Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge Father Paul Pidcock, who is retiring after 62 years of faithfully serving the school community of St John's College, Woodlawn, in Lismore. Father Pidcock first arrived as a student at Woodlawn in 1944. In 1949 he attend the Marist seminary in Sydney and he was ordained in 1956. His ties to Woodlawn remain strong, as he returned there the following year as a teacher. Father Pidcock had stints in Tasmania and California, where he studied for his Master of Theology degree. He returned to Woodlawn in 1979. He became the school's bursar and was also appointed Superior of the Marist community. In 2000 he took the role of part-time chaplain at the Grafton Correctional Centre. He held this role until 2012. When Woodlawn became co-educational he was invited to be the college chaplain, a role he will be retiring from at the end of this year.

My children went to Woodlawn and I've had many interactions with him as both a parent and an MP. His humility, his dedication, his love for people, not just students but throughout the community, will be missed as he heads into retirement. Father Pidcock, thank you for your 62 years of faithful service, and we wish you all the best in retirement.