Community thanks favourite Father

By Lachlan Ellis
It’s almost 51 years now since one of Bacchus Marsh’s favourite priests was ordained, but the community has finally been able to honour him with a celebratory Mass for the 50th anniversary.
COVID restrictions meant the Mass for Father Brian Glasheen – or ‘Glash’ as he’s affectionately known – couldn’t go ahead on its original date of September 11 last year.
But the crowd of well-wishers on Sunday May 15 well exceeded the 20-person limit the event would have had to abide by in 2021.
It was a full house as parishioners gathered at St Bernard’s Parish at 10.30 am to celebrate 50 years of ordination, thanking him for his many years at St. Bernard’s.
Though he’s retired now, Fr Glasheen spent close to 35 years at St Bernard’s, arriving in 1982 as Administrator and retiring in late 2016 – early 2017.
Parishioners shared their thoughts about Fr Glasheen’s long service to the community with the Moorabool News.
“St Bernard’s Parish has so much to be grateful to Father Brian for. Among his achievements are the Parish Centre, Presbytery and Church refurbishment and a magnificent gathering space built onto the Church, to name but a few,” Carmel Shea said.
“He has been blessed with one of the greatest personality traits one could hope to have and that is empathy. He has been everything to everybody, and it is an honour to be counted as his friend.”
“Father Brian has given 50 years of devoted service to the priesthood, especially during the 34 years he ministered to us here at St Bernard’s and to the broader community. We can always rely on Glash to be there in good and in the not so good times. He is a true example of living Gospel values, and we are so grateful to call him our friend,” Margot Short added.
Former Principal at St Bernard’s Parish Primary School, Emilio Scalzo, said he had “never met a more caring and genuine man than Glash”.
“Glash is a genuine, people person. The parishioners loved Glash, and he loved them. He seemed to know each one of them by name. When he visited the school, it always took so long to get him from my office to the staffroom because children would flock towards him to say hello. He in turn would have a story for each one of them. Sometimes his stories went back three generations,” Mr Scalzo said.
Parishioner Kath Connell said it was a privilege to have worked with Fr Glasheen for 32 years at the Parish.
“He is a great believer in Ecumenism and was well received and respected by the various other Ministers in and around the Marsh and broader communities. I congratulate him on his 50 years of Priesthood a job well done, his name will live on in the Marsh for many, many years to come – the Preston boy who became a Civil Engineer and who built numerous roads across Melbourne and gave it all up for God’s Call – well done my friend,” she said.

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 https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-05-24/6

in the 24 May 2022 edition
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