Archbishop Peter A Comensoli has welcomed a bipartisan commitment from Australia’s two major political parties to kickstart the restoration and revitalisation of Melbourne’s historic St Patrick’s Cathedral and the surrounding precinct.
‘I extend my sincere thanks to the Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Tony Burke MP, who yesterday announced the Australian Labor Party’s commitment of $60 million to the Cathedral precinct if they are returned to government at the upcoming election,’ he said in a statement on 29 April.
‘I also extend this gratitude to the Hon Dan Tehan MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and the Hon Michael Sukkar MP, Shadow Minister for Social Services, the NDIS, Housing and Homelessness, who have today announced the support of the Liberal-National Coalition for this important project with a commitment of $60 million in funding for the Cathedral precinct if they form government after the upcoming election.’
The generous commitment of both of the major political parties ... will ensure that the Cathedral precinct continues to be a place of spiritual and social outreach, as well a place of art, culture and education.
The Archbishop described St Patrick’s as a ‘light into the city’, having borne witness to ‘extraordinary growth and change of our city, state and nation’.
‘St Patrick’s has been a part of Melbourne for over 125 years,’ he said, and serves as ‘a sign of faith, hope and love for all who have come through her doors’.
‘The generous commitment of both of the major political parties in our nation to the restoration and revitalisation of St Patrick’s will ensure that the Cathedral precinct continues to be a place of spiritual and social outreach, as well a place of art, culture and education,’ the Archbishop shared.
‘As the mother church of the Catholic faithful in Melbourne, St Patrick’s has provided a spiritual home to the waves of migrants who have come to call Australia home—Irish, Italian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian and so many more.’
The funding will contribute to a broader project that includes the restoration of the historic Cathedral building and other heritage-listed buildings on the site, the Archbishop said, as well as providing much-needed community facilities, ‘ensuring that the Cathedral continues to be a living place of worship and community well into the future’.
Banner image: St Patrick’s Cathedral.
