Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was among the special guests who attended the vibrant and colourful Multicultural Fiesta at St Mark’s Parish, Inala, recently.
The day was a celebration of the many different cultural groups who make up the St Mark’s community and included a multicultural Mass, followed by entertainment from different groups and the sharing of food from the many cultural groups present.
Ms Palaszczuk is the local MP for Inala, and was a special guest at the Multicultural Fiesta, along with Vicar-General of the Brisbane Archdiocese, Monsignor Peter Meneely, local councillors, priests, religious and friends.
Assistant Priest of St Mark’s Parish, Fr Van Bang Nguyen, welcomed everyone to the event, which was a joint initiative of St Mark’s Parish and St Mark’s School.
“It is indeed a great joy to see all of us gathered here this morning, to thank God for His love and blessings on our parish and school and to pray for His continued favour on us always,” Fr Bang said.
“As you know, every two years, St Mark’s Parish and St Park’s School, organise together the Multicultural Mass and Fiesta celebration.
“This is a very important occasion where we gather together to praise and give thanks to God for everything He has done for us.
“It is also a good opportunity to show our different cultures, languages, and food to each other. It is a day that all our parishioners unite to work and to share our talents as the gifts God has given us. Let us continue to collaborate and work together to make our parish a community that is inclusive and values the gifts of all. Let us do this in the spirit of Christ.”
Some of the highlights of the Mass included members of the Tongan community processing the Gospel to the altar with lighted lamps signifying the presence of Christ, the Light of the World. Prayers of the Faithful were delivered in different languages and hymns sung by members of various national choirs, with the Samoan parishioners leading the community in the Offertory procession. Many different gifts of offering were brought to the altar by a host of parishioners representing their respective cultures.
SVD AUS Province Mission Secretary, Fr Truc Quoc Phan, said the day was a real celebration of the multicultural community at St Mark’s and showcased an important aspect of the SVD charism.
“It was a very successful day,” he said. “The people really enjoyed it.”
“Days like this are very special for the SVD because we are an international community – that is one of our special characteristics, so it is good to share that with the Parish community and to welcome and encourage the celebration of different cultures.
Fr Joseph Vu, Assistant Priest at St Mark’s and Chaplain to the Vietnamese Community, thanked all who attended and took part in the Multicultural Fiesta.
“This day, organised by the parish and the school together, is a traditional and special day for all of us,” he said. “We come together to appreciate each other’s culture and also to discover the beauty of the culture we inherited.
“The multicultural celebration is also a day to recognise and to respect the different values of cultures and to embrace all of them into our Parish and School life. This helps to bring us closer together and to live in harmony.”