After the Long Service Awards presentation and Mass on Wednesday 4 September, we caught up with three staff members, Denise Smith, Claire Gerke and David Gerke,

who celebrated 35 years of service at that event. Below are their reflections on their time working with the Parish:

Denise Smith, who has held several positions with the Parish during her 35-year tenure and currently works in Reception at the Parish Administration Centre, says she thoroughly enjoys what she does.

“My love for the Parish has meant that it does not feel like a chore turning up to work each day.  It feels more like a vocation for me – like it is what I was meant to do in life,” says Denise.

 “Thirty-five years (now almost 36!) have flown past so quickly! I remember my first day at work like it was yesterday.”

“I went home from work crying and when my mum asked me what was wrong, I told her, ‘They expect me to use a computer!’.”

“It was the late 80’s, computers were still relatively new, and I was the biggest technophobe!  I am still a technophobe, but I now go crying to Geoff Baird and the wonderful IT team instead,” she laughs.

“I have had the privilege of working with some of the most wonderful, kind and smart people you could ever meet.  Their positive influence has shaped my growth.  Working with them has brought me such enjoyment. I am still in contact with people that I worked with 30 years ago even though they are now retired.”

“There is a quote by St Irenaeus that goes ‘God did not call me for any service I might render Him; God called me because he knew that in his service, I would be happy’, I feel this quote sums up the past 35 years for me perfectly,” reflects Denise.

Husband and wife team, David and Claire Gerke, also reflect with a deep sense of gratitude on their years of service with the parish, agreeing with Denise that the time has passed in the blink of an eye.

“I feel a great sense of satisfaction and achievement having completed 35 years of service within St Agnes’ Parish. My various roles at Lourdes Hostel, Lourdes Nursing Home, the Parish Maintenance Team and St Agnes Primary School has allowed me to interact with a multitude of people,” says David.

“What I have enjoyed the most is knowing that I have played my part in the wellbeing and care of the elderly and younger members of our parish community. Integral to this is being a part of Fr Donnelly’s vision of service to all, which nurtured my growth as a person”, he adds.

“When you love what you do, time flies,” says Claire Gerke, “and this is the case with my 35 years as a teacher at St Joseph’s Regional College.”

“Teenagers are at their most vulnerable stage of life, and it has been both a challenge and a joy to guide them towards their personal success and a future beyond school,” says Claire.

“It is always a pleasure to come across an ex-student in the community and be welcomed with a smile or to have a chat. It is always wonderful to hear of their success or to come across them on some form of communication technology making a difference somewhere in the world or simply enjoying life.”

“St Agnes’ Parish is certainly unique in that it provides facilities to many within the community, and it has been wonderful to play a small part in this service to others”, she adds.

Having a faith nurtured by the parish, I daily ask myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’ The answer is simply to ‘love one another’ and it is this that has guided my vocation within the parish,” concludes Claire.

 St Agnes’ Catholic Parish is blessed to have individuals, who have discovered the ‘why’ of their life’s purpose, in serving others in our local community.

Read about our recent Long Service Awards event and see a full list of recipients