The Divine Word Missionaries have taken up pastoral responsibility for the parishes of Murgon and Gayndah in Queensland’s South Burnett region.

Fr Mikhael Loke SVD was installed as parish priest on June 1, and says he is looking forward to getting to know the people and the local area, which is spread across hundreds of kilometres within the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

The five communities of the St Joseph’s Parish in Murgon are Cherbourg, Goomeri, Murgon, Proston, and Wondai and each community has its own character, history and story. Similarly, St Joseph’s Parish, Gayndah also includes Mass Centres at Mundubbera & Eidsvold.

Fr Mikhael, who originally hails from Indonesia and has spent time as a missionary in a number of places, including Central Australia and, most recently, St Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Kingston, said that since his arrival in Murgon-Gayndah he has received a warm welcome.

“I have had a very warm welcome from the people,” he said. “At the installation Mass I tried to engage with as many of the people as possible from the different parts of the parish, and so far, I love this parish.

“I’m also grateful for the big support I’ve received from Archbishop Mark as well, as I move into this new role in the Archdiocese.”

While each faith community within the parish has its own history, the history of Cherbourg is particularly harrowing.

Cherbourg has the largest Indigenous population in the Archdiocese of Brisbane and is located 4.5km south of Murgon. The town has a population of 2500 with about 800 Catholics.

The history of Cherbourg is one of Aboriginal people being forcibly removed and brought from all over Queensland and Northern New South Wales to a newly formed government reserve.

Under the Aborigines Protection Act of 1897, the settlement then called Barambah, was gazetted and established in 1904.

In 1932, the name Barambah was then changed to Cherbourg due to a nearby property called “Barambah Station” which caused confusion in mail delivery.

Barambah was the receiving place for Aborigines swept up by government policy from the South Burnett and elsewhere. According to the local council, an informed source estimated in 1935 that there were 28 ‘tribal’ groups present.

This history of resettlement and dispossession continues to cause challenges in the community today.

Archbishop Coleridge welcomed Fr Mikhael and thanked the Divine Word Missionaries for taking up pastoral care of the parish.

“The parish of Murgon is a community of communities, one of them being the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg with its complex history,” he said.

“Indigenous people were brought from all over Queensland and settled at Cherbourg under a very tough State-sponsored regime. What was supposed to be a regime of protection turned out to be a regime of punishment.

“The parish and its priests have sought to be present to the Cherbourg community, with the help of some local Catholic leaders. But it’s always been a struggle. In recent times, the Archdiocese has tried to rethink its approach not only to Cherbourg but to the whole area which is changing dramatically as once prosperous and populous rural communities become what are called ‘the vanishing villages’. The current Church structures don’t match the changed facts on the ground.

“In an attempt to shape a new engagement, we invited the Divine Word Missionaries to assume responsibility for the parishes of Murgon and Gayndah, with a special focus on Cherbourg.”

Archbishop Coleridge said the installation Mass for Fr Mikhael was “a great occasion celebrating what felt like a new beginning”.

Apart from the presence of the Archbishop, the gathering also included the SVD Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, as well as Fr Nick de Groot SVD and Fr Boni Buahendri SVD.

“It was clear that Fr Mikhael has already been warmly welcomed into the parish,” Archbishop Coleridge said.

“Fr Rass said a few words at the end of Mass, explaining to the people who the Divine Word missionaries are and why they were here. I came away thinking how generous the SVD have been to the Archdiocese of Brisbane, providing not only an auxiliary bishop (Tim Norton, now Bishop of Broome) but also accepting responsibility for two parishes in Brisbane and now Murgon. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.”

Fr Mikhael said that while each Indigenous clan has its own cultural identity, his time as a missionary in Aboriginal communities in Central Australia will help him in his new assignment.

“The way of life here is very different from Central Australia, but it does give me a little bit of knowledge and experience as a missionary,” he said.

“The history of Cherbourg means that there is still much healing to be done and that is part of our SVD mission and charism, to accompany people and to be a healing presence among them.”

Meanwhile, in other parts of the parish, Fr Mikhael said there is a strong agricultural industry, resulting in the parish welcoming not only local farmers and townspeople, but also migrants from a range of multicultural backgrounds who are in the area working as fruit-pickers.

The area is known for its beef, dairy, and grains industries, as well as the cultivation of duboisia, a plant used for pharmaceutical purposes, and a growing wine industry.

The parish has two Catholic primary schools, with aged care services and a range of other ministries.

Fr Mikhael said he hopes to be able to listen and learn from the people in a spirit of synodality.

“I just pray and hope that I will be able to spread the Word of God and meet people’s needs and that, as a parish, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we can all work together for God’s mission,” he said.

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Fr Nick de Groot SVD, Fr Boni Buahendri SVD, Fr Mikhael Loke SVD, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, and Fr Asaeli Rass SVD pictured at Fr Mikhael's installation Mass at Murgon.

MIDDLE LEFT: Archbishop Coleridge installs Fr Mikhael as parish priest.

BOTTOM RIGHT: The Mass was followed by a shared meal with parishioners.