Griffith churches unite for Queen thanksgiving Mass on National Day of Mourning

A unique service bringing together different Christian faiths in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II will be held at St Alban’s Anglican Cathedral in Griffith at 10:30 am on Thursday, 22 September. The Mass will take place on Australia’s National Day of Mourning, a public holiday marking the death of the Queen.

Australia’s youngest Anglican Dean, 40-year-old Father Thomas Leslie, will have the honour of presiding over the service, while the Anglican Bishop of the Riverina Donald Kirk will give the sermon.

Catholic Bishop of Wagga Wagga Mark Edwards will attend the Mass, as will Catholic Sacred Heart parish priest Father Andrew Grace, the Uniting Church’s Reverend John McKane and Lifesource Church’s Pastor Steven Rand. Griffith Mayor Doug Curran will also be present. It will be the only service in honour of the Queen to be held in the town on the day of mourning.

“It’s a rare occasion of all the churches coming together to mark this special event,” Father Thomas said.

“I’d love to see a lot more of it … the last time all the churches came together was when I was installed at St Alban’s Cathedral in February 2021.”

Father Thomas said both Bishop Edwards and Bishop Kirk were known for their ecumenism, meaning they believe all Christian faiths should work together.

“The Bishop of Wagga Wagga has always been very welcoming to Anglicans … Bishop Kirk is very similar.”

St Alban’s Cathedral, the only Anglican church in Griffith, has only ever celebrated one monarch.

“The church was being constructed during the Queen’s coronation in 1953. It opened in 1954, so she’s the only sovereign we’ve ever known,” Father Thomas said.

It was also in 1954 that the Queen made her first visit to Australia and her only visit to the Riverina.

“Anglicans have been praying for the sovereign throughout the ages … she’s been a stable part of our history,” Father Thomas said.

“We have a responsibility to pray for the monarch.”

Father Thomas said all faiths were welcome at the service on Thursday, including non-Christian religions.

Catholicism has long been the dominant religion in Griffith, given its large Italian population. However, there has been a significant Anglican population in the town since the 1920s. According to the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, 10.4 per cent of the population identifies as Anglican.

“We are a diverse church,” Father Thomas said.

“We have a large Solomon Island congregation … a lot of South Africans and Italians as well. All are welcome here.”

Father Thomas grew up in Sydney but has lived in the country since 2010, when he was ordained for the Diocese of Wangaratta, in Victoria. He moved from the Victorian town of Beechworth to Griffith in 2021.

The next big event in the calendar for St Alban’s Cathedral is the annual Twilight Fair on 28 October, which includes live music, cakes, biscuits and a second-hand book sale. Anyone interested in more information about the church can visit its Facebook page or phone the parish on (02) 6962 3517.

Most Griffith City Council services will be closed on Thursday, 22 September, including the council offices, the art gallery, the Livestock Marketing Centre, the library, the theatre, the Tourism Hub, the aquatic centre and Griffith Stadium.

Griffith Pioneer Park Museum will be open from 10 am to 3 pm.