Easter is a special time on the religious calendar but in 2024 central Victorian Catholics have extra reason to mark the occasion.
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Saturday, March 30, 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Diocese of Sandhurst.
The occasion will be celebrated at masses across the diocese this weekend - the culmination of a week of holy festivities.
In the biggest event, hundreds of pilgrims marched across Bendigo from St Kilian's church to the stunning Sacred Heart Cathedral to mark Palm Sunday on Sunday, March 24.
Pilgrims gathered at St Kilian's Church and were welcomed to Country by Troy Firebrace, Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta man.
Bishop Shane Mackinlay then blessed a specially commissioned Processional Cross and Pilgrims before they walked through Bendigo to Sacred Heart Cathedral.
First mass was in a tent on the banks of Bendigo Creek
The foundations of the diocese had humble beginnings, with the first mass celebrated in a tent on the banks of the Bendigo Creek more than 170 years ago by Rev. Dr Henry Backhaus.
It wasn't until March 30, 1854, that the diocese was formed from four mission stations - Bendigo (known as Sandhurst at the time), Heathcote, Beechworth and Wangaratta.
The new diocese was originally under the care of the Diocese of Melbourne.
St Kilian's Church was the pro-cathedral of the diocese until Sacred Heart Cathedral was opened in 1901 and eventually completed in 1977.
Today the diocese is home to 85,000 Catholics, forty parishes, 56 schools, six nursing homes and one hospital.
It spans more 450,100 square kilometres in northern Victoria - from Heathcote to Cohuna to Corryong and Mount Beauty.
Mission of the church has remained constant
Bishop Mackinlay is the eighth Bishop of Sandhurst. While much has changed in the past 150 years, the Bishop Mackinlay said the mission of the church had remained constant.
"A mission to bring good news to the poor; to bind up hearts which are broken, to set the downtrodden free, to bring care and encouragement to those who are struggling," he said.
"This has always been the mission of the Christian people. It has been the mission of the local Church in this place throughout our history and continues to be our mission today."
Bishop Mackinlay said key issues which Catholics faced today included the provision of community and church services in towns subject to regional decline, isolation and loneliness despite advances in communications technology.
He said reconciliation with Indigenous Australians and care for "our common home" were also key issues.
Vigil masses and Easter morning masses will be held at all 40 parishes in the diocese this weekend.
People who have gone through a program to become Catholic will be baptised on Saturday, March 30.
