A full church of family, confreres, parishioners, friends and school students gathered recently to pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Gerard Mulholland SVD, who died last month of Motor Neurone Disease.

And, in a fitting tribute to Fr Gerard’s love of the people of Papua New Guinea, instead of flowers, those attending the funeral donated more than $2000, which will be assigned to a particular mission project in PNG.

“We nominated a project in PNG for donations because Gerard had spent time as a missionary there, and he held a special love for the people and the country itself,” says SVD Provincial Fr Henry Adler SVD.

Fr Henry was principal celebrant for Fr Gerard’s Funeral Mass, which was held at St Mark’s, Inala – the same church in which he had been ordained and where he had been ministering before he had to step down due to failing health.

Fr Wim Valckx SVD preached the homily, while a long-time friend, Fr David Pascoe, the Dean of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane, delivered the eulogy. Archbishop Mark Coleridge and Bishop Brian Finnigan also took part in the liturgy, with the Archbishop praying the Final Commendation.
Fr David told the congregation that the attendance was a tribute to the way Fr Gerard lived his life.

“Gerard Mulholland was my friend, a good mate for 25 years; but he was not only a friend to me; we simply look around us today, and know that he was a friend to many, many people,” he said.

Fr Gerard had undertaken a range of jobs before entering the SVD, including a railways porter, an ambulance driver and a workplace safety officer. He was always involved in volunteer work and was a committed member of the St Vincent de Paul Society. It was the St Vincent de Paul Society which sent him to PNG first, to help the people affected by a severe drought, and then again some years later to assist the people in the wake of the deadly tsunami in Aitape. While in PNG, Gerard approached the SVD about joining. After taking final vows and being ordained to the priesthood, Fr Gerard’s first missionary assignment was to his beloved PNG, where he ministered for three years, before returning to ministry in Melbourne and then Brisbane.

Fr Gerard died on November 26, after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease some months previously.

In his eulogy, Fr David quoted from a tribute for Fr Gerard, given by his confreres: “It was a blessing for us to have Gerard in Australia Province, as he is one of the few Australian born SVDs. He had the knowledge and disposition to convey just what it is to be Australian. In this regard, he was a great resource to SVDs who have come here from other parts of the world. Gerard loved telling jokes, and his bright personality always left us with a smile”.

Fr David also shared comments from Fr Gerard’s sister Mary, and brother, Paul, who said: “We will miss the dry sense of humour, the fantastic stories, the hilarious jokes, the congenial manner, his persistence and persuasive nature, and will remember with pride, as his brother and sister, the courage and humour (which he could still muster in his last days, as he faced his final challenge)”.

Fr David left the last words to Fr Gerard himself, who said in a recent interview for In the Word: “As priests and Christians, if we preach that we’ve got to accept the crosses that we’re given, and then if I don’t accept the cross myself, I’m a bit of a hypocrite. And so, I’ve accepted this cross … If I thought that this was the end and there’s nothing after this, then I’d be going through a terrible time now. Instead, I can really say, and mean it, that I’m looking forward to heaven”.