The Doubleview Parish community turned out in droves to show its appreciation to outgoing Pastoral Associate Kaye Shervington on 28 February.
Morning tea was held after the 10am Sunday Mass with Parish Priest Father Peter Hoang OP and parishioner Helen Murray thanking Kaye for her dedicated service to the parish for almost two decades.
Helen observed that during these years, Kaye had helped upgrade the parish operations from the old priory to a temporary facility in the sacristy and finally to the new Rosary Community Centre and associated offices.
The retiring Kaye filled the role of Pastoral Associate and Office Manager during the administration of four parish priests from 2003 to 2021.
A lay pastoral associate functions as an integral member of the parish staff, sharing in the responsibility of necessary assessment, decision-making, planning, and implementation of parish ministries and operations.
Kaye guided many families through funeral and baptismal arrangements, as well as many young people through the sacramental programme at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.
At her farewell morning tea, Kaye expressed her gratitude to the many generous volunteers she had worked with in the parish. She made many friends along the way and looks forward to remaining active in the church community.
“It was a great privilege to be the Parish Associate and part of the parish,” she beamed.
Born-and-raised in Perth, Kaye spent 13 years in Sydney before relocating to WA in 2003.
“My daughter-in-law said to me: ‘I’ve seen a job for you’. I replied: ‘I don’t need a job’. And she responded: ‘Yes, you do’. So, I applied for the job and got it.”
The Pastoral Associate position initially entailed visiting house-bound people, assisting with the sacramental programme, preparing people for baptisms, and organising funerals.
The sacramental programme then became parish-based instead of school-based. This change led Kaye to provide pastoral support at Holy Rosary Primary School, Newman College, and John XXIII College as the Sacramental Coordinator.
“The thing I like about [the role] is that I am mixing with the parents, and because I have all those pre-meetings before a sacrament, I really get to know the students,” Kaye expressed.
“Last year, we didn’t think we’d be able to have Confirmation because of COVID. About five sets of parents came and said: ‘but you’ve been here for all our kids’ sacraments, you’ve got to be here for this one. So, we managed to fit Confirmation in, albeit not quite as fancy and splendid as it normally would have been. Nevertheless, we had Confirmation.”
Although she has passed on the Pastoral Associate baton to successor Elle Aurora, Kaye has vowed to remain an active member of the parish.
“I wish Elle all the best in her new position – I am sure she will enjoy it as much as I did.
“There’s been lots of work, but I’ve made lots of friends and had many good times. There’s a great mixture in this parish of the very old, who I’m about to join, the very young, and the people in the middle.”
Fellow parishioner Julie Prior became close friends with Kaye in recent years.
“Kaye is very proactive. She can see things that might crop up that need attending to before they happen,” Julie attested.
“She knows who to get in touch with and she’s a good coordinator. It’s important to have a welcoming face when you come in.”
Since leaving her 18-year stint as Pastoral Associate, Kaye has relished the opportunity to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.
“It’s nice to have a bit of free time and be able to say ‘yes’ more often,” Kaye concluded.