The Norfolk Island Catholic community hasn’t had a parish priest since 1987 and it relies on visiting priests. There was already a priest visiting while I was on the island... The first priest arrived in 1838 when Fr John McEnroe volunteered to minister to the convict settlement on Norfolk. Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1959 but the church was later rededicated to St Philip Howard (who had been the Duke of Norfolk) after a visit by James Cardinal Freeman and then Duke of Norfolk Miles Fitzalan-Howard.
Philip Howard was a second cousin (once removed) of the Queen Elizabeth. In September 1584 he became a Roman Catholic, hiding his conversion and attempting next year once more to escape abroad. He was betrayed by a servant and arrested not long after his ship set sail.
Howard was committed to the Tower of London on 25 April 1585. He was charged with being a Roman Catholic, with quitting England without leave, sharing in Jesuit plots, and claiming the dukedom of Norfolk. He was sentenced to pay £10,000 and to be imprisoned during the queen's pleasure. In July 1586 his liberty was offered to him if he would carry the sword of state before the queen to church. In 1588 he was accused of praying, together with other Romanists, for the success of the Spanish Armada. He was tried for high treason on the 14th of April 1589, found guilty and condemned to death, but his sentence was not executed. Queen Elizabeth never signed the death warrant, but Howard was not told this. He was kept constantly in fear of execution, although comforted by the companionship of a dog, which served as a go-between by which Howard and other prisoners, most notably the priest Robert Southwell, could send messages to each other. Although these two men never met, Howard's dog helped them to deepen their friendship and exchange encouragement in each other's plight.
One day Howard scratched into a wall of his cell these words: Quanto plus afflictiones pro Christo in hoc saeculo, tanto plus gloriae cum Christo in futuro ("the more affliction [we endure] for Christ in this world, the more glory [we shall obtain] with Christ in the next") (cf. Rom 8).
Howard spent ten years in the Tower, until his death from dysentery. He petitioned the Queen as he lay dying to allow him to see his wife and his son, who had been born after his imprisonment. The Queen responded that "If he will but once attend the Protestant Service, he shall not only see his wife and children, but be restored to his honors and estates with every mark of my royal favor." To this, Howard is supposed to have replied: "Tell Her Majesty if my religion be the cause for which I suffer, sorry I am that I have but one life to lose." He remained in the Tower, never seeing his wife or daughter again, and died alone on Sunday 19 October 1595.
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| St Philip Howard and a reliquary |
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| The church has two New Zealand features - the Stations of the Cross were painted by Sr Julia Lynch, a New Zealand Sister of Mercy |
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| In front of the altar is this carving by Fr Des Scanlan SM who came from Paeroa,. He was the second last parish priest on Norfolk Island |
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| We were made so welcome by the Norfolk Island parishioners and the visiting priest from Sydney. We had a couple of great meals with some of them. |
