right alongside its neighbouring parish of Macquarie Fields, which is also under the pastoral care of the Divine Word Missionaries.
“One of the reasons the SVD accepted the invitation to come to Holy Family Parish is that we are already familiar with the area and the people,” Fr Henry says.
“I hope in the future we can find ways to collaborate in various ways. I believe there is potential for us to work together to promote the Word of God with our Bible ministry and also potential for mission animation.”
Fr Henry, who is a former Provincial of the SVD Australia Province, says the parish contains many aspects of the SVD charism.
“It is a very multicultural parish,” he says. “There are many Filipinos, Indians, Pacific Islanders, Slovaks, Poles and Maltese and Italian people here.
“I would say there would be at least 80 per cent of parishioners who are from a non-Anglo Australian background.
“It’s also a very active parish. We are blessed to have a beautiful music ministry with Filipino and Pacific Islander choirs.
“And the people are very committed to preparing beautiful liturgies. Easter was wonderful. The church was packed at each celebration, and it is a large church.”
Fr Henry is the first parish priest appointed to the parish since the retirement in August 2020 of Fr Peter Caruana who was parish priest for 36 years. Fr Peter died in August 2021. Prior to Fr Henry’s appointment, Fr Sean Cullen was administrator of the parish.
“I still feel like I am at the beginning of the journey here,” he says. “The people have been very welcoming and warm and I’m really happy to be a part of this community.
“It’s also wonderful that we have the richness of two communities within our parish – at Ingleburn and Minto.”
Fr Henry says the Minto community, based at Holy Trinity Church is also the base for the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Wollongong Diocese.
In 1984, Sisters Patricia Murphy and Kerry MacDermott of Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor (The Brown Sisters) took up residence at Minto in a Department of Housing house so as to live alongside and minister to the surrounding suburbs of the Macarthur area—offering friendship and support in people’s homes to those in crisis, or in need of long-term support, including listening to people, advocating for them and offering bereavement and night phone support.
Sr Patricia passed away in 2018. Sr Kerry, along with Aunty Muriel Brandy and other Aboriginal friends, began the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in 1985 from the Holy Trinity Church, with the approval of Bishop William Murray and Fr Peter Caruana. It is a place where the Aboriginal community feel welcome and appreciated.
“So, there are many wonderful aspects of our parish and I’m looking forward to learning more as we journey along together,” Fr Henry says.
“I’m looking forward to the whole community growing together as one parish, while retaining those two distinct communities,” he says.
“And I’m looking forward to eventually being able to offer some of the things that are a part of the SVD charism, namely, a missionary spirit and a focus on the Word of God among the people.”
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Fr Henry Adler SVD chats to parishioners at the welcome celebration.
MIDDLE LEFT: Fr Henry cuts the welcome cake.
BOTTOM RIGHT: SVDs present at the celebration inluded Fr Raja Reddy, Fr Viet Nguyen, Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass, Fr Henry and Vice-Provincial Fr Nick de Groot.