The Southern Cross | June 2025

Anyone attending this year’s Palm Sunday Mass or Marian Procession may have noticed a rather striking pair of vintage lanterns being carried in the midst of the celebrations.

As well as their strong visual appeal, the French lanterns come with a very personal story.

It starts with Paul Anderson, who was the sacristan at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral for many years after starting work there in 1978.

Also based at the Cathedral at the same time was Monsignor Robert Aitken, who was appointed Vicar General two years after Paul’s arrival.

They became great friends with Paul later following the man he calls “my hero” to Dulwich in 2004 where Mgr Aitken was parish priest.

Mgr Aiken died in November 2023 aged 94 and Paul has donated the lanterns to the Archdiocese in his memory.

“I was the Master of Ceremonies at the Cathedral at the 11am Mass and loved the ceremony, they were really happy years,” he said.

“We had some wonderful times in the Cathedral and were there when the tower was completed (1996).”

The lanterns have been in Paul’s family for 35 years.

“They were bought at an antique shop on Unley Road and were given to me as a gift for Christmas,” he explained.

“I was told they were French, from 1890. They’re probably worth a lot of money now.”

Handing the lanterns over to the care of the Cathedral parish in memory of Mgr Aitken was an easy decision, Paul said, as the pair remained friends until the very end.

“He was a generous man and loved entertaining friends. He had a great sense of humour and I am just happy that they are going to be used.”

There is too, a colourful footnote to the story that comes from parishioner Pauline Clune.

“Paul asked me to ask the Archbishop whether he would like them,” said Pauline. “They were lovely.

“There were no poles for them, so I went to Spotlight and a very helpful young man went and got some brass curtain poles for me.”

Job done, the lanterns are now in use and undoubtedly, Mgr Aitken would approve.

Picture: The two French lanterns were used in this year’s Marian Procession. Picture: Ben Macmahon