Back in Albury!

St. Patrick's, Albury.
The Oldest Church in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga.Opened 1872. Photo from 1940s © FotoSupplies.

After a long twenty-hour train trip, I am back in Albury. We arrived yesterday afternoon about fourty-minutes late. Because of the heat we had to go at a slower speed for a large part of the journey. All to do with the metal expanding in the extreme heat, thus the train needing to creep along slowly so as not to derail. To make the trip just that little bit more testing, not only was I craving a cigarette since 11am (the train wouldn't arrive in Albury until 3:20pm if it were running on time) but for the last three hours of the journey, the air-conditioning shut down and stopped working in the carriage we were in. We did however get a free bottle of water each, the least they could do until they could relocate the passengers to another carriage, which wasn't until Albury, thus by that time, we'd departed the train!

Anyhow, now I am here in Albury, I can visit MY CHURCH! And MY CATHOLIC SHOP! (Veritas Central) To make things even that bit sweeter, we're staying in South Albury, only a couple of blocks from the nearest Catholic Church, also my favourite - St. Patrick's Parish Church!

It is an extremely dedicated and lively parish, with a youth group and young adults group, as well as numerous other groups, including the Legion of Mary and connections to the Wodonga Parishes Micah CCR Prayer Group (Catholic Charismatic Renewal).

The Church and grounds are well maintained, especially with donations and bequests from wealthy current and past parishioners who have a strong connection and sense of home at St. Patrick's... much like myself. Even up in Woodenbong, 1286km away, I still call St. Pat's "My Parish" and will always have a strong connection to it. To put things into perspective, Albury is right on the NSW and Victoria border... Woodenbong is in NSW, ten minutes from the Queensland border - the opposite border!

I have an equally strong connection, perhaps more so, with the Wodonga Churches as they are the ones I attended growing up in Wodonga. The main church there, Sacred Heart, has since had major renovations and isn't recognisable of its former self.

From the large, brick monstrosity, what I would call an architectural disaster as a result of early design changed after Vatican II, losing the traditional cruciform design of old, it has morphed into a great example of contemporary modern Catholic Churches, transforming the entire outer and inner structure, banishing the many ugly supporting beams scattered throughout the church in favour for a totally new reinforced ceiling - with a circular window in the roof - and a new reinforced circular wall creating an edgeless wall effect. Sacred Heart, because of the sheer change of it, requires its own post, as does the original church in Wodonga, St. Augustines, which has also had just as much work, more so restoration as that is a traditional cruciform church. The new Presbytery is now on site at St. Augustine's in part of the old convent, and attached is a Primary School, one of the three Catholic ones of Wodonga Parishes, and where my mother works! So, two more posts of length will of length will be posted in the coming times, probably after I've taken some photos of both inside and outside.

St. Patrick's Albury.
Photo from November 2007.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring Diocese of Wagga Wagga, a stones throw over the Mighty Murray River in the State of New South Wales, at the oldest church in the diocese, St. Patrick's...

With St. Pat's being such a happening church, unlike many other inner-city churches, with exception of the Cathedral, or certain other "significant" churches, (thought all churches are significant in my book... but you know the ones I mean, the likes of St. Francis in the shadows of Melbourne Central on Lonsdale Street, or the ultra-modern St. Peter-Julian's in Haymarket Sydney.) there are services on everyday, sometimes more than once, and there is also regular Eucharistic Adoration on a Thursday and last time I was here (2months) they had Eucharistic Adoration on a Friday evening until late into the night, and once a month they would hold it all night until Saturday morning. A shame I never made more use of living only a block from the church when I lived here - I didn't utilise my church when I had it so close, and now that it is so far, and the church in Woodenbong being so small, being serviced by an out of town priest once a fortnight, I miss it, I want it, I crave it - I NEED IT!!!

So whilst in Albury, I will make use of my time, especially being so close to the church, and try to attend services much more often when available. I will definitely be going sometime over the weekend - there are plenty of times to choose from, even one in the Extraordinary Tridentine Rite! If I don't, I am a fool. The hardest thing will be planning to go certain days/times and then talking myself out of it due to another reason, such as the opportunity to party arises... I must be strong, and with the Grace of God I pray that I can be strong to say "No, I have other commitments" as they are that, not simply other plans, and "I can party afterwards, it will only take me 45 minutes at the absolute minimum, but preferably longer, perhaps in a just over an hour."

I better head over to the St. Patrick's website and download last weeks bulletin and have a read to see what is happening in the parish at the moment, in particular over the weekend.

And after a quick squiz at the bulletin, I can not only make it for 9:30am Saturday Mass in an hour, following mass is The Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation. Provided I tie up this blog-entry pretty soon, I should have enough time to get ready and walk the few big blocks to the church, and hopefully I will have time before mass to examine my conscience - either briefly but preferably a thorough examination, one entailing a pen and paper. If not time before mass, then I will have time after mass when the first few people are in the confessional.

Well, it's 8:33am, must get changed and get my few books I need for church, and get on with what gets me around and along in life - my two feet and a heartbeat... a heartbeat "burning for Christ!"