Bulletin News, Darwin, Vicar General Malcolm Fyfe MSC
As some of you may know, Father Leo Wearden has been down South since early January, initially on Annual Leave from Wadeye and for a medical check-up. Covid-19 travel restrictions have complicated his movements and extended his time there. Father Leo has authorised me to say that he will be undergoing relatively minor surgery next Wednesday but will hopefully be out of hospital after a couple of days. He has been advised to recuperate fully down South before returning to Wadeye a week or two after Easter.
Meantime ministry at Wadeye and surrounding communities is being managed on a FIFO basis, thanks to the MGLs and the MSCs.
Following on a consultation of priests working in the Aboriginal Ministry, Bishop Charles has appointed Father Leo to be the Dean of the Indigenous Deanery and Co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Apostolate. In this capacity he will be assisted by Regina McCarthy who will attend to the Aboriginal Ministry Desk one day a week at the Diocesan Office.
THE TIWI ISLANDS
Father Francis Jayakody, who is a priest from the Colombo Archdiocese and who was working for some time in the diocese of Sale VIC, volunteered to work in the diocese of Darwin for the remainder of his Visa period. We were very fortunate in being able to arrange for this transfer, especially as we were losing the services of Father Danh Doan msc and Father Pat Mara msc (on study leave during 2021). Subsequent upon his appointment by Bishop Charles, Father Francis has settled in at Wurrumiyanga and has commenced his ministry on Bathurst Island.
As regards PIrlangimpi and Milikapiti on Melville Island, the diocese has again been fortunate in that Father Joseph Pullanappillil CMI has chosen to return to the Top End after a number of years in Queensland. He has accepted a ministerial appointment from Bishop Charles and will be based at Garden Point. Father Joseph will arrive in Darwin on Monday March 1st and plans to move across to Melville Island within the week. Welcome back Father Joseph!
NORTHERN TERRITORY COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Congratulations to Bishop Charles who at last week’s Annual General Meeting of the NTCC was elected to be Chairperson. This appointment is essentially a year by year one but usually turns out to be a longer term one.
AND FINALLY SOME HISTORY.
After I sent out the notice about Regina McCarthy’s appointment as Catholic Dean at Nungalinya College and mentioned her father, Peter’s lay missionary work at Daly River, I received this message from Margaret Flynn:
“I read your email about Regina McCarthy.
I just wanted to add something about the McCarthy connection. In the mid-sixties 5 McCarthy men came up to Darwin from Sydney as lay missionaries. They were Terry and his brother Eris and their 3 cousins, Peter, Bob and Harry. All of them were tradesmen and built numerous mission buildings, mainly schools.
When I first went to Bathurst Island in 1969 Terry and Eris were both there and the other 3 men were at Daly River. Of course some stayed in the Territory a long time - Peter and Bob married women from Daly River and Terry married the lay missionary Mary Neville who was teaching at Port Keats.
So Regina comes from a wonderful family who have given so much service to the Diocese of Darwin.”
