May 18 marked a significant milestone for Father Joe Taylor: it was 50 years since he was ordained for the Sandhurst Diocese at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Echuca.
Although the weekend was marked by several festivities, the official celebration took place on Sunday, May 19 — but the usual mass was observed with a twist.
Because Fr Joe didn’t want the event to be solely about him, he shared his special celebration with eight married couples who marked their golden wedding anniversaries: David and Kerry Gawne, Rob and Marie O’Meara, Des and Marie Thorp, Nick and Theresia Natalizio, Geoff and Helen Long, Greg and Paula Scanlon, Rocky and Mary Scarpari and Graeme and Alison Castles.
“He doesn’t want all the accolades,” Mr Gawne said.
“I just thought I’m celebrating, but look at all these beautiful people around me who are also celebrating 50 years of achievement of marriage,” Fr Joe said.
When asked about the secrets to a good marriage, Mr and Mrs O’Meara said “working with each other and being content with everyday life” was key.
Four hundred people gathered on the day, and the parish catering committee organised food and drink.
Fr Joe said he had been showered with cards, gifts and presents, which was “an unexpected joy or surprise in your priesthood that you didn’t anticipate when you first ordain”.
“It’s a beautiful sense of celebration,” he said.
“Rituals and occasions are important to mark, whether it’s marriage or priesthood or whatever, just to mark the occasion.
“It’s about keeping those things alive and making sure that they don’t disappear and fade away on us.”
Over his 50 years of priesthood, Fr Joe worked in 10 parishes from Papua New Guinea to Victoria, where he made “many beautiful friends” and was “touched by the lives of many”.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about my priesthood, my 50 years, about all of the great joys and things I’ve done well, things I haven’t done so well at times,” Fr Joe said.
“I found all those parishes to be life-giving for me and I hope that I was life-giving for them too.
“It’s a time of thankfulness. Gratitude to God and gratitude to the people I’ve been with. Gratitude for the great support I’ve had from so many people over so many years.”
Fr Joe said his experiences had deepened his faith over the years.
“As I get older, I just think God’s much bigger and brighter and more mysterious and containable in a sense than we ever sort of can imagine,” he said.
Fr Joe said he couldn’t single out a fondest memory because there were “hundreds of them”.
“I’ve had so many beautiful friends and parishioners who have inspired me and worked with me, and I’ve encouraged them, and they’ve encouraged me,” he said.
“The goodness of people is certainly a great joy and a great inspiration to me.
“I go from house to house and place to place, and I see so many good families.
“People that have touched my life and the giftedness of people with strength, the people, the generosity, the charity, the heroic lives that so many people live, just so much of that in all the places.
“These are the people … who are the real heroes of Australia.”