By Fedoje Simon Zakari
“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for brothers to dwell in unity!” (Ps 133:1).
To mark the beginning of a new year at the seminary, on the 16th of February, the staff, and seminarians of Corpus Christi College, were thrilled to go on a picnic day in Ballarat. We explored several places, including the Eureka Centre, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the famous Sovereign Hill.
The first stop was at the Eureka Stockade. The museum is built on the site of the original Eureka fort, and provides visitors from all around the world a meaningful connection to one of Australia’s most significant foundation stories, ‘the Eureka Rebellion of 1854’. At the site, the seminary community was intrigued by the social history and cultural impact of the Victorian gold rush and were fascinated by the stories of the men and women who were involved in the movement for democracy and miners’ rights. Artefacts and items of great value were on display, most famous among them being the original Eureka Flag which has been preserved for over a hundred years.
The next point of call was a lunch break in the Ballarat Cathedral presbytery. We had the honor to be hosted by Bishop Paul Bird, Fathers Ed Moloney, Jim McKay, Francis Kureeckal and Alex Valliyamthadathil, along with Maggie and Bernadette who prepared the lovely food, welcoming the seminary community. It was indeed a special moment to catch up and share experiences about the ‘beautiful old days’ with the Bishop, and the other priests of the diocese who continue to be a source of support to the seminary.
Having been energised by the tea break, the final stop was a re-creation of the early Ballarat goldfields - Sovereign Hill, a living museum that presents the story of Ballarat as a booming gold rush town in the 1800s. With over 30,000 square metres of open space including a township with a gold panning area, underground mines, coach rides, shops, trades, dwellings and schools alongside historical characters wearing original 19th-century clothes, it was indeed a breathtaking experience to behold.
Despite the heat of the day, the seminarians no doubt had a lot of side attractions to engage with and explore. Whilst some were obsessed with taking photos, others spent time in the café, a few took turns mounting the horses or watching the performance at the Aura and still more others went in search of gold. Nonetheless, it was a day well spent, a memory to last a lifetime.
