Silk vestment

Apparel
A gift of gratitude in grief

In 1924 12-year-old Mullewa boy Selby Arnolds fell into a railway water supply dam. Monsignor John Hawes was among those who tried to rescue the child, diving repeatedly into the muddy waters in a desperate attempt to save him. Later, Hawes conducted the funeral service for the boy and designed a monument for his grave. Grateful for Hawe's care, the boy’s mother, Barbara Arnold, struck up a friendship with the priest who’d tried so hard to save her son. She made him this silk vestment, which he wore during his time as parish priest in Mullewa. The duo swapped letters over the decades, continuing their friendship through pen long after Hawes moved to the Bahamas.

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Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre

Monsignor Hawes - discover the man behind the work

This modern and beautifully interpreted display showcases the life and architecture of priest and prolific architect Monsignor John Hawes, who arrived in the Mid West in 1915. Excerpts from Hawes’...

Address:

56 Cathedral Ave
Geraldton WA 6530
Australia

Open Hours

7 days 10am - 4pm

More from the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre

Faithful friend

If any one aspect of the Monsignor Hawes collection best reveals the man himself, perhaps it’s the story of his love for his dog. The fox terrier, Havelock Dominie, became the priest’s constant...

Jewel in the crown of architect-priest’s constructions

Famed architect-priest Monsignor John Hawes fashioned this stunningly intricate model of Geraldton’s Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral to guide the design of the cathedral which graces Geraldton’s...

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