Bishop of Geraldton, Justin Bianchini, has joined the Hon. Premier Colin Barnett in opening the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre, describing John Cyril Hawes as a gift to the diocese and the region.
Located in front of Geraldton’s world renowned St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, the facility is designed to tell the story of the priest and architect, Monsignor Hawes, and to encourage the 185,000 visitors who come to the Mid-West each year to visit his unique heritage buildings.
Alongside the interpretive centre, which focuses on Monsignor Hawes’ life and works, the facility also includes a café/restaurant and a large paved piazza.
Held on Saturday, 3 September, the opening ceremony included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by Bishop Bianchini and Premier Barnett and a blessing of the building by Bishop Bianchini and Emeritus Archbishop of Perth, Barry Hickey.
Addressing the large crowd, Bishop Bianchini said the circumstances that brought Monsignor Hawes, an Englishman, to Western Australia in 1915 were “providential”.
The first Bishop of Geraldton, William Bernard Kelly, was in Rome to visit the Pope, and was introduced to Monsignor Hawes – then a seminarian – while looking for priests to come to his diocese.
“The Bishop spoke of his huge, poor and wild diocese and of the Cathedral he hoped to build. The next day John Hawes produced sketches, to the Bishop’s delight,” Bishop Bianchini said.
“After a few days, the Bishop said to Hawes, ‘If you want real apostolic and missionary work, I can offer you that, not much more’. ‘It would suit me to a T,’ answered Hawes. He agreed to come and the rest is history.”
Bishop Bianchini described Monsignor Hawes as “a gift to our diocese” and “a gift to our region”, who left a rich architectural heritage as far north as Carnarvon, as far south as Bindoon and as far east as Yalgoo.
He suggested that this heritage should be honoured by maintaining and conserving the buildings and the associated plans and artefacts, recording and promoting the history of Monsignor Hawes and being inspired by the Christian faith that permeated his life.
“I pay tribute to and sincerely thank the many people involved in planning and establishing this magnificent facility,” Bishop Bianchini said.
“Detailed thanks will be offered later; however, I would want to now pay tribute to and thank the Western Australian Government with its critical contribution, the local community and diocese, the architect John Taylor with his contemporary and complementary design, Crothers Construction for bringing to fruition that design and the exhibition designer, Scott Watson.”
A feature of the new building is the tryptic art piece located in the central foyer, titled Dolor, Spes, Sanatio et Redemptio (Sorrow, Hope, Healing and Redemption).
This contemporary artwork was commissioned by the Diocese of Geraldton and created by the Carnarvon-based Fuse Art Collective, consisting of Sabrina Dowling Giudici, Bonni Ingram and Anton Blume.
A life-size bronze statue of Monsignor Hawes and his dog, Dominie, is currently being fabricated by Smith Sculptors of Gidgegannup and will be erected soon.
The Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre was made possible by a $1.54 million contribution from the Liberal National Government’s Royalties for Regions program through the Mid-West Investment Plan, $651,038 from Lotterywest, and significant contributions from the Diocese of Geraldton and the wider community.
Highlights of the opening ceremony. Video: Sourced