28/08/2026
50 Years of Grace: Letter from Fr Marcus
Mass for the 50th Anniversary of the Parish
11am Sunday 30th August 2026
St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Corio
Lunch to follow in the Xavier Centre
Dear parishioners,
This Sunday we welcome Archbishop Comensoli for the celebration of our parish’s 50th anniversary at the 11am Mass. All parishioners are welcome to join us for the Mass and lunch in the Xavier Centre afterwards. During lunch, we will hear brief reflections on the parish from Frank and Irene Moloney, Shayne and Nely Lowther, Robert and Lina Tancio, and Michael Brooker. We also look forward to the singing of children from our Friday catechism class.
Over the last few months, my thoughts have turned frequently to Fr Ron Lowe and the first years of the parish. One of the things that I find particularly striking is the fact that St Francis Xavier Corio did not have a dedicated church for its first twelve years.
This reminds me of the Israelites journeying through the wilderness for forty years. Before they had land and buildings, they had God and each other. Through those years, God taught Israel that the foundation of their identity was their relationship with Him, not so much their land and buildings. Of course, this was also the experience of the first Catholics: the apostles and disciples. For the first three centuries of her existence, the Church did not have land or buildings either. In those early centuries, the Church was learning that the foundation of her identity was her relationship with Christ, not so much her land and buildings.
Likewise, those first years of our parish’s existence remind us that a parish is a community of believers in communion with the Pope who have Jesus at the centre of their lives. The real history of this parish is written in each soul that has encountered, received and responded to the grace of Christ within the territory of Corio and Lara. Here, we walk with Jesus and each other towards the Promised Land.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that our parish facilities are the fruit of your faith, service and sacrifice. Both in Corio and Lara, you have built churches and schools that have now served generations of Catholics. I think particularly of those who helped set up chairs for Sunday Mass in St Francis Xavier school over so many years, of the bingo team who raised much-needed funds, and the committee from St Anthony’s who had the vision to build a new church for Lara.
From the beginning of history, God has appointed shepherds to lead his people on his behalf. God raised up Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David to shepherd his people. In the same way, Jesus chose apostles to govern the Church in his name. In his goodness, the Lord Jesus has also provided shepherds for this parish: Fr Ron Lowe, Fr Denis Minogue, Fr John Healy, Fr Johnny Joseph, Fr Manoj Kannamthadathil, Fr Pius Kodakkathanath, Fr Rojan Poonattu, Fr Daryl Montecillo, and now me. I am deeply impressed by the faith and love you have for your priests. You see and love Christ the Priest in us.
My sincere thanks to all who have helped plan and organise our celebrations this Sunday, especially the Social Committee, Jasna Brdar, the Tancio family, our sacristans, servers and musicians, and everyone who has provided and served food for the lunch.
May God continue to bless us in the years to come. Ad multos annos!
Fr Marcus Goulding PP
[photos: Fr Ron Lowe (1988); the parish's 30th anniversary celebrations (2007)]
