While it was Fr Stephen Hill who introduced his parents to the Catholic Church, it was they who made the decision to enter it.
The parish administrator of St Joseph’s Newtown, also home to the parish of St Bede the Venerable which ministers to members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, confirmed Joy and Darryl Hill on Easter Sunday as they were received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
And not to stop there, he also baptised his doctor, Michael Tran, as well as parishioner Liam Garman.
Fr Stephen, a convert himself and former Anglican priest, said his parents had undergone a private and internal journey of faith.
“There’s no doubt mum and dad were introduced to the faith through me, but people’s faith journeys are their own and they had to decide themselves—which I’m very glad they did,” he said.
“These are the people who gave me my faith and what they gave me is far greater than what I have given them.
“Before I became Catholic, my parents had always been very supportive of me practising my faith and for that I am very grateful.
It’s a great honour to give them the sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, bearing in mind what it is that they gave me—my faith and presenting me to be baptised.”
Mum Joy said since becoming Catholic she had felt a great sense of “inner peace”.
She said it was incredibly special that the priest welcoming them to the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate was their son.
“I guess we had become a little disillusioned with our Lutheran faith and when we started going to Stephen’s Masses we felt very at ease and just loved the liturgy,” she said.
“He never pushed us or tried to convince us. I think he wanted us to make the decision ourselves and I am so glad we did.
“We may be some of the oldest candidates to get confirmed but Darryl and I now feel such great peace and that we are where God wants us to be.”