On the buses
Local
Parishioners from the ‘north’ and ‘south’ of the Yorke Peninsula are getting together for Mass on a more regular basis at the moment, thanks to the efforts of the local school community.
With parish priest Fr John Mbaraka currently on leave, every second week Mass is only being held at Maitland with a supply priest, which means the faithful need to find their way to the northern town if they wish to attend.
For some of the older members of the parish, driving one hour each way to get there is not an option. However, the staff of St Columba’s Memorial School at Yorketown have come to the rescue with the short-term solution of providing the school bus and a driver.
Principal Scott March has taken on the role of driving the bus, collecting up to 12 parishioners each week from pick-up points in Yorketown and Minlaton. APRIM Miriam Honner is also supporting the driving efforts as needed.
Mr March said it was always a noisy trip as, like the school children who usually ride on the bus, the parishioners took the opportunity to catch up with each other.
“Lots of stories are told throughout the trip and there is rarely a quiet moment,” he said.
“Often there are requests for songs from the back of the bus and Adam Lambert hits are a personal favourite of one of the parishioners.
“On a serious note, getting on and off the bus can be challenging for some of our parishioners, so it’s lovely to see everyone supporting each other in this.”
Mr March said that the ‘visitors’ from the south really appreciated the hospitality of the Maitland parishioners who were providing coffee, tea and a sausage sizzle before they started their journey home.
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