Giving thanks for Leon and Leonie
Local
Members of the Adelaide Hills parish gathered late last year to express their gratitude to Leon and Leonie Holmes for their enormous contribution over 65 years to the local Church and community.
The couple has moved into Southern Cross Homes at Myrtle Bank, a familiar place for Leonie (nee Smerdon) who volunteered there when it was the Little Sisters of the Poor convent. She contemplated joining the order but was put off by the thought of not being able to ever return to her family home in Bridgewater.
Instead, she met Leon and the couple was married in Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Stirling East, in 1960. Their first son, Andrew, arrived nine months later but it would be 10 years and numerous miscarriages and much heartache before Alice was born in 1971.
Support from the Passionists and parish priest Fr Gavin Kennare helped Leonie through this difficult time and her faith only grew stronger. She became a supporter of Birthline and since moving down the hill has decided to start training to be a counsellor, at the age of 86!
In a speech at the couple’s farewell Gayle Revan gave the following summary of their involvement in the parish and local community.
‘Leonie and Leon lived at Bridgewater for the first 15 years and both served on the Stirling Pastoral Council, with Leonie also undertaking instruction in schools and becoming president of the Mother’s Club at St Catherine’s School.
Leon, now 90, was a pharmacist and after owning pharmacies continued to work at Angaston and Balaklava once a week until he retired at 80.
He was also an artist and musician, playing the organ at Our Lady of the Rosary Church and later St Matthew’s Church, Birdwood. Leonie enjoyed playing the cello and become a member of the SA Amateur Chamber Music Association, conducting concerts to raise money for Save the Children Fund.
Leon and Leonie Holmes cut the cake at their farewell.
In 1973 the family moved to a 150-acre property at Mount Pleasant where they planted a vineyard and began making wine. They opened a sales outlet and restaurant in the main street of Springton which operated for
10 years.
Springton was not a very well-known destination so Leonie and Leon decided to put it on the map. They called a public meeting in Birdwood and Leonie ended up president of the inaugural Adelaide Hills Tourist Association.
When Alice joined the Girl Guides, Leonie put her hand up to be District Commissioner and when three young teenagers were killed on the road near their place one Saturday night, she and Leon decided to set up a local youth club.
Leon and Leonie became passionate about Land Care after purchasing their property in Mount Pleasant, and even more so when Alice completed a degree in Natural Resources at Roseworthy College.
Leon became a member of Spring Valley Land Care from its inception in 1990 and was chairman for four years. He took on the job of the River Marne Corridors of Green when Alice tragically died at the age of 25.
In the 1980s, in addition to parish work, Leon served as deputy chairman on the Mount Pleasant Council, a role which included being captain of the Volunteer Fire Service in Springton. In the 1990s he was on the local hospital board when the Mount Pleasant and Gumeracha hospitals were facing closure. However, due to a team effort and with Leon putting his heart and soul into it, both hospitals were completely modernised.
Leon was on the Birdwood Parish Council from 1990-1995, which resulted in important church improvements such as creating a meeting room at St Joseph’s the Worker, Lobethal. Around this time a red gum altar and tabernacle stand were also installed in
St Matthew’s.
Sister Judy Gurry RSJ, the parish pastoral associate of Birdwood, asked Leonie to take over her work with the elderly which involved bi-monthly services at the Mount Pleasant Hospital and taking communion to the sick and housebound. For about 20 years Leonie was the Catholic chaplain to the Northern Adelaide Hills Health Service and stood by many patients and their families at the end of life.
In 2000 Leonie took on the position of Catholic representative on the Torrens Valley Inter-church Council on which she served for 20 years. She also played a vital role in the Birdwood branch of the Catholic Women’s League and began attending State conferences where she became inspired by the wonderful work and friendships it built. Over a period of approximately 25 years, on behalf of CWLSA, Leonie wrote to many politicians about various bills in the SA Parliament.
At the local level she would lead her fellow members of the Birdwood CWL and others in serving food in the Mary O’Dea Centre following funerals in St Matthew’s Church. Having experienced the great benefit of this service when their daughter Alice died, she appreciated what a wonderful service it was when one is in deep stress and sorrow.
The Holmes tradition of helping others came to the fore during the devastating bushfires, organising fellow parishioners to help serve meals to Blaze Aid volunteers.
Leon and Leonie helped at Hutt St Centre for many years and they still participate in the Walk A Mile in My Boots annual event, raising thousands of dollars for the homeless.
For more than 10 years Leonie has been an active member of St Vincent de Paul Society, taking groceries to needy families, organising vouchers for petrol, coordinating Vinnies badge days and Christmas food hampers. On numerous occasions, she and Leon organised accommodation, furniture and other items for families in need.
As part of the Parish Outreach Program, Leon and Leonie set up baskets in the Birdwood and Lobethal churches for the collection of groceries which they would drop off to the ‘Pantry’ run by the Uniting Church in Birdwood.
Conducting the children’s liturgy at every Sunday Mass was a passion of Leonie’s, and after
50 years she was recognised with an Archbishop’s award.
A vital role that Leon has performed is to conduct Eucharistic services at Birdwood and Lobethal churches when Fr Fred Farrugia was unavailable due to sickness.
Often at very short notice, Leon stepped up, with the assistance of Leonie, and delivered spiritually-enriching services for the congregations, including thoughtful reflections on the Gospel readings.
Both had completed a Diploma of Theology at the Murray Bridge Church which, together with Leonie’s studies at the College of Divinity at Brooklyn Park, helped prepare them for this special role.
Leon’s spirituality and talent saw him create 14 Stations of the Cross. Constructed from wire and mounted on stone, each station was placed outside their home and down their long driveway. During Lent Leon and Leonie invited members to join them, following a thoughtful
printed commentary at each station.
Leon designed Birdwood’s beautiful Paschal candle holder, which was made in copper and leadlight. He also made the copper and leadlight sculpture mounted above the entrance of Our Lady of the Adelaide Hills Parish Hall at Bridgewater.
Both served for many years on the Adelaide Hills Parish Finance Council, only resigning last year due to their move, and they lovingly maintained the Birdwood Church, Mary O’Dea Centre, cemetery and grounds, enlisting fellow members in regular working bees.
In 2018, they were recognised for their enormous contribution to the Birdwood community with the dedication of the ‘Holmes Memorial Garden’ which they established in the cemetery at St Matthew’s. Alice is buried there and Leonie and Leon plan to have their ashes placed nearby.
In January they were awarded a Mount Pleasant Community Association Award.
Their connection with the parish has been immortalised in two beautiful wall rugs they created –one of Mother Mary and Child and the other depicting the Wedding Feast of Cana – for the Mary O’Dean Centre and the parish hall at Bridgewater.’
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