It is with sadness that we share with you that Fr Barry Nobbs passed away early in the morning on Saturday 23 November at Yallambee Aged Care, Revesby. Fr Barry has been unwell for some time since surgery in July 2018 and had deteriorated significantly in recent weeks since an episode in Bankstown Hospital.
We commend Fr Barry to Almighty God knowing that he will be embraced with love and light eternal. I ask that you remember Fr Barry and his family in your prayer and that our priests offer Mass for his departed soul.
Fr Barry was born 28 January 1938 in Bankstown NSW to Margaret and Percy Wingate Nobbs. He attended St Felix, Bankstown (Primary) from 1943 to 1948 and then St Patrick’s, Strathfield (Secondary) from 1949 to 1955. His seminary studies where at St Columba’s College, Springwood from 1956 to 1957 and then St Patrick’s College, Manly from 1958 to 1962. Fr Barry was ordained on 21 July 1962 at St Mary’s Cathedral by Cardinal Gilroy. He served as Assistant Priest at North Leichhardt from 1962 to 1965 and at Lidcombe from 1965-1966. In 1967, Fr Barry offered his services to the Diocese of Madang, PNG in which he was incardinated in 1974. Over the next 38 years he was Parish Priest of Tanggu, Manam Islan, Bosmun, Joseephstaal, Saidor and Annaberg. As Archbishop William Kurtz SVD wrote at the time of Fr Barry’s ‘retirement’, “Fr Nobbs has been a true missionary, close to the people, dedicated to this work of evangelisation and a good example to us all . . . Fr Barry has always worked in the most isolated parts of the diocese, areas where a lot of long distance walking was required, but he never refused to go wherever he was asked to go, living a simple life style, never complaining.”
In 2005, upon his departure from PNG, Fr Barry, a classmate of Bishop David Walker’s, came to the Diocese of Broken Bay. He was appointed in March 2005 as Assistant Priest at both St Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills and Corpus Christi, St Ives. In February 2008 he was appointed Assistant Priest at Woy Woy Parish, and then in March 2011 to the Parish of The Lakes. From September 2013 Fr Barry was appointed as Assistant Priest, Chatswood where he ministered until his retirement in May 2017. In retirement Fr Barry lived at Reynolds Court, Bateau Bay until surgery in July 2018 during which we suffered a severe stroke, whereupon he moved to Revesby close to his sisters Margaret Innes & Noelene Byron (deceased) and extended family.
Fr Barry celebrated his 81st birthday in January this year and on the 21 July 2019 celebrated his 57th Anniversary of Ordination to Catholic priesthood.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Fr Barry’s family at this sad time, and we express our deep gratitude for the extraordinary love and care that they have shown Fr Barry especially over this last twelve months during his illness.
Funeral Details
A Vigil Mass will take place at Our Lady of Dolours Church, 94 Archer Street, Chatswood on Monday 2 December 2019 at 7.30pm. Supper will follow at Our Lady of Dolours Parish, Chatswood.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at at St Felix de Valois Church, 550 Chapel Rd, Bankstown
on Tuesday 3 December 2019 at 11.00am. The cortege will then proceed to Rookwood Cemetery.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.