Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has presented the 2025 Dempsey Medal recipients with their medals, recognising their decades of service to the church in their parishes.
“Together you represent a remarkable tapestry of service to the sick and housebound, the young and ignorant, the financially or spiritually poor, sustaining the heartbeat of our parishes,” he told them in his homily.
More than 40 people from across the archdiocese’s parishes were invited to receive their medal following Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on 6 July.
Among them were acolytes, catechists, choir masters, parish secretaries, even parish gardeners and cooks.
They were joined by their family members and friends, leaving standing room only at the Sunday high Mass.
By allowing Christ into their lives, these quiet parish heroes have been “able to live out the faith and virtues of Christian discipleship,” said Archbishop Fisher.
“You have each demonstrated generosity and daring in lending your gifts to Christ’s mission,” he said.
“May their example inspire us all to continue the journey together, so that in all things God may be known, loved, and served.
“The success and vitality of our church relies not upon solitary heroes or one-man bands but communities of people like our medallists, ready to give themselves to Christ’s mission and to let him transform them to that end.”
Fondly called “living bricks of the church” by fellow parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima, Lucia Paglia has served in many roles since the 1960s, and she also serves the bustling Italian community in Kingsgrove.
“The church is my first house, and the second house is my home,” she told The Catholic Weekly, adding that most important to her is Mass and Eucharistic adoration, which she attends several times a week.
Her long devotion to Our Lady of Fatima over decades has seen her serve under many priests, some of whom would later accept prominent roles in the Australian Catholic church, such as Bishop Terence Brady, and outgoing Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous.
The parish stalwart has no plans to stop serving her community and God, and was happy about receiving an award connected to her tireless dedication.
“I feel good because I serve God,” she said.
The Dempsey Medal is annually awarded by the archbishop to members of clergy and laity who demonstrate outstanding contributions to the Catholic Church and wider society.
Archbishop Fisher instituted the award in 2017 in honour of stonemason James Dempsey, a lay Catholic pioneer who arrived with Sydney’s early European settlement.
