34 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Year in Review 2025 J U B I L E E P i l g r i m a g e S a n d h u r s t GRAVE OF REV. GEORGE GALEN pioneer priest of north-east Victoria, inside St Patrick’s Church, Wangaratta. Fr Galen founded the Wangaratta Mission in 1863. WAHGUNYAH MASS TREE a 600-year-old red gum where Fr Dean William Tierney celebrated the first Wahgunyah Mass in 1869. A two-kilometre track winding along the Murray River starts near the tree. A plaque was placed at the site in 1946 by the Catholic Women’s Guild. MARY MACKILLOP INDIGENOUS GARDEN AND HISTORY TRAIL on the grounds of St John the Baptist Church, Numurkah. Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first Saint. A Co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, she founded the first Josephite school in Victoria 1890. GRAVE OF REV. DR HENRY BACKHAUS, on the grounds of St Kilian’s Church, Bendigo. Fr Backhaus was the first priest to serve on the Bendigo goldfields and celebrated the first Mass in May 1852. SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL, BENDIGO. This gothic revival masterpiece is a testament to the devotion of the Sandhurst Diocese community and the vision of its founders.
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