Due to the COVID lockdown, the Cobar Catholic Parish Council has had to put their plans on hold to celebrate the milestone of Fr Paul Finucane’s 40th anniversary as a priest.
Fr Paul, who previously served as St Law-rence O’Toole’s parish priest from 2007 to 2010, and then returned to role in January this year, has been posted to a number of city, coastal and country roles throughout his 40 years of serving the Catholic Church.
Part of the Broken Bay Diocese in Pennant Hills (Sydney), he’s served at parishes in Revesby, North Ryde, Chatswood, Manly, Wyoming, Waitara, Kincumber and Cobar.
That service has included the roles of assis-tant and parish priests, chaplain to the Royal North Shore Hospital, Army Chaplain with the Commandos, Police Chaplaincy and SES Chaplaincy.
Fr Paul was ordained at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney in 1981 and said he remembers think-ing just before the mass that his “life would never be the same”.
“It has all been a wonderful and happy jour-ney and it is not over yet,” he said.
Paul grew up in Cabramatta, the eldest of four children. At age 12, he lost his father, who was in the army, when he was tragically run over on a pedestrian crossing.
“That same year a priest, Fr Kevin McGov-ern, came into our classroom in Year 6 at Fair-field Patrician Brothers and gave us all a talk about the priesthood,” Fr Paul recalled.
Fr McGovern asked all the boys a question: “Would you like to be a priest: yes, no or may-be?”
“Without too much thought I put ‘maybe’ and then changed it to ‘yes’ and handed it up.
“Later that day all those who had answered ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ were called individually for a chat with the priest. To my surprise it ended up being most of the class!
“We eventually found out that the boy in the front seat had changed most of the “no’s” to “yes’s”.
When he finished Year 10, Paul said he was-n’t interested in gaining a trade or apprentice-ship and that he “drifted” into Year 11.
That was when he said he heard an “incessant command” in his mind and heart, ‘Be a priest’.
“Then one day I just said ‘yes, you win’ and the thought came that anything is possible with God.
“After that a great sense of peace came over me and I knew that’s where my path and jour-ney was to go,” he said.
“I wanted to help people in a way that really mattered and that was on a spiritual level in their and our relationship with God, and I don’t think that has changed.”
If he hadn’t decided to be a priest, Fr Paul said he may have been a photographer, “which is about as well paying as the priesthood” or perhaps a draftsman.
When he’s not in lockdown, Fr Paul very much enjoys his work in the Cobar community with many volunteers including the parish council, Eucharistic Ministers, alter servers, those who care for the alter and lectors.
“I am a regular in the life of St John’s School regularly visiting the classes, celebrating a weekly school mass, celebrating the oth-er sacraments, meeting with the principals, and religious Education coordinator, and I enjoy having morning tea with the staff, but that’s all on hold at the moment,” he said.
When restrictions aren’t in place, Fr Paul also reaches out to Cobar Public School to invite children and their parents to prepare for and celebrate sacraments; is involved in a youth group for students in years 5-8; and sup-ports the work of Vinnies and CatholicCare.
Fr Paul has also been praying each week with a meditation group, visiting and celebrating a monthly mass at the Lilliane Brady Village and visiting patients in hospital.
In his spare time he dabbles in art, is a mem-ber of the Cobar Yabbies Senior Men’s Swim-ming Club, a member of the Rotary Club of Cobar and a regular at Bodypump and Boxer-cise classes at the gym.
The Cobar parish had planned to hold a bar-becue to mark the occasion of Fr Paul’s 40th anniversary last weekend however that had to be postponed.
The diocese usually celebrates anniversaries such as this with a Jubilarians Mass and dinner, however that too has sadly also been put on hold. Congratulations Fr Paul.
