OVAtions

Fr Terry Yard

SVC 1954-57

Pictured above: Visitors OVs Ed Gauden and Fr Dennis Allen

 

Born             

  • At Ulverstone to Mary & Gilbert 27 October 1939.
  • Gilbert  was assistant Council Clerk at Ulverstone and later Council Clerk at Deloraine. 
  • Terry’s younger brother, Michael (dec.), also attended the College (1959-60).

Education

  • Ulverstone
  • Our Lady of Mercy College Deloraine, 1953
  • St Virgil’s College (as a boarder), 1954-57

Career

  • Fr Terry commenced his studies for the priesthood, 1958
  • Ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Guilford Young at Deloraine, 28 June 1966. (The ordination was the first to occur in a country parish in the history of the Archdiocese.)
  • Appointments:
    1. St Finn Barr’s, Invermay,1966-71
    2. Corpus Christi, Bellerive, 1971-75
    3. Sacred Heart, New Town,1976- 85

Then followed ministries at Our Lady of Lourdes, Devonport, back to Bellerive for a time, and then to the Church of the Apostles in Launceston.

 

For many years Fr Terry was the Parish Priest for the Meander Valley which includes the townships of Deloraine and Westbury.

 

Other Involvements

  • The L’Arche Organisation: Fr Terry had an interest in the L’Arche movement and had a dream that a community could be established in Hobart.  In early 1982, whilst Fr Terry was parish priest of New Town, a parishioner (Mrs Marion Allen) willed her home at 40 Pirie St to the Church.  Father Terry convinced his superiors that it be utilized as Tasmania’s first  L’Arche community.

L’Arche was founded in 1966 by Jean Vanier.  L’Arche seeks:

…”to support people with intellectual disabilities to take their rightful place in our communities and in our societies. As an international organisation, it seeks to promote inclusion, the valuing of diversity, and international solidarity, and seeks to be a sign toward the building of respectful societies founded on “relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture.” (Extract from the Charter)

  • Terry has been chaplain to a number of organisations including the Clarence Football Club ‘where the power of his blessings” brought premiership success.
  • During his appointment to the Meander Valley Parish, Terry chose to involve himself with the Ashley Juvenile Detention Centre.
  • Fr Terry was inducted onto the St Virgil’s Heritage Roll of Honour 2011.

Father Terry is now retired and is a resident of Fairway Rise Retirement Village on Hobart’s Eastern Shore.