Story By: Norma Farrant and Mary Porter

Fr John (Jack) MacGinley, a local household name, retires after almost 40 years of faithful service in the Tara area.

Born Kevin John Patrick MacGinley on 28 June 1941 at “Oakdene” Toowoomba, John, the fifth of eight children, grew up at West Haldon, “Steel Rudd Country”. Ordained into the priesthood on 29 June 1967, he served the parishes of Stanthorpe, Dalby, Quilpie, Jandowae, Dirranbandi, Goondiwindi and Toowoomba (Holy name, Our Lady of Lourdes and St Theresa’s) before taking up residence in Tara on 9 November 1984. He was the Chaplain of the Oakey Army Base from 1974 to 1987 and until recently, presided over the annual pre- Weetwood Race Mass in Toowoomba.

In his younger days, Fr Jack was a champion polo player, golfer, footballer, fast runner, dancer and singer. He has been heard to say, “Is there anything we MacGinleys can’t do?”

On Sunday, 28 April 2024, a large gathering of people from all walks of life, representatives from the local community, parishioners from Glenmorgan, Meandarra, Moonie and Tara, friends and family from Toowoomba to Quilpie, came to show their appreciation of Fr Jack’s lifetime of ministry and to celebrate his retirement with him.

Bishop Ken Howell, Fr Rod MacGinley, Frs Vince and Mick Carroll and Fr Brian Redondo concelebrated Mass with Fr Jack. Fr Jack thanked his family, friends and parishioners for contributing to his life and mission and received a heart- warming Irish blessing from the St Joseph’s School Tara students.

During brunch, 16 members of the local and wider community voluntarily shared stories about Fr Jack, each highlighted the many ways he had been there for them and their family. It was a testament to the man, his vocation and daily witness of God’s love in the world.

In his 39 years and five months in Tara, Fr Jack travelled many kilometres to celebrate Mass in the communities of Moonie, Meandarra, Glenmorgan and, up until about six years ago, Flinton. He left very early in the morning, collected the Sunday newspapers from outside Tara Newsagency and delivered them to The Gums Store and the Meandarra Newsagency.

It was always Fr Jack’s policy to “only ever charge the parish for the cost of a bottle of milk per week.” With his tireless and cost-effective work as a painter, maintenance and repair person, tree lopper and plumber, he truly was a “jack of all trades”.

Fr Jack has been there for the community in times of celebration and devastating hardship and loss, providing the Eucharist, funerals, baptisms, marriages, communion, confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and walking with people through droughts, floods, fires, and tragic events such as the Wieambilla shootings. Anyone who has been to a funeral Fr Jack has presided over feels assured that there is life after death, comforting the bereaved as they say goodbye to loved ones, relatives and friends.

Fr Jack has been actively involved in Anzac Day ceremonies, Riding for the Disabled, the Grow movement for mental health, the Parish Fete, the Tara Show and Rodeo, clearance sales, the St Vincent de Paul Shop and pastoral care for St Joseph’s Tara School community. He distributed donated bread from Brumby’s, the pumpkins he grew and he gave people in need access to drinking water.

Trailer loads of furniture and other goods were often dragged behind Fr Jack’s vehicle for the St Vincent de Paul Shop in Tara. Not many would have seen a station wagon towing a trailer overflowing with furniture in a funeral procession a couple of cars back from the hearse. That is just what Fr Jack did, from St Patrick’s Cathedral to Greenmount Cemetery, for his brother Neil’s in 2000. A sight that probably would have been amusing to Neil as he himself apparently was notorious for using the back seat of his car to cart a foal or a calf around.

Locally, the Parish Fete is often referred to as Fr Jack’s Fete. Fr Jack said, “The aim was to give all people an affordable and enjoyable day out that would be a financial and social success.”

Fr Jack and the nuns had a great partnership of taking care of each other, visiting towns and caring for the needy around the area. In the words of Sr Naomi Fogarty, “Getting to know Fr Jack is hard but loving him is easy.” 

Thank you, Fr Jack, for all you are and all that you continue to be to so many. Thank you for your tireless work in saving souls and making the parish a “quid”. It is your time to take your own advice and “take it easy.”