TEJA IN IVO BAVČAR

NSW– Slovenian Outstanding Volunteers of the Year 2009
SLOVENIAN MISSION MERRYLANDS

 

Ivo Bavčar was born in Ajdovščina in Primorska region, which for many years belonged to Italy. After the World war II, he spent two years in Germany and Italy, then came to Australia.  At first, in 1949, he worked in the forests of West Australia and later joined his parents Ivan and Franciska in Sydney.

In 1960 he returned home to find a Slovenian wife. With luck on his side, he  fell in love with Doroteja in his home town. They married at the end of 1960 and came to Australia with the intention to stay just ten years.

They lived in Farfield and became involved with the Slovenian Association Sydney, helping a lot.  Ivo even became a president for a while.

With their three children, Mirjam, Judith and Bogdan, the whole Bavčar family also became very much involved with the Slovenian Mission at Merrylands. Teja was for many years a member of the church mixed choir until she had to stop for health reasons. She still takes part in the prayer group, specially at the meetings of the group, and at funerals. Their daughters were members of the youth choir and often organised fundraising functions, races and shopping trips and other activities. Mirjam also played organ for the church choir when needed, sang in a Slovenian band and was a presenter of the Slovenian TV program at Channel 31. Even the grandchildren are already involved in Slovenian school - Slomskova šola. They also act as servers at the church and take part at different presentations and functions.

Ivo and Teja are still taking part in all church activities, specially at preparing the church periodical «Rafael« and organising decorating of the church on special occasions with reefs and greenery. They also assist in the kitchen, when required.

For almost four decades, Ivo and Teja have been accompanying the priests on their trips to Newcastle, with Ivo often being the driver, and Teja helping organise the readings and singing during the Mass.

Ivo in Teja Bavčar vedno sodelujeta pri aktivnostih molitvene skupine, pri zlaganju lista Rafael, že davno pa sta prevzela odgovornost za okrasitev cerkve in dvorane s pripravo in pletenjem vencev, katere vedno organizirata po potrebi za vse velike svečanosti. Njuni otroci in vnuki še vedno organizirajo in nastopajo pri cerkvenih svečanostih in cela družina se lahko šteje za ene od najmočnjših stebrov naše verske skupnosti. Vsakih nekaj let tudi obiščeta domovino, vendar se vedno vračata v Australijo, na katero jih vežejo otroci in vnuki.

Ivo in Teja že skoraj štiridest let  spremljata  patre v Newcastlu za službo božjo, kadar je ta na sporedu. Ivo pomaga kot šofer, Teja pa skrbi za čitanje beril in prošenj ter za petje med mašo. Za vso trdo delo in pomoč slovenski skupnosti skozi desetlja, si današnje priznaje resnično zaslužita.

 

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