The combined churches of Mooroopna will host a candlelight vigil on Saturday, October 14, at 7.30 pm to mark the first anniversary of the October 2022 flood event. The gathering is set to take place at Rodney Place, at the intersection of McLennan and Young/Morrell Sts.
The gathering is set to take place at Rodney Place, at the intersection of McLennan and Young/Morrell Sts.
“Saturday, it’s 12 months since the beginning of the flood event, and we wanted to do something meaningful to mark the event and to process what has happened over the last 12 months,” St Alban’s Anglican Church Mooroopna rector Fr Simon Robinson said.
“We’ve invited the community to come and share with us in a way that Christians have been doing for a couple thousand years because we’ve found it helpful.”
Attendees can expect a mix of personal testimonies, prayers, scripture readings, and songs.
“There’ll be sharing from some people that have been impacted. We can’t have everyone share, but we’ll hear from people from various parts of Mooroopna,” he said.
The focal point of the evening will be the lighting of candles, with a moment of silence to reflect on the challenges many faced over the past year.
“Anyone who wants to come down and feels they need a bit of help lightening the burden, there’ll be plenty of people here that have been in the same situation,” Fr Simon said.
St Mary’s Catholic Church Mooroopna’s Monsignor Peter Jeffrey commented on the commendable spirit of the Mooroopna community during these trying times.
“I think it’s an indication of the community at Mooroopna that so many people responded very positively,” he said.
“There were so many people who had to leave their homes, and others opened their doors, welcoming them, and in some cases, they’re still there.”
He further expressed gratitude towards organisations that offered assistance.
Having had to leave the St Mary’s presbytery and now residing in a nearby unit, Monsignor Peter particularly praised the St Vincent De Paul Society, noting that they offer a “hand up” instead of merely a “hand out” to many community members.
For more information, contact Fr Simon Robinson on 5825 2031.
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