Parish prepared for centenary celebrations at the All Saints Catholic Church

As a fixture in the community for the past hundred years, parish priest Father James Foster is looking to celebrating the sense of community within the Church.

"We've got families here who have been here for generations and we still have the relatives here of the people who founded the Church and were involved in establishing the Church,"

"My hope is that people will celebrate what it means to be part of the community of the Macleay Valley Parish and especially that part of our parish that gathers around the All Saints Church."

The Church was officially opened in July 1922 with nearly two thousand people braving difficult weather conditions to attend the opening ceremony.

The stained glass windows donated by Elizabeth Ptolemy in memory of her son who died during World War I still stands in the Church today.

Over the last century, the Church has since had to face a variety of challenges.

The last two years in particular have seen droughts, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic impact mass attendance.

Using digital technology such as livestreaming Sunday Mass and updating the weekly newsletter on their website allowed the Church to remain close with the community despite pandemic restrictions.

"When you compare pre COVID-19 and post COVID-19 mass attendance rates, we're among the strongest in terms of the percentage that have returned to church," Father Foster said.

"I think that's because we've stayed connected but... it's not a numbers game.

"The mission of Jesus was never about the numbers on seats."

Kempsey's efforts may be keeping the public engaged but the number of Catholics nationwide has slowly decreased.

The 2021 Census results found that although Catholics remain the largest Christian denomination in Australia, more people are reporting to prescribe to 'no religion'.

But parishioner Margaret Haydon said that there were other ways that the Church continues to play a role in people's lives.

"People might not come to mass every Sunday but they get their children baptized, they attend funerals here. There's a whole lot that happens in a parish besides just the numbers at Church."

The community of the Church can be seen in the restorations for the stations of the Cross and cedar Crucifix above the main alter.

Both restorations were made possible earlier this year through the initiative and donations of parishioners.

"I think its important to show the love the people have for the church." said Father Foster.

"Churches are built for the community and for the people. We do our best to be able to maintain them as time goes on."

"Our focus and our vision here in the Macleay Valley is to be a church serving the community."

The centenary celebrations begin at 9:30am on Sunday (July 17) with the opening ceremony.

Special guests of the ceremony include the Bishop of the Lismore diocese Gregory Homeming OCD and Australian novelist Thomas Keneally whose grandfather helped build the Lourdes Grotto.

The ceremony will be followed with morning tea at St Joseph's Primary School Hall which will feature a display of memorabilia from over the years as well as community performances.

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