Mr. Mirko Cuderman’s speech before the blessing of the chapel:

BEFORE THE BLESSING OF THE CHAPEL
A warm greeting and heartfelt welcome to all the pilgrims present in this beautiful Mary’s Valley, to all who have come from distant and nearby places, especially from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Mildura, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast, and of course Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Thank you for your participation, as without you, it would not be as beautiful here as it is now, with all of you together.

I have been asked to share a few words about the construction of our Chapel of Mary Help of Christians, which I have faithfully followed from the very beginning. Soon, I realized that we were not alone in this endeavor. I understood that by doing this work, we are fulfilling God’s will and that the Heavenly Mother is guiding us in our efforts.

Allow me to briefly present the course of the construction and the deserving and selfless workers. The first decisive step was taken by the president of the LIPA association, Mr. Jani Pal, when he called a meeting of the Slovenian community here in Mary’s Valley on November 9, 2008.

A very large number of compatriots responded, supporting the construction of the Chapel of Mary. At that time, Jani Pal appointed Jože Gjerek as the responsible builder and treasurer. This was very wise, as Jože eagerly took on this responsible task. First, he registered the bank fund “Slovenian Chapel in QLD” and organized the collection of donations. In addition, trustees were appointed: Jani Pal, Jože Vohar, and Jože Gjerek. Jože’s son, Joe Gjerek, created a beautiful sketch for the chapel, which immediately captured everyone’s heart. Everyone fell in love with the new chapel from the drawing and accepted it as their own. This was also an important step in making the Chapel of Mary a reality. In January 2009, Father Ciril Božič, during his pilgrimage, blessed the land for the chapel, together with the parish priest Mr. Tone Vrisk from Slovenia.

That day also marked the first Slovenian Mass at this site. Since then, God’s blessing has accompanied the work, which proceeded in the best possible order. Soon, the trenches for the foundations were dug, and by January 25, 2009, the walls were already built. Along with Jože Gjerek, Jani Pal, Joe Gjerek, and Franc Lovrec worked on the construction at the site. The roof and ceiling of the chapel were installed by builder Karel Knap, who many years ago built the monument at the Planinka association, of which he is now the president. Jože Gjerek and Jože Čeh assisted him with the roofing. In June, Franc Lovrec and Jože Čeh plastered the chapel, which was then painted by Jože Čeh and his son Danijel. Tone Brožič laid the stone tiles on the lower part of the chapel, while Tone Kralj laid the ceramic tiles on the floor inside the chapel and outside.

With gratitude, I must add that the donations came steadily – and the volunteer work continued without interruption. In this too, God’s will and help were evident, as everything unfolded in a beautiful, harmonious, and peaceful atmosphere.

The Melbourne artist Lojze Jerič truly crafted a beautiful mosaic of Mary Help of Christians, as well as the front inscription and coat of arms. Thanks be to God! Who can claim that there was no Divine providence and blessing in this work, as we see that where work is done without God, there are great disorders, disputes, and resentments. Here, in the construction of the Chapel of Mary Help of Christians, everyone participated with joy and enthusiasm.

Therefore, I must firmly say once again: THANK GOD for everything! Thank you to the builder Jože Gjerek, the president of Lipa Jani Pal, Jože Čeh, the president of Planinka Karel Knap, Franc Lovrec, Joe Gjerek, Tone Kralj, and Tone Brožič, the many good women, and all others who in any way contributed to the creation of this truly beautiful chapel.

Mirko Cuderman – Marian Valley,
12. September 2009

A note from Father Ciril Božič:
Mirko Cuderman expressed it so beautifully in his greeting before the blessing of the Chapel of Mary Help of Christians in Marian Valley. However, he omitted mentioning his significant contribution to this construction, as he closely and lovingly followed the entire process, reporting on it and, of course, doing a lot of work himself: The beautiful, elegant bell tower of the chapel is his masterful work. The frame around the mosaic of Mary Help of Christians is, just like in Ta Pinu, the work of Melbourne craftsman Štefan Ček. Before the blessing of the chapel, Jože Gjerek spoke about the construction, who, along with his wife Marta, was the soul of all the efforts and work. Also speaking were Mr. Lojze Jerič – mosaic artist from Melbourne, Mr. Jani Pal – president of Lipa from Gold Coast, and Mr. Karel Knap – president of Planinka, Brisbane. Congratulations were extended to our compatriots in Queensland by all of us. In particular, the following spoke: Mr. Peter Mandelj OAM, JP from Melbourne – representative of Slovenians at the Council for Slovenians Abroad and Worldwide at the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Štefan Šernek – president of the Slovenian Society – mosaic artist from Melbourne, Mr. Jani Pal – president of Lipa from Gold Coast, and Mr. Karel Knap – president of Planinka, Brisbane.

We all congratulated our compatriots in Queensland. In particular, the following spoke: Mr. Peter Mandelj OAM, JP from Melbourne – representative of Slovenians at the Council for Slovenians Abroad and Worldwide at the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, and Mr. Štefan Šernek – president of the Slovenian Society 88.