Mr KIELY - 2007-08-30
Last night, the Chief Minister attended the installation of our new Catholic Bishop of Darwin, Eugene Hurley. Can the Chief Minister tell the House about his welcome and the farewell to our much loved Bishop Ted?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question from the member for Sanderson. Last night at the Cathedral was a night of welcome and farewell. It welcomed, as the member said, the new Bishop of Darwin, Eugene Hurley, but farewelled a man who got the biggest clap I have heard in a church ever, and that was a farewell to Bishop Ted. One of the lovely things that has started to happen in the Catholic Church is that, and it was not when I was growing up, but now sermons are clapped and people are clapped, and last night, it was the warmest, most wonderful clap from a very packed Cathedral for Bishop Ted as he handed over the role of Bishop to the new Bishop.
We will all miss Bishop Ted. You forget how long he has been the Bishop of Darwin, 21 years, but being in the Northern Territory since 1971, he is an institution. He has travelled widely, and he is much loved. One of the things that was respected about Bishop Ted, and will continue to be so, is that he was not always a priest. He was a policeman before he became a priest, and it gave him that insight into humanity and a real gentleness of approach.
When you think of some of the things that will be significant memories for Bishop Ted, it will be - as we have talked about cyclones today –attending Midnight Mass when Cyclone Tracy hit in Christmas 1974. He played a leading role in the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1986. When you think of Bishop Ted, you think of a warm and wonderful man who loved his footy and will continue to love his footy ...
A member interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is sad that he is a St Mary’s supporter, but you cannot have everything. He had a wonderful patience and tolerance of people, no matter who they were. He will be extraordinarily missed . However, recognising that he has served a long time it was time for retirement for Bishop Ted. I am sure we all join in wishing him well into the future. He will stay here. He will still be part of the Territory for many years to come.
It was also a welcome to the new bishop, Bishop Eugene Hurley. It was a very warm and enthusiastic welcome to the new Bishop. He comes from Port Pirie, and there was a whole group of his family and Port Pirie residents who came to see him installed as the new Bishop of Darwin.
He was born and raised in the Flinders Ranges. He studied for the priesthood in Adelaide. For the last 43 years, he has worked in regional South Australia. He has worked as both Priest and Bishop in the Diocese of Port Pirie. That is a gigantic diocese; it stretches nearly one million square kilometres, from Port Lincoln in the south, west to the Western Australia border, east to the New South Wales border, and north to Uluru, so he really does understand people in rural and regional Australia.
He established South Australia’s first regional Centacare social welfare service at Whyalla and served on a number of committees dealing with regional issues.
His appointment marks a change. He is the first Bishop of Darwin not to belong to a religious order. The last three have been Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, so it is a change. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, with Bishop Gsell, Bishop O’Loughlin, and Bishop Ted, served this Territory wonderfully well.
There was a very enthusiastic welcome for Bishop Hurley last night. He showed a really important sense of occasion, but a great sense of humour during the two-and-a-half hour service. We welcome him to the Territory, say farewell to Bishop Ted, and hope that Bishop Eugene Hurley, as was his predecessor, is a very integral part of our Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question from the member for Sanderson. Last night at the Cathedral was a night of welcome and farewell. It welcomed, as the member said, the new Bishop of Darwin, Eugene Hurley, but farewelled a man who got the biggest clap I have heard in a church ever, and that was a farewell to Bishop Ted. One of the lovely things that has started to happen in the Catholic Church is that, and it was not when I was growing up, but now sermons are clapped and people are clapped, and last night, it was the warmest, most wonderful clap from a very packed Cathedral for Bishop Ted as he handed over the role of Bishop to the new Bishop.
We will all miss Bishop Ted. You forget how long he has been the Bishop of Darwin, 21 years, but being in the Northern Territory since 1971, he is an institution. He has travelled widely, and he is much loved. One of the things that was respected about Bishop Ted, and will continue to be so, is that he was not always a priest. He was a policeman before he became a priest, and it gave him that insight into humanity and a real gentleness of approach.
When you think of some of the things that will be significant memories for Bishop Ted, it will be - as we have talked about cyclones today –attending Midnight Mass when Cyclone Tracy hit in Christmas 1974. He played a leading role in the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1986. When you think of Bishop Ted, you think of a warm and wonderful man who loved his footy and will continue to love his footy ...
A member interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is sad that he is a St Mary’s supporter, but you cannot have everything. He had a wonderful patience and tolerance of people, no matter who they were. He will be extraordinarily missed . However, recognising that he has served a long time it was time for retirement for Bishop Ted. I am sure we all join in wishing him well into the future. He will stay here. He will still be part of the Territory for many years to come.
It was also a welcome to the new bishop, Bishop Eugene Hurley. It was a very warm and enthusiastic welcome to the new Bishop. He comes from Port Pirie, and there was a whole group of his family and Port Pirie residents who came to see him installed as the new Bishop of Darwin.
He was born and raised in the Flinders Ranges. He studied for the priesthood in Adelaide. For the last 43 years, he has worked in regional South Australia. He has worked as both Priest and Bishop in the Diocese of Port Pirie. That is a gigantic diocese; it stretches nearly one million square kilometres, from Port Lincoln in the south, west to the Western Australia border, east to the New South Wales border, and north to Uluru, so he really does understand people in rural and regional Australia.
He established South Australia’s first regional Centacare social welfare service at Whyalla and served on a number of committees dealing with regional issues.
His appointment marks a change. He is the first Bishop of Darwin not to belong to a religious order. The last three have been Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, so it is a change. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, with Bishop Gsell, Bishop O’Loughlin, and Bishop Ted, served this Territory wonderfully well.
There was a very enthusiastic welcome for Bishop Hurley last night. He showed a really important sense of occasion, but a great sense of humour during the two-and-a-half hour service. We welcome him to the Territory, say farewell to Bishop Ted, and hope that Bishop Eugene Hurley, as was his predecessor, is a very integral part of our Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016