Wickham church celebrates 40 years

Wickham’s only Catholic church marked 40 years of worship earlier this month with a popular community celebration.

Our Lady of the Pilbara Catholic Church was packed with about 90 parishio-ners from Wickham and Karratha on Sunday, August 13, when priests Father Bernard Balaraj and Father Brian Ahearn officiated a spe-cial morning mass for the institution’s 40th anniversary.

It included a performance by the St Paul’s Church choir before the crowd headed outside to see helium balloons arranged in the shape of the rosary be released into the sky.

The mass was followed by a tribute to the church’s pioneers, including Father Maurice Carse and Father Robert Pocock, and a lunch provided by parishioners.

Church volunteer Wendy Creado-Williams said a plaque and photo inside the church served as a reminder of all the people who had volunteered their time, service and money to constructing what had become a well-known structure in Wickham.

The ceremony also provided a chance for people to see recent updates at the church.