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Twin Hills 2023

17 October, 2023

“Where two or three gather in My Name…”.

But over ninety came – plus a horse! And the Spirit was palpable. It was the annual Twin Hills race meeting, rodeo and campdraft for 2023 held over from the 22nd – 24th September.

Since the year 2000, Mass has been held at the event. This year, Fr Jayanthi Maddala, Parish Priest for the Peak Downs Cluster, celebrated Mass at the Cassiopeia Camp hosted by Bart and Tegan Wilkinson on Saturday night after the last race. It was “food for the soul” with the greater part of the congregation being in the late teens and early twenty year old age group.

 

One special attendee was Amelia Kenny who was the first child baptised at Twin Hills. She turned 21 this year. Here is Fr Bruce Little baptising Amelia in 2002.

 

The Mass also marked the eightieth birthday for Mrs Ros Kenny from “Llanarth Station”. Ros has been a regular reader at the Twin Hills Mass since its inception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twin Hills after Mass hospitality
L-R: Carlie Guilfoyle, Bart Wilkinson “Cassiopeia”, Fr Jayanthi, Warren Connelly “Stratford” and Twin Hills Race Club President, John Kenny “Llanarth”
Bishop Michael at a previous campdraft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In A Cathedral Built by God
(for the people of Twin Hills 16/9/2000)

With the setting sun slanting through the gidyea trees
And the dust barely moving in the gentle breeze
At the end of the bough shed in Dennis’s camp
A match was set to an old kerosene lamp

The lamp was lit so all could see
To gather as family where the action would be
Across the flat from all corners they came
Diverse in appearance but in spirit the same

The children in front sat on a row of hay bales
The ringers at the back leaned on a hitching rail
On a stump or carried chair all came to rest
Dusty denim, big hats, and fashion parade best.

Around the camp table at the end of the shed
No walls, no roof just the sky overhead
The Word opened and spoken for all to hear
Love and peace the message; not anger and fear

Bread on an enamel plate, wine in a quartpot
A sight not uncommon in the bush folk’s lot
Held high by the ordained for all to see
Blessing it he said “Do this in memory of me”

No high altars, gold vestments or buildings spectacular
The Word breathed and spoken as “liturgy in the vernacular”
For some the surroundings may appear terribly odd
But for all present there, it was a Cathedral built by God

Alan Guilfoyle 20/9/2000