RELATIVES of the young doctor who 60 years ago donated land for the construction of the Catholic Church of Our Lady in Yeoval may play a part in its 40th anniversary celebration.
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Margaret Vaughan, congregation member and one of the organisers of the June 22 event, has made contact with a descendant of the late Dr Michael Coolican and has her fingers crossed that the family will be able to send a representative or more.
The gift of land was the first but certainly not the last act of selflessness in the concerted bid to build the church, dedicated to the memory of "those who died in defence of freedom in two world wars".
The $65,000 church built by Walmac Constructions of Dubbo was paid for by the people of Yeoval and district.
"At the time of opening there was a debt of $4000," Mrs Vaughan said.
"This soon was paid with an appeal raising $7500 from members of all denominations."
About 800 people from across the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst turned out for the official opening of the church by its then bishop on June 22 of 1974.
They marvelled at the 200-seat and double-brick church with a modern semi-circle design, a major step up from the remodelled ex-army building that had served as Yeoval's Catholic school and church for 20 years.
About a year later the Church of Our Lady was moved out of the Cumnock parish and into the Wellington parish, presently under the watch of Father Tony Hennessy.
This week Mrs Vaughan said the community continued to ensure that their home-grown church was well maintained.
"It is a lovely church on the outside and the inside," she said.
Weddings and baptisms are few and far between at the church these days, but mass starts at 8am every Sunday with a morning tea following once every five weeks.
Mrs Vaughan, who considers churches to be important to the wellbeing of small rural communities, calls the Church of Our Lady "spiritual and social".
The 40th anniversary organising committee is keen to draw people to the church for a 10am mass on June 22 , followed by lunch from noon at the town's bowling club with adults set to be charged $10 a head.
People wanting to attend should contact Mrs Vaughan by June 10 by calling 02 6846 4253 or sending an email to margvaughan@activ8.net.au.
Alternatively, they can contact Geraldine Gough on 02 6846 4067 or at belmoreagco@bigpond.com.