Ambassador Hitchman with Abbott John Herbert and Fr Robert Nixon OSB. Photo: Josh Low.
By Matthew Lau
The Australian Ambassador to the Holy See Melissa Hitchman, has last week officially opened a recently developed section of New Norcia Museum & Art Gallery on 23 April.
The new exhibition focuses on Rodendo Salvado’s mission era from 1846 to 1900.
Along with fellow Spanish Benedictine Joseph Serra, first Abbot Salvado co-founded the Territorial Abbey of New Norcia in 1847, which remains Australia’s only monastic town.
Ambassador Hitchman’s brief visit to Western Australia included a personalised tour of New Norcia.
Melissa Hitchman, the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, unveils a revamped section of New Norcia Museum & Art Gallery. It was her first time in New Norcia. Photo: Feby Plando.
During her speech at the official ceremony last week, Ambassador Hitchman gave her assurance that the museum upgrade would attract visitors to become better acquainted with New Norcia’s unique history.
“You may not be aware, but your community and its contribution to the Australian Catholic public and indigenous discourse is becoming ever more familiar in Rome,” she stated.
“No issue is more vibrant or more energised than promoting indigenous recognition and culture. Not only in Australia, but to the 25,000 visitors per day to the Vatican Museums.”
New Norcia Archivist Peter Hocking provides Ambassador Hitchman a taste of New Norcia’s rich vein of history. Photo: Feby Plando.
Ambassador Hitchman congratulated those responsible for preserving New Norcia’s contribution to Australian church-state-indigenous relations.
“Over the past few years, my predecessors, I and my colleagues at the Australian Embassy to the Holy See, have been privileged to journey with Abbot John Herbert to bring to fruition the scholarship to honour the memory of indigenous Benedictine student Francis Xavier Conaci,” she explained.
“Conaci travelled from the monastery [of New Norcia] in 1849, met Pope Pius IX in Rome, died and was buried at St Paul’s Outside the Walls in 1853.”
Fr Robert Nixon presented a few musical pieces on the organ and piano for the Ambassador’s enjoyment. Photo: Feby Plando.
Ambassador Hitchman and Abbot Herbert make their way through Australia’s only “Monk Town”. Photo: Feby Plando.
Current New Norcia Abbot John Herbert gives Ambassador Melissa Hitchman a whistle-stop of what New Norcia has to offer. Photo: Feby Plando.
The Ambassador paid homage to young indigenous Australian Catholic University student Nathan Pitt, who last July was named the inaugural Francis Xavier Conaci scholar.
“Nathan built on Conaci’s legacy by walking in his footsteps in Rome last year. We look forward to welcoming his successor during NAIDOC Week in July.
“It is therefore with some personal satisfaction that I have come to see Conaci’s origins, to understand better his story,” she concluded.