“Extraordinary” Fr. Steve farewelled

Fr. Steve, as he was so popularly known, passed away on Tuesday, August 22 after recently turning 75-years-of-age on July 5, the date on which he retired, in the 50th year of his ministry as a priest.

Fr. Joe, Parish Priest at both Shepparton and Dookie, and Vice General of the Diocese, conducted a 90-minute farewell for Fr. Steve, assisted by Bishop Shane Mackinlay and Bishop Les Tomlinson, alongside 40 priests from the Sandhurst Diocese.

“He had a deep knowledge and love of scripture. Catholic Education Office leaders say that his scriptural input at in-services and accreditation were the finest and best they’d seen,” Fr. Joe commented about Fr. Steve.

Fr. Steve’s older brother John Bohan from Melbourne described his brother as having “a deep religious faith, great interest in people and their circumstances, and provided excellent leadership and direction for us to model our lives on; one could argue that service and loyalty were his mottos”.

John’s eulogy included: “Steve was born on the 5th July 1948 at the Benalla Hospital. He was the third son of Margaret and Frank Bohan. He had two older brothers at the time of his birth, Frank born in 1943 and I was born in 1944. The family was completed with the arrival of Bernie in 1950.

“At that time the Bohans lived on a small farm on Warrenbayne Road, Baddaginnie, about six miles from Benalla. Life in the late 40s and early 50s was much simpler than today. Giant leaps forward were the provision of the septic tank and the acquisition of a kerosene fridge to replace the Coolgardie safe.

“Entertainment was provided by the radio which we called the wireless, obviously battery operated with plenty of hisses, crackles and static. As children we had our favourite programs: The Air Adventures of Biggles, Dad and Dave, Tarzan, and others that fitted into the time slot between 5 and 6pm.

“After dinner we always said the rosary. This bought out our competitive instincts as we tried to be the brother who could get through his decade, of the rosary, in the quickest time.

“Steve started school at St Josephs in Benalla in 1954. His advent at school was upstaged by another event that year, the Royal Tour of 1954. The Bohan children along with all other school age children in the district and beyond lined up along Barkly Street in Benalla to wave our Royal Ensigns to Her Majesty as she drove by.

“It was also in 1954 that the Bohan family waved goodbye to Baddaginnie and moved into the town of Benalla.

“A unique feature of Steve’s schooling was his Grade 5 year, when he was taught by his mother. So, his mother was Mrs Bohan in the classroom and Mum at home.

“Steve commenced his secondary education at the FCJ College in Benalla in 1960. It was about that time that the then Convent started to take boys and Steve was possibly in the first such cohort.

“For his Intermediate in 1963, Steve moved to Champagnat College, Wangaratta, as a boarder. In 1966 he was the college sports captain and he also matriculated in that year.

“In 1967 Steve entered the seminary at Werribee. Here, as well as pursuing his studies, Steve maintained his interest in sport and challenged his fitness with numerous long cross country runs in the You Yangs.

“In 1973 Steve was ordained a Deacon at St Patrick’s Cathedral and in the following year, on Friday 17th May, he was ordained priest at St Joseph’s in Benalla. His first Mass was in Benalla on the Saturday.

“Now this was a colossal week for our Mum. Not only did she have a son ordained priest but her first grandchild was born a week earlier on May 10. So fortuitous circumstances allowed Steve to achieve a trifecta with the baptism of Paul on the same weekend as his ordination and first Mass.

“Steve’s first appointment as a priest was to the Rushworth parish in 1975. In 1977 he moved to St Killian’s in Bendigo and to Yarrawonga in 1983 as Assistant Priest.

“Next, in 1986, he became the Diocesan Promoter for the ‘Renew’ Programme and resided at the Heathcote presbytery.

“At the start of 1990 he was appointed Assistant Priest at Wodonga and was involved in ongoing Adult Education in the Faith Programme. By June 1990 he was on the move again, this time to the US for overseas studies.

“In 1992 Steve became the priest in charge of new seminarians at Corpus Christi College, a role he held for four years. Our Lady’s at South Wangaratta was his first appointment as a parish priest and that was in 1998. And as you good people of Yarrawonga know he came home to you as your parish priest in 2004.

“As well as carrying out his responsibilities to his parishioners he threw himself into the local community and was active on many fronts. Examples abound including his love of cricket and his involvement with the Yarrawonga Football Club.

“He also had a great love of history, family history, general history, biblical history, any history at all. Clearly, he spent many hours on the National Library of Australia website as evidenced by the number of printouts that we have found in recent times as we sorted through his belongings.

“The history of the local hotels, local street names, the noted and obscure service men and women of the area. If there was a way of ferreting out some new angle on the past he managed to find it.

Deep religious faith, great interest in people

“He held a deep religious faith and had deep convictions. He had a great interest in people and their circumstances and provided exceptional leadership and direction for us to model our lives on.

“Thank you to Yarrawonga for embracing Steve, in taking him into your hearts and your homes. Thank you for the care and love you gave him over the years and especially in his last illness.

“In particular, we want to thank Eileen Thorpe. Steve was an intensely private person. Getting through the defensive gate would not have been easy, getting him to take steps to help himself would have been hard. You persevered, thank you. You are a modern-day saint.

“Thank you to Rikarla Phillips, Parish Secretary here at Sacred Heart, for her patience, care and support of Steve over a number of years.

“To Fr. Joe Taylor, who entered the seminary in 1967 with Steve, for his support and friendship of Steve over 56 years and for allowing Steve to reside with him for many months in Shepparton last year.

“A big thank you to Bishop Shane (Mackinlay) and Bishop Les (Tomlinson) and the priests of the Sandhurst diocese and beyond for sharing the journey with Steve for almost 50 years.”

Bishop Shane referred to Fr. Steve as “an extraordinary man with an extraordinary faith who will be missed by all”.

Sacred Heart College teacher Michael Ross shared some reflections on Fr. Steve on behalf of the parish, saying “welcome was a hallmark of his ministry”.

“Fr. Steve welcomed everyone into our parish, those in the centre and those on the margins, families, single parents, the young, the older, those with a deep faith and those struggling with faith, this was our church, our community, and Fr. Steve was our priest who led us and taught us,” Mr Ross said.

“Listening to the students at the college speak of Fr. Steve reminded me of how embedded he had also become into our town. For many he had baptised them and given their first communions, he had married many of their parents and celebrated the funeral for some of their grandparents. He had performed all these special occasions for so many of us.

“Fr. Steve was well read in his biblical and theological studies and had visited many parts of the Holy Land. When he spoke, he did so with a deep knowledge and understanding of Christian and Jewish traditions. And over the years we as a parish got to know not only the wonderful message of his homilies but also the deep resonance of his voice. The tone and colour of his speech was so well modulated and he often spoke without the need for notes.

“Most importantly, Fr. Steve provided for us that most nourishing, and spiritually enriching of food, the Eucharist.

“Within our parish, particularly in the greatest gift, our Eucharistic celebrations, Fr. Steve faithfully led us with love, passion, grace and wisdom. Fr. Steve, we owe you so much and we thank you greatly, and while your presence will be sorely missed, we know that you will continue to advocate for us from your new posting.”

Fr. Joe spoke at length about Fr. Steve. “He heard the call to priesthood and answered and persevered in that call. The vocation was also nurtured by his parents and brothers.

“Fr. Steve was always very ecumenical. We have two Ministers from other churches here today.” Yarrawonga Anglican Parish’s former Rev. Michael Jones delivered the First Reading.

Sacred Heart College Principal Lew Nagle said Fr. Steve had a great vision for the provision of Catholic education in Yarrawonga, approving the move of the Primary school to the Woods Road site as well as the expansion of the College to Years 11 and 12.

“He was a gifted orator who could contextualise the scriptures in a way that audiences of any age could understand. He knew his audience and was an engaging speaker,” Mr Nagle said.

“Fr. Steve had a deep knowledge and passion for history. He knew all the families going back many generations and followed local sport with great interest.

“He was a great support for me and a trusted confidante.”

Close friend and chairman of Sacred Heart Council James Cummins described Fr. Steve as “a great pastor and great people’s person”.

In the mid-1980s, Yarrawonga Cricket Club’s team included “a very good, steady cricketer, very good defence, first change outswing bowler” in Fr Steve according to local cricket legend and president Glenn Brear.

A long guard of honour was formed outside the church in Murphy Street by mourners which included Sacred Heart College staff, students and parents as the hearse passed by on the way to the Yarrawonga Cemetery, via the Sacred Heart Primary School in Woods Road where another long guard farewelled Fr. Steve.

“The entire Sacred Heart community farewelled Fr. Steve,” Mr Nagle said.

So many memories of such a highly respected and popular Fr. Steve were recalled over refreshments at Yarrawonga Football Netball Club.