Ballajura parishioners have last month welcomed their new Parish Priest Fr Vinh Dong.
More than 500 parishioners and guests came together Saturday 31 May at St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Church for the occasion which commenced with a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton.
Joining Bishop Sproxton and Fr Vinh for the occasion was retiring parish priest Fr John Jegorow, St Charles Seminary Rector Fr Francis Nguyen as well as Msgr Michael Keating and Fr Greg Donovan.
The occasion was a moment of fresh beginnings—and heartfelt farewells—as the parish also marked the retirement of beloved pastor of more than 30 years, Fr John Jegorow.
Bishop Sproxton, in his homily, explained to the congregation that the Feast of the Ascension makes the end of something and the beginning of something new.
“The Risen Jesus was seen to leave the disciples: they would no longer see him as they had until then. The story of the resurrection of Jesus was completed,” Bishop Sproxton explained.
“This parish is a community of disciples of the Lord. And it has been called to announce the Good News of the Father’s love and his plan for each person,” Bishop Sproxton continued.
Fr Vinh arrives at Ballajura Parish with a wealth of pastoral experience.
The Vietnamese-born priest was ordained in December 1996 after completing his formation at St Charles’ Seminary in Guildford and in Adelaide.
He has served as Assistant Priest in Highgate, Kalgoorlie, and as Parish Priest at Lockridge, Greenwood and most recently at Banksia Grove.
Notably, he led the successful building project there, guiding the congregation in planning, fundraising, and construction—culminating in the church’s dedication in January 2023.
Known for his belief that priests should “see their parishioners as their family,” Fr Vinh brings a deeply personal approach to ministry.
At Banksia Grove, he oversaw the establishment of a vibrant multicultural parish, celebrating African, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, and other communities—an achievement Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB hailed as inspiring.
Now in Ballajura, he succeeds Fr John Jegorow, who steps down after more than three decades of dedicated service.
Fr John was the visionary behind the founding of Ballajura Parish, responding to Archbishop Foley’s 1988 call for Expressions of Interest to serve the growing suburb.
Installed in 1989, he oversaw the building and consecration of St Mary MacKillop Church, laying the foundation stone in March 1999 and anointing its walls—a milestone gratefully recalled by parishioners.
Under Fr John’s leadership, the parish matured into a vibrant centre of sacramental life, youth outreach, and school development.
He presided over the establishment of Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School, guiding its growth to over 500 students and facilitating a new school hall as part of a major government initiative in 2011.
Parish blogs attest to his pastoral care, from blessing new statues to welcoming refugee families—such as his own cousins from Lviv—into the parish fold.
Fr John also significantly shaped youth ministry in WA as a former YCW and youth chaplain.
In his homily, Bishop Sproxton emphasised that the Ballajura parish has strong relationships in the wider community.
“It has learnt to look at the people and see their needs,” Bishop Sproxton explained.
“It has opened their hearts to reach out to others. May they continue to express their faith and act because of that sense of being called to work with God,” he said.
“May this parish, named after St Mary MacKillop, continue to look for the needs of the people and do something about them,” Bishop Sproxton concluded.
He also acknowledged the importance of pastoral collaboration, inviting Ballajura’s Parish Pastoral Council to partner with Fr Vinh in discerning and serving the community’s needs.
The installation Mass was rich in symbolism: prayers for parish unity, a laying on of hands, and the formal declaration of Fr Vinh’s leadership.
The congregation responded with applause and song—a sign of hope for this next chapter of parish life.