The first sight Fr Vinh Dong shows me when I arrive at his new residence in Banksia Grove is the water damage inflicted by a burst water pipe the previous evening.
He is praying this plumbing mishap will be symbolic of the spiritual outpouring that will flow through the fledgling community of which he has recently been entrusted.
Banksia Grove lies 27km north of Perth and is now officially the newest pastoral area within the Perth Catholic Archdiocese.
Fr Vinh became the inaugural priest-in-charge during an installation Mass celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SBD on 1 February.
The effervescent pioneer is well aware of the challenges that lie ahead, including raising money to build a church, but he is excited at what the future will hold for this foundational community.
“I have spoken to other priests who have been charged with commencing new parishes and that has been helpful,” he shared with a smile, “but I am also aware that no two parishes are the same. There are no blueprints to follow.”
Banksia Grove is fast becoming known as the gateway to Perth’s rapidly growing, northern suburban expansion. A newly constructed fast-food restaurant and shopping precinct greet those entering this developing suburb, an indication of the forecasted growth expected within the region.
New, tightly-packed estates surround Fr Vinh’s temporary presbytery and opposite is a government high school that opened earlier this year.
It is this sense of new life that is not only feeding Fr Vinh’s enthusiasm but also allowing him to recognise a pattern that has been forming throughout his priestly ministry.
He said that the first parishes he had been assigned, Highgate and Kalgoorlie, had been established for 100 years and these were followed by placements in Lockridge and Greenwood which had existed for 50.
“This opportunity in Banksia Grove will provide me with such a unique opportunity,” he said with a glint in his eye.
“Everything will be new and, rather than fit into an existing routine, I can work alongside parishioners and we can build this community together.”
For the past 18 months, the 80-strong community has been meeting at the local Catholic primary school under the guidance of Wanneroo priest Fr John Daly and Fr Vinh was encouraged by the 150, including many young families, who attended the week following his installation Mass.
Fr Vinh’s role in the life of the Banksia Grove parish came about inadvertently during a casual conversation with Bishop Don Sproxton last September, when he asked if anything exciting was happening within the Archdiocese.
When Bishop Don told him a new parish would be opening soon, something within him leapt.
“My first response was to say ‘Wow, won’t that be an amazing challenge for someone?’” he shared.
“But, despite the fact it was 8.30 at night, I think the Bishop saw my eyes light up.”
Bishop Don would share the spark he saw with Archbishop Costelloe and, recognising the perfect blend of energy, age and experience, they approached him the following day with an invitation to become the parish’s first priest-in-charge.
Fr Vinh, however, realises his own tenure within this community will always be temporary and he aims to nurture a foundation of belonging and ownership for parishioners to build on in the future.
It is why one of his first projects will be to address students at the primary school and encourage them to study the lives of saints and to generate discussions within their families to produce a name for the parish.
“They were here before me and will be here long after I am gone,” he shared. “It is important they that create their own identity.”