AofB The Priest Foundation – Retirement accommodation for Fr Wrex Woolnough
A Thank you! video from Fr Wrex to parishioners and all those who generously supported him for his retirement accommodation on Bribie Island, via Archdiocese’s Priests Foundation Appeal.
Watch Fr Wrex’s Thank You! video just shared to our parish by Priest Foundation here.
Following is an email distributed by Chair of The Priests Foundation to those on the Archdiocese Catholic Campaign Appeal ‘mailing’ list –
| “Dear , Late last year, I had a conversation with Father Wrex Woolnough, one of our Archdiocese’s most beloved priests who, after 51 years of service, was preparing to retire from active ministry. I can tell you from personal experience that retiring is hard for priests to do. There is a loneliness that goes with stepping away from your parish. The rhythm and flow that has dictated your whole life suddenly falls away as the people who have leaned on you turn to someone new. The theme of a personal haven of rest and peace echoed throughout my conversation with Fr Wrex. With retirement looming, he was also profoundly aware that soon he would have nowhere to call home, as he would need to move out of the presbytery he had been living in for the past six years. When I asked Fr Wrex where he envisions himself growing old, his heart was set on the north side of Brisbane. “I have a couple of good friends there, some family who will come visit,” he told me. At the time, The Priests Foundation had nowhere that fit this description, with the only option being a home deep in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Then, through the grace of God who hears every prayer, we received notification that a generous donor had left a gift in their Will to the Living Waters Parish Caboolture. This meant that the Priests Foundation had access to a unit on Bribie Island, for residential accommodation of retired priests. |
| It’s a 1970’s build and has had no updates or improvements in fifty years. While there is much work to be done before Fr Wrex can move in, we are so grateful that we can now offer this dedicated priest a home close to the parish he lived and worked in for more than seventeen years. , this is where your help will make a real difference this year. Before Fr Wrex can “put his feet up, do what he wants to do, and have an opportunity to reconnect with hobbies and personal interests” we have to turn this unit into a comfortable, fit-for-purpose home. That includes big items like new walls, carpets, paint, an air conditioning unit, a fridge, and other white goods, as well as those smaller items like a cozy chair or a warm rug, that make a house a home. Your tax-deductible donation will help with these expenses and ensure Father Wrex has all he needs as he enters his ‘less-active’ ministerial years. As with all priests entering retirement, their call to ministry never really ends, and they may be called upon from time to time to offer support as required. This year, we welcomed nine men to the ranks of retired priests. We celebrate their long years of dedication and service, but we also acknowledge the great responsibility we now have to care for them as they have cared for us. Your support can make a tangible difference in creating ‘havens of peace and places of comfort’ for each of our retiring priests. You will help ensure they embark on this new chapter with the care and respect befitting their lifelong service. Today, I hope you will take to heart that your support makes a real difference. Your generosity is a blessing and a beacon of hope and light. Because of you, our retiring priests can enter this well-deserved journey of rest and reflection knowing they have a congregation of the faithful carrying them in prayer and service. Yours in Christ, Fr Frank Jones Chair, The Priests Foundation Make your gift today Catholic Foundation GPO Box 282, BRISBANE, QLD 4001″ |
