Father Terry was born at Ulverstone on 27 October 1939 to Mary and Gilbert Yard. Gilbert was an Assistant Council Clerk at Ulverstone and later Council Clerk at Deloraine. Terry’s younger brother, Michael, also attended the College (SVC 1959-1960).

Terry commenced his studies for the priesthood in 1958 and was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Guilford Young at Deloraine on 28 June 1966. The ordination was the first to occur in a country parish in the history of the Archdiocese.

Appointments

St Finn Barr’s, Invermay (1966-1971)
Corpus Christi, Bellerive (1971-1975)
Sacred Heart, New Town (1976-1985)
Our Lady of Lourdes, Devonport (1988-1992)
Corpus Christi, Bellerive (1992-1994)
Church of the Apostles, Launceston (1994-2001)
Meander Valley Parish (2001-2016)

Other Involvements

L’Arche

Fr Terry had a special 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 the 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 utilised 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 a chaplain to a number of organisations including

the Clarence Football Club ‘where the power of his blessings” brought premiership success
the Ashley Youth Detention Centre
Vocations Director
Council of Priests
Marriage Education
Interchurch Trade and Industry Mission
Launceston General Hospital
The Vietnamese community
The Marriage Encounter Movement

Faithful priest of the Archdiocese of Hobart for 57 years,

Father Terry had been inducted to the St Virgil’s College Heritage Roll in 2011.

OVAtions

The monthly e-newsletter of the Old Virgilians Association

March Edition | No.75 · 15 Mar 2024

In this issue