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Catholic Life, December 2015 - Page 3

Well-loved priest Mgr Bill Caffrey dies age 90 THE funeral took place this week of veteran Sale Diocese priest Mgr Bill Caffrey who died at O’Mara House, Traralgon, on November 24. Mgr Caffrey, 90, had been a priest of the diocese for more than 66 years. Requiem Mass took place on Tuesday at St Mary’s Church, Maffra, and he was later laid to rest at Maffra Cemetery. He was born in Maffra and raised in Tinamba where his parents were farmers. After primary schooling at the local government school he went on to become a boarder at St Patrick’s College, Sale, completing his matriculation before entering Corpus Christi seminary at Werribee in 1942 to train for the priesthood. At the seminary he shared a room with Eric D’Arcy who went on to become the sixth Bishop of Sale and later Archbishop of Hobart. He was ordained a priest on July 24, 1949, the first graduate of St Patrick’s College to become a priest of this diocese. He became a entitled to use the prefix monsignor in 1990 when he was appointed a Prelate of Honor by the Pope. In his early years as a priest he served as assistant at Warragul, Sale, Leongatha and Morwell. He also served as administrator at Trafalgar and Cowwarr before being elevated to parish priest in the newly formed parish of Morwell East. After that he was parish priest at Orbost, Koo Wee

MGR Caffrey at his golden jubilee of the priesthood in 1999. Rup, Morwell, Traralgon and Maffra, where he spent more than 15 years, before taking up residence at O’Mara House. His time at Koo Wee Rup was faced with challenges because the parish and several others at the western end had been excised from Melbourne Archdiocese in 1959, and he was the first Sale priest to serve there. However, his dry wit, handson style of ministry and innovative ways of fund-raising soon made him a favorite of the people. One of his fundraising ventures was to establish a series of bee hives and sell the honey. His love of bees was developed at the seminary where he was in charge of the apiary, and his skills resulted in some of his honey in the comb winning a gold medal at the Apiarists’ Association convention in

Queensland and a third prize at the Royal Melbourne Show. Mgr Caffrey was highly active in the Westernport Light Opera Society and was wellknown for his strong singing voice and love of theatre. He was also a talented sportsman particularly in cricket, football, tennis and golf. He represented Sale-Maffra Cricket Association at country week, played football for Leongatha and Cowwarr and is credited with hitting a hole in one at Maffra Golf Club. Mgr Caffrey was known as great teller of yarns and one he often told was of his football days when a curate at Leongatha. Bishop Richard Ryan and the Leongatha parish priest both frowned on priests being involved in football but the young priest managed to play several seasons as a ruckman under an assumed name, and went within a vote or two of winning the league best and fairest one season. He recalled how during one home match he was dragged off the ground and sent to the showers to avoid being recognised by his parish priest who had turned up to watch the game, something he did only every year or two. He said he had not originally intended to defy the bishop and had only started training with the football club to stay fit, but one thing led to another and he found himself being selected to

Year of Mercy from next week THE Jubilee of Mercy will begin next Tuesday on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception when Pope Francis opens a Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Over the next 12 months millions of pilgrims are expected to pass through the door, symbolising stepping through into God’s arms of mercy and renewal. Next week’s ceremony in Rome is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. In Sale Diocese a symbolic Holy Doorway will be dedicated at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, during the 9.30am Mass on December 13. Doors have always held special significance for the Church as the divide between the secular world outside and the sacred world within.

In times past people could claim sanctuary from arrest and persecution once they entered through the doors of a church. The doorway is representative of Jesus who according to John’s Gospel (10:9) said “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved …” A Holy Year traditionally begins with the opening of a Holy Door to signify a renewed opportunity to encounter Jesus who calls everyone to redemption. A plenary indulgence, the remission of temporal punishment due to sin, is offered to those who make a pilgrimage and fulfil other conditions

New priest comes to Sale A NEW priest arrives this week to work in Sale Diocese. He is Fr Anthony Phillips, formerly with the Missionaries of God’s Love, and he has initially been placed in Sale cathedral parish. Fr Phillips is originally from country Victoria and has deep experience in the counselling field. Bishop Pat O’Regan has welcomed him to the diocese and announced his appointment

until final arrangements can be made. In other clergy news Fr Darren Howie, Maffra, has sought and been granted incardination in the Sale Diocese. He was originally incardinated in Wagga Wagga Diocese. Coincidentally, former Sale Diocese priest Fr John Speekman has sought and been granted incardination in Wagga Wagga.

of receiving the sacraments of penance and Eucharist, prayers for the intention of the Pope, and performing simple acts such as visiting the sick. The first Holy Door is believed to have been opened by Pope Martin V in 1423 and then Pope Alexander VI called for all four Holy Doors in Rome to be opened at Christmas 1499 for the Jubilee year of 1500. The last Holy Door was for the jubilee year in 2000.

Mgr Bill Caffrey, taken earlier this year play. Dogs always formed a large part of Mgr Caffrey’s life and over the years he had a succession of highly trained pets who rarely left his side. In later years he said that his last dog Lady was the best he had ever had because of its uncanny ability to understand and act on a command the first time he gave it.

Mgr Caffrey’s health has slowly deteriorated over the past few years and even though he has been confined to a wheelchair he has still been able to attend many diocesan functions. Earlier this year he and Mgr John Allman, who also resides at O’Mara House, hosted a combined lunch to celebrate their 90th birthdays.

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