Sydney: The victims of the deadly Bondi beach attack were solemnly remembered on Monday evening during a vigil Mass held at St Anne’s Catholic Church in North Bondi, as a shaken community gathered to mourn, pray, and seek comfort in the aftermath of the violence.
The special liturgy was celebrated just a day after a brutal attack on Jewish Australians attending the “Hanukkah by the Sea” event, an incident that claimed 16 lives and left at least 40 others injured. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Bondi and across the nation, casting a shadow over what was meant to be a joyful cultural celebration.
Addressing the congregation, Fr Anthony Robbie, parish priest of St Anne’s and St Patrick’s churches in Bondi, said the local community has endured an overwhelming series of traumatic events in recent years. Recalling the fatal stabbings at Bondi Junction last year, he noted that the latest violence has deepened a sense of collective distress.
“Even when only a small number of people are directly impacted, the consequences ripple far beyond them,” Fr Robbie said. “There is a pervasive sense of unease, anxiety and sorrow that spreads through the community, and these emotions do not simply fade away. We will be accompanying people through this pain for a long time.”
He stressed that many of the victims, most of whom belong to the Jewish community, are now forced to live with an ongoing fear about their safety following the attack. Fr Robbie strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a “terrible outrage” that has deeply wounded not just those directly affected but the wider Bondi community and the nation at large.
“It is especially heartbreaking that families who came together to celebrate and seek happiness in one of Australia’s most iconic public spaces were suddenly confronted with brutal and senseless violence,” he said. “Violence against innocent people is always the most devastating and leaves the deepest scars on compassionate hearts.”
The vigil Mass, organised as a special parish gathering, drew more than 100 mourners. Many attendees appeared visibly shaken as they lit candles, prayed silently, and leaned on faith for strength and reassurance in the face of tragedy.
In his homily, Fr Robbie reminded those present that faith offers a source of hope beyond the brokenness of the world. “Our hope does not come from within this world alone,” he said. “We believe that the ultimate answer to the evil we encounter lies in turning toward God and allowing His grace to transform hearts.”
Expressions of solidarity and reconciliation were echoed elsewhere in the country. In Melbourne, Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli led a Mass of Reconciliation at St Patrick’s Cathedral, bringing together Catholics, members of the Jewish community, and representatives of other Christian denominations and faith traditions.
Speaking candidly in what he described as an “unpolished” but heartfelt homily, Archbishop Comensoli confronted the roots of violence in society. He voiced anger over the attitudes and language that, he said, contribute to an environment in which such acts can occur.
“The violence we witnessed on Sunday did not arise in isolation,” the Archbishop said. “It grew out of violence already present in words, in attitudes, and in the ways people think about one another.”
As communities in Bondi and beyond continue to grieve, the vigil Masses served as powerful reminders of shared sorrow, interfaith solidarity, and the urgent need for healing, compassion, and a rejection of hatred in all its forms.