General News
31 December, 2022
Culture connection
SUMMER READINGIN HIS four years at parish priest at St Patrick’s Pyramid Hill, Fr Novelito Lim had been at the forefront of pastoral care for the district’s strong expat Filipino community. More than 100 Filipinos now live in the district. A town...
SUMMER READING
IN HIS four years at parish priest at St Patrick’s Pyramid Hill, Fr Novelito Lim had been at the forefront of pastoral care for the district’s strong expat Filipino community.
More than 100 Filipinos now live in the district. A town shop is devoted to stocking and selling traditional foods and the United Filipino Organisation celebrates heritage and tradition in Pyramid Hill and across the Loddon.
The first Filipinos arrived in Pyramid Hill more than a decade ago when Kai-Ora piggery owner Tom Smith looked overseas to fill staff vacancies.
Fr Novelito - people call me “Novie” to make it short and easy to remember - will next month take up a new appointment in the Diocese of Sandhurst.
In his four years as parish priest at Pyramid Hill, the expat originally from Cebu City Philippines, has been connecting Filipinos and the local community through culture and faith.
Fr Novie said one of the best things of serving the Pyramid Hill community had been having a tight group.
“The community is so close and respect each other no matter what the background is, what organisations we are part of and what Christian denomination and religion we have,” he said.
“We consider each one as friends. The Filipinos have been so welcomed in Australian community and we are grateful for that.”
Fr Novie has worked extensively with the local expatriate community and was instrumental in establishing the town’s United Filipino Organisation.
Unity
“The UFO was established to unite the Filipinos and to be able to find a home away from home,” he said.
“It was a great opportunity for them to find the link and find a community in the small town of Pyramid Hill.
“One of the challenges was the co-operation of the Filipino migrants as they all are working during the week to meet the needs of their families.
“However, they were able to find time and bring this community into life.
“The worry as well that the Australian community will accept us with open arms but that was not an issue at all.
“They were very supportive and make it easy for the community to be able to connect and now give back to the community through the different projects and funding we received from Bendigo.”
Fr Novie reflected on the church in strengthening the local community and also the Filipinos who are now very much calling Pyramid Hill home.
“One of the difficulties we have when someone migrates to another place is the fear of the unknown,” he said.
“Leaving a familiar place or country to be in a place where we do not know anyone, in this way we try to look for a community that we are familiar of.
“As we know, the Philippines is a strong Catholic country and many of us are Catholics, and the church will be the first place we look for.
“The church or the Parish of Pyramid Hill is the first place they want to belong to be part of a community.
“It helps also to connect to the people of the community and seek the help when we still are trying to adjust to a different place.” Fr Novie said he had enjoyed his four-year stay and ministry in the parishes of Kerang, Cohuna and Pyramid Hill.
He said there would be a tinge of sadness to leave what he says are “wonderful, close tight communities”.
“But this is my profession, this is my vocation and that is to serve in many different parts of the diocese,” he said.
“I will always remember these communities for they helped me to become a better person and a better parish priest.
“They thought me of who I am now and I will forever cherish the memories that I had with them.”
Fr Novie said his appointment as parish priest at Echuca would take him to a new place and community that would mean a a new adventure.
“I am just there to observe for the first few months,” he said.
“I am not there to change but I am there to make progress.
“I am becoming part of a new community. I am a stranger joining a new family and we are there to help each other.”