Bishop Joe Caddy catches up with students Claire Dore, Toby Widmer, Ava Emerick and Ananya Anumula before the mass at St Joseph’s Parish School on Monday morning. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
Far North Queensland’s newest bishop is showing his commitment to rural and remote communities as he concludes his visit to students of St Joseph’s Parish School in Weipa.
The Very Reverend Joe Caddy was ordained as the Bishop of Cairns in August 2024 after relocating from Melbourne, and has begun his first rounds to schools and communities across the region.
“I think the last time we had a bishop up was probably when the school opened in 2016, so it’s not something that happens every day” acting assistant principal religious education Julie Dore said.
“He’s spending time with our local school community, and then he’s also seeing the local Elders to speak with them on Country.
“The first schools he wanted to see and work with were rural and remote, so he seems very committed.”
Ms Dore said the students had been very excited to meet Bishop Joe, as he is affectionately known, and he had returned the excitement.
“[The students] made a little video welcoming him to the area, and we didn’t think much of it, but he sent back a big long video saying he can’t wait to come up to Weipa and meet us,” she said.
Bishop Joe led a special mass for students, teachers and parents in the St Joseph’s Parish church on 21 October and told Cape York Weekly he was thrilled to have western Cape York as his first parish visit since his ordination.
“I’m finding it remarkable, actually,” he said.
“This is the first actual parish visitation I’ve done, so it’s really nice; when I was at the formation school for new bishops in Rome, the cardinals and the Pope said, ‘look, your cathedrals are important, but don’t stay in your cathedrals – get out to the margins’, so it’s really nice I can start with my first parish visit out here to Weipa.”
While the community has welcomed Bishop Joe – who is an avid angler – with open arms, the same could not be said for Weipa’s fishery.
“If anyone can share a GPS [fishing location] or two, it’ll be very happily received, but I quite understand if they won’t,” he laughed.
Bishop Joe Caddy welcomes students, teachers and parents to mass. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
