ST FRANCIS XAVIER Bulletin, Volume 8

$ 3 000 000

2.9

2.7

2.5

2.3

2.1

$2 000 000

1.9

1.7

1.5

1.3

1.1

$1 000 000

0.9

0.7

$500 000

FUNDRAISING

THERMOMETER

The community has raised

$2.4 M to date!

UPCOMING

EVENTS

Car Raffle Draw &

Cocktail Party

Saturday, October 17th

Cake Stalls

Saturday 10th October

Saturday 14th November

SFX Cathedral Race Day

Saturday, November 14th

Garage Sale

Saturday, November 21st

Christmas Morning Tea

& Cake Stall

Sunday 6th December

For more information visit:

www.sfxcathedralproject.com.au

MONSIGNOR HAWES HERITAGE CENTRE

Work has now commenced on the

construction of the Monsignor

Hawes Heritage Centre.

The Project Manager is Crothers

Constructions’ Tony Schiano,

who managed Stage 1 of the

Cathedral Restoration Project.

The Heritage Centre building

features a very interesting facade

which includes feature glass,

Ultrabond cladding and feature

concrete.

The landscaping of the new

building will feature a paved

piazza with tables and bench

seating where people can sit to

reflect and or enjoy each other’s

company. The Heritage Centre

and Piazza will have direct access

from Cathedral Avenue.

Tony is working with Bishop

Justin, Fr Morrissey, Fr Cross, the

Architect John Taylor and the

management committee to bring the

building to fruition.

The pad will be laid in a few weeks and

the building is expected to be completed

Mid-March 2016.

The planning for the set up and

displays for the museum is taking place

and expressions of interest will soon be

called for the running of the café.

David Crothers, Campaign Coordinator Gerry Eastman

and Tony Schiano.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR DONOR RECOGNITION

Would you like your family name or a member of your family

memorialised on a plaque attached to one of the MHHC Piazza

furnishing pieces?

“Purchase” a Park Bench (3 available) for $2045

or a Flat Bench (2 available) for $1800

Contact: Fr Robert Cross 99213221 or heritage@diocese-geraldton.org

MONSIGNOR HAWES LEGACY SPREADS FAR AND WIDE Monsignor Hawes’ work did not stop

at the outskirts of Geraldton. While in

the Midwest he spent a lot of time at

Mullewa, Northampton and Yalgoo. It

was while working in the Murchison

that Monsignor Hawes developed a

strong friendship with Caleb Charles

Williamson and his family.

Caleb and Mons Hawes were both

originally of the Church of England

faith and converted to Catholicism.

Caleb was also

building a home-

stead for his young

family and it is

thought that it was

the design and con-

struction of the

homestead that was

another factor that

brought the pair to-

gether.

Around 1915 /16 Monsignor Hawes

designed and helped construct the

Melangata Station Homestead for

the Williamson family 76 km north of

Yalgoo. The homestead is unique in

that it is made of stone with a tin

roof, has six bedrooms, a large liv-

ing area, an unusual turret and a

chapel with an altar.

Folklore has it that Monsignor Hawes

would be in Mullewa and after finish

working would ride his horse to

Yalgoo. The story is

that Monsignor’s

horse knew the way

well and Monsignor

Hawes would sleep

while riding.

While the

homestead was

under

construction

Caleb’s wife,

Katherine Megason –Williamson

moved to Geraldton with her five

daughters. She left her son at the

station with his father and grand-

father. It was while Katherine was

living in Geraldton that she donated

the Melangata pillar to the St

Francis Xavier Cathedral. It can

be found on the left hand side

as you enter the Cathedral.

As soon as the homestead was

complete Katherine and her

daughters returned to the sta-

tion. Melangata was sold in

1929 at the beginning of the

depression and the Williamson family

moved to Perth. Eventually Caleb

took up a block at Canna out of

Mullewa.

Since then the family has dispersed

however one of the grandsons,

John Williamson and his wife Betty

now reside in South Perth and have

become benefactors of the SFX

Cathedral Precinct

Project. They

kindly shared this

information.

HAWES HERITAGE TOUR On August 15th the third of the annual Heritage Tour was held to

raise funds for the SFX Cathedral Precinct Project. This year's tour

commenced with a Latin Mass in the San Spirito Chapel at the

Utakarra Cemetery. This is one of

Monsignor Hawes' smaller buildings but

has all the charm of the larger churches.

The group then travelled to Mullewa by

bus where they were welcomed by Fr

Robert O'Bryan and the ladies of the

Parish and served morning tea and later lunch. There are many points of interest in

relation to the life and works of John Hawes in Mullewa. The tour members walked the

Hawes Heritage Walk, toured the Church and Priest house, visited Mass Rock where

they were given a talk by a local Aboriginal Jim Sandy, and visited the Pioneer

Cemetery to see 2 graves designed and built by Monsignor Hawes.

On the return journey to Geraldton they stopped off at St James Chapel Kojarena,

where a descendant of the owner of the property on which the church is built, Pat Mills,

gave a talk on the history and current use of the chapel.

$2,800 was raised as a result of the tour.

Fr Cross celebrated Mass in

San Spirito Chapel

David Jones handing his parents’ marriage certificate

to Delores Bone for the Mullewa Priest House Museum.

The homestead

The Chapel

The Melangata pillar, in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

ENRICO THE STONE MASON There is one consistent element in Monsignor Hawes’

buildings in the Midwest which is the contribution of

an Italian stone mason, Enrico Boschetti. Enrico was

born in Trieste, Italy in 1901. He migrated to Australia

in 1927 where he became a builder.

As well as undertaking the stone masonry associated

with the Cathedral, Enrico built the sarcophagus at

the Geraldton Cemetery.

Enrico was then awarded the stone masonry tender

for St Lawrence’s at Bluff Point. The tender amount

at the time was for 1,109 pounds. Enrico commenced

work in 1937

In 1938 Enrico undertook the building project at the

Convent & School Church named Our Lady of Fatima

at Nanson. The School was used as the local church

on weekends. Boschetti made remarkable progress at

the start of the summer and over Christmas and the

Our Lady of Fatima was opened on 29 January 1939.

Enrico was part of the Saint Francis Project around

1937 when he was responsible for the stone work,

block laying and plastering. It was a time when Mon-

signor Hawes was making changes to the design by

enlarging the sacristies and adding confessionals. By

1937 Enrico had completed the walls of the South

transept and Octagonal drum and the transept was

completed from the foundations up.

Life was not easy for Enrico or for any Italian of the time

as the government of the day set about interning Italians

for the duration of the war. In spite of living an exemplary

life in Geraldton Enrico was under suspicion because

back in Italy in 1918 he was a member of the Fascist

party. Throughout the war Enrico was interned twice. He

was kept at Three Springs and Harvey. Enrico was married

to Phillipa (Bombara) with three small children including

Bert, Joe and Enrico. Bishop Gallagher petitioned the

government to release Enrico from internment and enable

him to continue working as a builder.

Eventually the war ended and Enrico went on to be a

highly respected stone mason and builder in the Midwest.

Excerpt from the Cathedral Chronicle 1935

The High Altar has been further

beautified by the addition of a new

Tabernacle and Exposition Throne

in place of the former ones of gilded

wood. The work has been most skil-

fully and artistically carried out in

polished terrazzo work by

Mr Enrico Boschetti.

Left: The Tabernacle

Bishop Justin and the Committee would like to thank all who have contributed to the Campaign

to date. ALL donors will be acknowledged on a Digital Register

and will become part of the history of the SFX Cathedral.

Thanks to our Major Donors listed below as well as those who wish to remain anonymous

FAMILIES BUSINESSES

Pallottine Community

Society of the Catholic

Apostolate

Sisters of Nazareth

Presentation Sisters

Salvatorians

CONGREGATION OF

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

Saint John of God

Sisters

INSTITUTIONS

A & A Armanasco

The Aldous and Stinson Families Family of Catherine and Victor Basile

Ben & Mary Bianchini

The Bianchini Family

Shirley and Bernard Brown

David and Elissa Brown

Peter and Kay Brown

Greg and Jess Brown

The Clarke Family -

“In Memory of Gwen Clarke”

Mr and Mrs R Davis

Dr Rashmi Devassey & Matthew (Son)

Nigel and Chris Dobson

M & C Doherty

The Eastman Family

The Emmott Family

Mary D Haydoc

The Horan Family

The Hovell Family

The Kalajzich Family

Bernie and Kath Keogh

The Krummenacher Family

Ascuncion and Des Lally

Aldo and Maria Masiello

The Charlie Messina Families

The McDowell Family

Hazel and Gordon McLoughlin

Drs. G & D Menezes “In Memory of Vince and Pat O’Dea”

John, Lyn, Michael & Stephanie Mueller

Ron and Imelda O’Malley & Family

Italo and Mary Pirone & Family

Craig & Fleur Poletti & Family

John and Val Rowe and Family

Anthony & Geraldine Thomas

Brian & Marion Thomas & Family

The Thuijs Family

Brian and Joy Thurkle

Rev. Fr. Noel Tobin

The Voigt Family

Dominican Sisters of WA

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR FAMILY NAME TO BECOME PART OF THE HISTORY OF SFX CATHEDRAL Contact the Campaign Coordinator, Gerry Eastman 0417 912 997 info@sfxcathedralproject.com.au

or go to the website www.sfxcathedralproject.com.au

We also acknowledge the contribution of the following

whose donations of funds, time and/or expertise have far exceeded $10,000:

The Cathedral Tour Guides

Seminarian Savio Tuan (Wood Carvings)

Fr Robert Cross and Monica Podesta (Data Base for Hawes Collection)

Schools of the Diocese