Melbourne News

Vale Fr Ronald Poulsen

Thursday 5 July  2012

AT THE great age of 91, Father Ronald Harold Poulsen PE, passed away at the Frankston Hospital on Thursday morning, 28 June 2012.

In a statement issued on Friday, Vicar General, Mgr Greg Bennet said, “the Archdiocese was most grateful for Fr Poulsen’s untiring service to the Church of Melbourne.”

Ordained in 1945, Fr Poulsen was Assistant Parish Priest at the Parishes of North Fitzroy, Ormond, Carlton, Balaclava, Moonee Ponds and Geelong. He then served as Parish Priest of Berwick, Glenroy and Hampton East. Father Poulsen also served as Chaplain of the St Vincent de Paul’s Boys Orphanage. Following his appointment as Pastor Emeritus in 1987, Fr Poulsen retired to the Peninsula. He celebrated morning Mass at the parish of Dromana until his recent illness.

A Pontifical Funeral Mass was celebrated at St Monica’s Church, Moonee Ponds on Wednesday, 4 July at 11am. Fr Poulsen was laid to rest at the Northern Memorial Park.

Read Archbishop Hart's homily at the Funeral Mass


A Tribute to Fr Ronald Poulsen

Parishioners of Corpus Christi Parish, Glenroy, Leo and Brenda McGuire, have known Fr. Poulsen since the late 1960’s when they moved as newly-weds into the parish of Glenroy. After Fr Poulson was appointed Pastor Emeritus in 1987, he retired to Rosebud. The McGuires kept in touch with their former parish priest.  Here, they share some of their memories of Fr Poulson.

Fr Poulson has been a very significant part of our family and home life to the day of his death on 28 June 2012. Like many people, we were frequent visitors to Rosebud, where he lived, and have continued enjoyed his company throughout his retirement. Many will recall, like us, sharing wonderful lunches with Fr Poulsen, at the Rosebud Hotel and other surrounding venues.

Fr Poulson had the remarkable ability to seek out and surround himself with a willing band of parishioners and supporters who possessed appropriate knowledge and skills for his unending list of needs and unfolding projects.

He was an astute property purchaser on behalf of the parish. He bought a number of properties in the area when he saw the need to assist arriving immigrants, who later joined his parish.

He was instrumental in the establishment of the Sancta Sophia College for girls in Glenroy. He acquired the current pipe organ in Corpus Christi Church from one of the Jewish Synagogues. The current three tennis courts was another huge and successful project undertaken with lots of help after acquisition of the property at 144 Melbourne Avenue, Glenroy.

Opportunities for parishioners to socialise and spend time together were important to Fr Poulson. He promoted parish picnics to nearby locations and participation at parish dinners. The annual parish debutante balls at the Broadmeadows Town Hall were big social events, peaking at about 70 debutantes under the training of Mrs Grimsy, within the organisational support lead by Maree Ramsay and Brenda McGuire.

Fr Poulsen was heavily involved in the original establishment of the Glenroy Amateur Football Club. It was formed in 1974, and commenced the same year in F Section of the VAFA. At the end of the 1977 season it aligned itself with Therry College, and adopted the name of Therry Corpus Christi Old Boys.

Fr Poulson was also a very passionate supporter of the local Catholic primary school’s Friday afternoon competitions, with a band of very loyal mothers providing transport for the boys. He loved to see the red and gold jumpers of Corpus Christi triumph over the opposition teams.

Fr Poulson led a simple life, giving himself unselfishly to those around him, particular the youth of the parish.
For many years he gathered on a Sunday night with a small group of like-minded card players. Fr Poulson was an avid book reader across all genres of subjects—theological, modern and historical subjects— a high level lover of fine art and historical architecture and of classical music.
 
Photo supplied by Leo McGuire