Triple treat for Catholic church parishioners

“It will be a triple celebration, because my 50th birthday was on September 6,” he said.

“We will be celebrating the reopening of the church, the 10th anniversary of my ordination and my 50th.”

There has been no activity at the St Joseph’s church since the floods of October 2022.

The church, like so many buildings, has undergone refurbishment and is planning to celebrate the reopening with a parish mass on the Saturday Vigil at 5pm (with a light supper afterwards) and then a polyphonic mass on Sunday at 11am featuring Renaissance composers.

“We are incorporating music into the event and will have 10 to 12 professional singers,” Father Caldow said.

“Some of them are a local family and others coming up from Melbourne for the event.

“A parish luncheon will begin at about 12.30pm.”

Prior to becoming a priest, Father Caldow, who was raised on a dairy farm in Nathalia, was a high-school teacher and worked for a period as an undertaker.

“I pretty much grew up in a dairy farming family, not too dissimilar from what surrounds Rochester,” he said.

“It is one of the reasons I love Rochester. It is a great town.”

Less than six months ago, Father Caldow renewed his contract with the church and was given another six years in Rochester.

He arrived at Rochester in January 2017, having spent his initial time with the Bendigo Cathedral.

Since arriving in Rochester he has also been responsible for the Elmore parish.

“This is an opportunity for our people to gather, and for me to water and feed them,’’ he said, laughing.

“We have a three-course catered lunch and hope to see as many people there as possible.”

Pre-flood there were regularly 70 to 100 people at church services, but that has been reduced to 25 regulars.

“A lot of people have been displaced. We hope this event will bring people back together,” he said.

“And it is a glorified birthday party for me. A chance for us to have a few beers, eat lots of food and have a good time.”