By Sandra Waters
On Sunday 12 April, St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trayning celebrated her centenary with some 60 people attending the special Mass celebrated by Fr Mark Rucci.
Joining St Joseph’s regular parishioners were visitors from Beacon, Bencubbin, Mukinbudin, Koorda, Perth and even Tasmania.
Sisters Dora and Frances McGuire, Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, were in attendance, as were Valda Knott, Community Minister OAM, and Councillor Michelle McHugh and President Melanie Brown from the Trayning Shire Council.
In his homily, Fr Mark paid tribute to the contribution and influence of the sisters.
“The sisters were a light in the darkness of doubt and unbelief. We thank them for all that they did for the community and for their support for our beloved church named in honour of their patron St Joseph,” he said.
For all parishioners past and present, he prayed that “the Divine Mercy falls copiously upon their souls.”
“And for all of us here today, we pray that our doubts may be allayed – doubts about Christ’s presence, doubts about Christ’s never-failing love and mercy, and doubts about whether the church will survive the current spiritual drought the world is experiencing.
“May God bless you all for coming from all over the state to be here with us today as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on this special moment in the history of Trayning and the Catholic Church in the bush,” he added.
A community of great people
St Joseph’s first Priest, Fr William Gimenz, arrived on 14 August 1925 and his first home was the Trayning Hotel. The following year, on 11 April 1926, St Joseph’s Catholic Church was opened. The first wedding was celebrated on 26 January 1927.
Over the years St Joseph’s has welcomed numerous priests from Spanish, Irish, Burmese, Vietnamese, Australian and Polish backgrounds. Frs Placid and Benedict were the longest serving at 16 years each.
Renowned for his determination and ability to secure funds for building programs, Fr Placid led the building of five churches – St Teresa’s Nungarin, St Ann’s Kununoppin, St Patrick’s Wialki, Our Lady Help of Christians Mukinbudin and St Michael’s Beacon, along with St Joseph’s School Trayning and the Bencubbin presbytery.
Spiritual development has always been at the forefront of the parish, through various sacramental programs, prayer groups and committees.
Supporting the priests in this spiritual development were the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart who established St Joseph’s Convent in 1934 – that doubled as a boarding school for local farming families. The Sisters also taught students in the church building until the school was established.
Sr Irene Mc Cormack was baptised in the church and attended the school in her early years. Her Father was among the early pioneers of the district and one of the forefathers of the Church.
For parishioners and friends, St Joseph’s Trayning is not simply a building, it is a community of great people, past and present who fondly remember the past, look to the future and live for today.
