Community & Business
14 October, 2024
60 years of Father Kerry
Former Oakey Catholic priest Father Kerry Costigan celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination with a special mass at Oakey Cultural Centre.
Hundreds of people including civic leaders, friends, former parishioners and the extended Costigan clan travelled to Oakey to celebrate the work of a man who has served Catholics and non-Catholics across Southern Queensland, Australia and at sea.
Fr Costigan’s homily included a favourite anecdote about the time he was asked by a man in North Queensland about his occupation.
“What’s a priest?’ the man asked me,” Fr Costigan said.
“Someone who tries to bring God to people and people to God.”
The homily included three of his favourite quotes.
1. “You are blessed, do your best, leave the rest to God”.
2. “We must never look at another person and think they are less than us”
3. “Lift people up don’t put them down.”
Fr Costigan’s working life has included serving in parishes at Charleville, Chinchilla, Taroom/Wandoan, Warwick, Killarney and finally, Oakey.
He also worked for three years with the Royal Australian Navy as a padré.
During his time in Oakey, Fr. Costigan was instrumental in the founding of a Ministers Fraternal group, was appointed as chaplain to the local Oakey R.S.L. sub-branch and helped found the Oakey TOMNET (The Older Men’s Network) group, of which he is still a member.
Fr Costigan still regularly takes ANZAC Day services at Kingsthorpe.
In 2009, he was invited to join the local Ashlar Masonic Lodge in Oakey.
It is unusual for a Catholic, let alone a priest, to join the Lodge, but
Fr. Costigan says he was always believed in two principles.
1. We are all children of God.
2. We must break down man-made barriers that keep people apart.
