On Friday 12 May, Notre Dame Priory received a distinguished episcopal visitor in the person of the Most Reverend Geoffrey Jarrett, Bishop emeritus of Lismore. Bishop Jarrett, a longtime supporter of the project of an Australian Benedictine foundation, was in Hobart to take part in the internment ceremony of Bishop Robert William Willson, first bishop of Hobart (1842-1866) who died in England, and has finally been brought back, according to his wish, to Tasmania, to which he dedicated his life. Bishop Willson had the reputation of a good and holy bishop who showed great concern for all, especially the mentally ill and the convicts. He was instrumental in particular in closing down Norfolk Island as a convict establishment and also in the abolition of two particularly brutal forms of convict punishment. We ask him to intercede for us today. He had many challenges to face in his day when he laid all the infrastructure for the future archdiocese. May he help us in our efforts to provide Tasmania with a Benedictine monastery. We are grateful to Bishop Jarrett for giving us a bit of his time, and we look forward to seeing him again soon please God.
