austraLasia 830
Priest rounds up his flock with a
dog-collared mate
SYDNEY: 19th April '04 -- The
Australian Province's 'Link' occasionally takes a leaf from 'austraLasia'.
It is appropriate this time for 'austraLasia' to take a leaf from 'Link', though
in truth we are both taking a leaf from the Sydney Morning Herald! The
story is well worth re-telling.
Salesian parish priest of St. Mary's Western Sydney, has
another dog-collar in the life of his parish. It belongs to his 2 month
old canine mate, Lotto. Despite his duties in the parish, Fr. Kerin and
Lotto were at the New South Wales state sheepdog trials in the central west town
of Molong recently, as part of a new breed of triallers breathing life back into
an archaic but prototypical Australian rural sport.
The main thing stopping the involvement of city people
in the sport is access to a practice paddock (field, for non-Australians) and at
least three sheep. Father Kerin was given Lotto, but had to buy some sheep
which keep thegrass down on land owned by the Sisters of Mercy. As a boy
he loved working on farms and 'just got interested again' when Lotto came into
his life. He trains for about an hour five or six times a
week.
A search on 'Lotto' and 'Molong sheepdog trials' turned
up only the fact that the Parish at Molong is run by the Vincentian Fathers, and
the only 'trial' they mentioned was the events of Good Friday. Perhaps
Lotto too, went through agonies at Molong and awaits his final victory some time
in the future!
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