05/08/2003

Over 100 people will take part in the annual Y-Walk this Sunday August 10th to celebrate the Catholic Church’s Vocations Week.

This year’s theme “From Pavement to Paradise” will see a mixture of the young and the young at heart make a pilgrimage from the City centre to Fortitude Valley.

Participants will commemorate the life’s work of the revered 19th century local priest, Fr Joseph Canali.

A civil engineer and architect, Canali had been invited out by Bishop Quinn to help with the completion of St Stephen’s Cathedral. He later pursued a vocation to the priesthood and was ordained in 1879.

Fr Canali went on to gain legendary status in his role as a Chaplain at the Brisbane General Hospital for 36 years.

When not ministering to the sick, Canali maintained an interest in architecture and the results of some his designs are still in evidence today, most notably the front gates of All Hallow’s Convent on Ann St in the city.

The Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Fr Tony Randazzo, said it was important to follow in the footsteps of local holy people like Fr Canali.

“The scope of his pastoral work was immense, yet within that he was very human and humble,” Fr Randazzo said.

“The purpose of the walk is to inspire people to see that extraordinary acts were performed by local people just like them.

“He is an excellent role model for anyone considering a vocation to the priesthood,” he said.

In an act that illustrated his devotion to people, Fr Canali died after being thrown from a tram at Teneriffe while returning from a visit to a sick parishioner at Bulimba.

The Cathedral was full for the Requiem Mass held in August 1915.

Fr Canali’s commitment to the sick lives on today through the Hospital Chaplaincy service operated by Centacare, the welfare arm of the Catholic Church.

As a further mark of respect for the Priest’s dedicated service, the Presbytery of St Patrick’s was renamed Canali House in January 2003.

The Y-Walk starts out from St Stephen’s Chapel, Elizabeth Street at 2.00pm and will conclude at St Patrick’s Church at 5.00pm, with significant points of interest in the life of Fr Canali being visited along the way.

Those who would like to participate, whether for fitness, historical interest or faith reasons, can phone (07) 3224 3392 for more information.


Released by the Catholic Communications Office