His Holiness Pope Francis has granted special honours to Father Mac marking his 60th anniversary of Ordination. Fr Patrick Thomas McAuliffe has been awarded the Croce pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, recognising the long lasting devotion which he has shown to his sacred vocation.

Fr Pat was Ordained by his Eminence Norman Thomas Cardinal Gilroy on 21st July 1956 after studies at St Columba’s College Springwood and St Patrick’s College, Manly.

He was first appointed Assistant Priest at the Parish of Surry Hills and was later Assistant at Eastwood, Pagewood, Lane Cove and Kingsgrove.

His most outstanding appointment was as Parish Priest at the Church of Sacred Heart, Cabramatta where he served for a total of 41 years and played a major role in shepherding the development of the faith among people in what became rapidly growing and ethnically diverse part of Western Sydney.

Many parishioners expressed their disappointment at seeing him retire to lesser duties at a nearby retirement village last January.

They recalled his role in developing their Parish Catholic School and his work with his Assistant Priests and Catechists to expand faith education to six state primary schools, along with his commitments to Patrician Brothers’ Boys High School at Fairfield and Rosary (now Mary MacKillop Catholic College) for girls at Wakeley.

Fr Pat has said he always appreciated the spirit of faith that many new arrivals – those of Italian, Polish and Vietnamese origin – had brought with them to his developing Parish.

Congratulations Fr Mac on this well deserved award.