Confirmations And Ordination of First Torres Strait Island Priest in a joyous weekend in Cairns

The last weekend in May was a joyous occasion for the Ordinariate parish of St Claire, Cairns with Holy Cross Duaun Island. On Friday 24th May, Monsignor Harry Entwistle, the Administrator of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross confirmed five young people of the parish and on Sunday May 26th in St Francis Xavier Church, Manunda, Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, Bishop Emeritus of Lismore, ordained Deacon Kopel Gibuma to the Catholic priesthood to minister in the Ordinariate OLSC. Fr Gibuma is the first Torres Strait Islander to be ordained a Catholic priest and he will minister in the parish of Cairns with Duaun Island, Torres Strait.

Both the Confirmation and Ordination services were ‘flavoured’ with Torres Strait island and missionary hymns while traditional dancers brought the deacon to church to be ordained, and entertained the guests during the following celebratory lunch.

In more ways than one this was a historic moment in the life of the Catholic Church in Australia, for which we thank God.