Bishop Pat reviews ‘Under the Pines: A History of St Gregory’s Catholic Parish’

The cover of this beautiful publication has a magnificent photo of the historic St Gregory’s Church. Its readers are told, “When Catholics came to Queanbeyan, they discovered the power of their faith, and they teamed together to create a community under pine trees, despite the challenges of government, climate distance and poverty.”

Anyone associated with Queanbeyan and its surroundings presently or in the past will be uplifted by the story illustrated by photos, which themselves tell a story. My late father, Ken Power, used to say that Queanbeyan was the mother of Canberra, and even though the child outgrew the parent, it should not forget its origins.

I would hope that readers of Catholic Voice would support the accolades given in their forewords by Archbishop Christopher Prowse and Queanbeyan Parish Priest Fr Anthony Percy. Fr. Percy tells us that by 2050, the population of Canberra will be 700,000, and Queanbeyan will be 70,000.

This book is an outstanding publication, more than the beautiful coffee table treasure, which is the first thing visitors see when they come through my front door. At $85, the price might seem high, but I would say that it is worth every penny of it.

Under the Pines provides its readers with a rich means of education, inspiration and fulfilment. I hope it will be a modern-day means of sharing the good news of our Catholic faith tradition, which is intelligible and attractive to readers of all ages and backgrounds.

The Catholic Church today is facing a number of challenges which can be daunting, but Under the Pines enables its readers to see the bigger picture in recognising how earlier generations were not defeated by the obstacles they encountered but rather saw them as a part of their pilgrim journey in response to Jesus’ call to bring the good news to their brothers and sisters.

• BOOK LAUNCH: Please see HERE for details of the Under the Pines: A History of St Gregory’s Catholic Parish Queanbeyan NSW