Homily by Fr. Emmanuel Bonello on the Occasion of Fr. Victor Bonello’s 60th anniversary of priesthood, celebrated in St. Thomas More Parish Church, Hadfield on Thursday 22nd March 2007

We celebrate today the 60th anniversary of Priesthood of Fr. Victor Bonello (my uncle). In these 60 years, Fr. Victor committed himself to the Call of Jesus Christ and was ready to go helping people, leading them to God, baptising them and teaching the commands and ways of Jesus Christ. “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you” It is a commissioning that Jesus made to the first Christians represented by “the eleven disciples” who met him on the mountain. It is a commissioning that is received by every Christian today. This is also the commissioning received in a special way by Fr. Victor on his ordination and for 60 years Victor used his gifts, talents and skills to respond well to the call that Jesus made.

Fr. Victor from an early age felt that God is calling him and already had the vocation to the priesthood. There are people here today who remember him in his childhood times when he was expressing his wishes to become a priest. As Victor said about himself, having a vocation to the priesthood he was also interested to reach out to the world, serving people beyond the local area. In 1939 he started his novitiate with the Conventual Franciscans in Malta and on the 22nd of March 1947 he was ordained priest in St. Francis’ Church in Victoria Gozo. Gozo is a little island next to Malta, and part of the Maltese Islands where Fr. Victor was born and lived. In the midst of that great joy of the ordination there was the sorrowful moment of his dying mother who then died four weeks later 19.4.47. His mother Domitilla, together with his father Francis and all the family had supported him well during his time of preparation to the priesthood. His mother as Victor says, did not like the idea of the change of name, so she insisted with the provincial to let his name remain Victor, and her request was accepted. So he was Victor when he was born, he remained Victor when he entered the Franciscans and he is still a Victor today celebrating the awards and the blessings of 60 years of Priesthood.

His first appointment after ordination was as director of the Franciscan students and master of the Novices in Malta & Gozo and taught the students, Latin, Italian and Theology. He also made visits to Bona Algeria (North Africa) where he used to preach missions to the Italian and Maltese Migrants.

In 1956 Victor accepted his superior’s request and migrated to Australia on the ship called “Castel Felice”. Before his arrival he has been appointed as the first Parish Priest of Warrawong Parish in the diocese of Wollongong in NSW. He started that parish and had to work hard to establish it, especially in doing the necessary buildings for people to gather, the school and even a place for him and other priests to live.

After seven years he moved to Solomon Town, Port Pirie and it was at that time around 1965 when he built the church in Coober Pedy, which is underground. Afterwards he moved to be Parish Priest of Broken Hill in NSW where he stayed for four and a half years. Then he went back to Adelaide and Port Pirie for few years and after that moved to Sydney Diocese in the parish of Kellyville. After Kellyville he went back to Warrawong for nine years. Then in 1983 he was sent to the most liveable city in the world, the city of Melbourne where he was appointed Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Parish Springvale and the Mass centre of Dingley.

In all these places Victor never stopped working hard. In Kellyville and Warrawong he built colleges and convents. In Dingley he built the college for their students and both in Springvale and Dingley he refurbished and gave a facelift to both churches and Halls. After about 12 years as Parish Priest of Springvale he moved to live in Dingley with the leader of the Australian Conventual Franciscans, the Custodian, and was given responsibility to looked after the order’s finances and maintenance.

We sang today the Galilee Song with the words “So I leave my boats behind leave them on familiar shores”. Victor left the family and familiar customs and moved on to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in many different ways. The kind of leaving continued on when he moved on from one state to another. Surely he needed great courage. Victor worked hard wherever he was assigned but always ready to accept to leave for another work somewhere else. The Cartoonist Michael Leunig in his prayer book prayed to God saying: “God give me strength to hold on, God give me strength to let go”. This is Victor’s way of life: being very strong in holding on and very strong in letting go.

The buildings he did will remain for him great monuments. But there are many other monuments for him, monuments that cannot be seen and cannot have a plaque to read. I am referring to the building of people in gathering them together as a community, serving them in their spiritual and pastoral needs. He also served people in their social needs and many times he served as an interpreter at the court and at other civil services.

There are many monuments or great memories of life as priest for Fr. Victor, celebrating the sacraments for many times, baptising, anointing the sick, the sacrament of reconciliation and celebrating the Eucharist so that people are always drawn into the great love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. During the 60 years as a priest Fr. Victor served people by being with them in times of suffering and sadness, praying for them and with them and asking God’s care and blessing for them. In 60 years of priesthood ministry Fr. Victor brought the good news of Jesus Christ to the people by his preaching with his very clear and strong voice. Other monuments and memories are Fr. Victor’s a friendly character, how people enjoy his presence and his smile and his words of courage. With his faith Fr. Victor is always doing his best to live a very positive life, no matter how much work he’s got to do, he is always saying, everything is all right, and everything is hunky-dory.

“You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek” The reading from the letter to the Hebrews referred to Melchizedek as King of Salem, which means King of peace. The letter spoke then about the second Melchizedek, Jesus Christ who gave himself to bring the fullness of peace: “I leave you peace, my peace I give” As a priest, follower of Jesus Christ Fr. Victor worked hard to bring that fullness of peace among people and in a special way as a Franciscan follows the steps of St. Francis who prayed “Lord make me an instrument of peace” to bring joy, love and hope among people.

On this day the 60th anniversary of priesthood of Fr. Victor, we thank God, and we thank Fr. Victor himself for his great help and service to God’s people. Fr. Victor (Uncle Victor) on behalf all the family and everyone here and on behalf of the Parish of Hadfield congratulations on your 60th anniversary and best wishes for more years as you continue to serve the people, being their spiritual guide.  Best wishes and blessings to you for more years as you continue to be the priest forever following with great enthusiasm the most High Priest: our Lord Jesus Christ.