Dear Brothers and Sisters,
For many of us Queen Elizabeth is the only reining monarch we have known. It is therefore a profoundly sad moment in our history to hear of her death.
Her Majesty has served as our Head of State and Queen of Australia with great dedication and duty . Her service as Queen of England and the Commonwealth has also been exemplary.
Please pray for Her Majesty and for the repose of her soul. I have already passed on my condolences to Bishop Keith Joseph, the Anglican Bishop for North Queensland and I have been invited to join him in prayer at St James Cathedral Townsville on Sunday evening.
As I do so I will bring the thoughts and prayers of the Catholic people of our Diocese. We must not forget that the Queen was also the Head of the Church of England.
I thank God for the gift of Queen Elizabeth the Second. May she Rest In Peace.
+ Timothy J Harris, Bishop of Townsville