On the first anniversary of Father Murray C. Farwell’s death, a plaque was unveiled and the family parish centre at St. Mary’s Church in Mount Forest was re-named in his honour.
Following a stellar career in the Canadian military, Father Murray spent what he called “the happiest 10 years of his life” as pastor of St. Mary of the Purification Roman Catholic Church and St. Peter’s in nearby Ayton.
Born in Mount Forest and ordained to the priesthood in 1972, Murray joined the Canadian military as a chaplain five years later.
He served across Canada, Europe and the Middle East, attained the rank of Brigadier General and was named the Chaplain General.
In 2000 he was a member of an honour guard that accompanied the remains of an unknown Canadian soldier buried near Vimy Ridge home to Canada.
He presided over the soldier’s interment at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at the National War Museum in Ontario.
He was made a Commander of the Order of Military Merit by the Governor General of Canada in 2001 and also received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Bruce England, who with the help of a committee organized the re-naming and dedication ceremony on July 7, said Murray “made a tremendous impact on this parish” not only as a spiritual leader but as the driving force behind the building of the parish centre “for the betterment of our parish and our community.”
England said it was Murray’s goal “to pull together our parishioners and have us work together as a parish to fulfill this project.”
Murray formed the building committee and the capital campaign committee, and involved the Catholic Women’s League and the Holy Name Society to attain that goal.
“The renaming of our parish center from St. Mary Parish Family Centre to Father Murray C. Farwell Family Centre has been received with tremendous support not only from our parish but (also from) our Bishop Douglas Crosby, for which we are truly grateful,” England said.
The Bishop of Hamilton, Crosby wrote a letter in which he granted permission for the parish center to be officially renamed and said, “May your parish community be forever grateful for Father Farwell’s leadership and dedication to the parishioners of St. Mary of the Purification Church, Mount Forest.”
Father Patrick Dobec, a longtime friend of Murray’s, spoke at the funeral mass a year ago and again at the special service July 7.
He noted that Father Murray “always remained a son of Mount Forest” and was “loved deeply” by the parishioners.
“The church needs more Padre Farwells,” Dobec said, adding Murray was a man of humility no matter how high he rose in the Canadian military ranks.
That humility meant, Dobec joked, that Murray would never have let the parish rename the family centre in his honour had he still been alive.
Also presiding at the mass were St. Mary’s new parish priest Father Joe Selvanayagam, Father Dennis Noone, Father David Butler and a visiting priest from Sri Lanka.
Selvanayagam said the mass and re-naming ceremony “shows the love and gratitude you had for your former pastor. The best way to show our gratitude for someone who is dead is to pray.”
“Although we all miss Father Murray, we must remember how fortunate we have been to have had him, as short as it may seem, in our lives,” England said.
“And I cannot think of a better way to honour Father Murray than to fulfill this rededication.”
Murray’s sisters Joan and Marje unveiled the handsome plaque that will officially designate the new Father Murray C. Farwell Family Centre.
Refreshments and fellowship followed in the TD Smith Memorial Hall.
