Australian Indigenous Symbols in the Catholic Liturgy

Australia’s First Nations peoples have long known the Spirit’s presence in water and earth, in fire and smoke. These elements are more than physical necessities; they are sacred signs of life, community, healing and presence. For Aboriginal Catholics, these symbols are not just cultural, but also spiritual. Their resonance with the Christian liturgical tradition opens up new depths of meaning and invitation for the whole Church.This article draws on the wisdom of Evelyn Enid Parkin from Minjerriba (Stradbroke Island, QLD), who reflects on how symbols from Country and culture - fresh water, salt water, smoke, and fire/light - are already powerful bridges for connecting Australian Indigenous spirituality with Catholic worship.Importantly, this deep spiritual awareness is not disconnected from Christian tradition. St Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans:“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made” (NRSV Romans 1:19–20).In light of this, we recognise that God has long been revealed to Aboriginal peoples through the beauty and rhythms of creation. From time immemorial, they have known the presence of the Spirit in water, fire, smoke, and earth. These same elements, already central in Christian ritual life, become powerful points of connection, deepening shared understanding and inviting reverent encounter across cultures.

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‍Fresh Water and Salt Water: Carriers of Spirit and Life

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Lakes, creeks, and rock waterholes are not just physical places but spiritual dwellings. The Rainbow Spirit, a sacred ancestral being, is understood to have travelled the land creating everything, and to remain present in these waters. Elders speak to the Spirit before entering, seeking permission and showing reverence. Water is sacred, and water is life.This understanding beautifully echoes the Catholic use of water in baptism, blessings, and the sprinkling rite at Mass. In both traditions, water is life-giving, purifying, and connecting us to the Divine. Evelyn writes, “Our faith is that the Spirit lives in the lakes, creeks, rock waterholes, rivers and in the salt water.”
Salt water too has deep significance. It has nourished communities through fishing, provided healing, and invited thanksgiving. Its sacredness is both practical and spiritual, while serving as a mirror to the Christian practice of blessing and of giving thanks for creation.Scripture confirms this sacredness of water:

• “In the beginning… the Spirit of God hovered over the waters” (Gen 1)
• “Water flowed from the rock” (Ex 17)
• “Jesus said to the man at the pool: Do you want to be healed?” (Jn 5)
• “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst” (Jn 4)

In Australian First Nations and Christian experience alike, water is never ‘just’ water. It is Spirit-breathed, rich with blessing, overflowing with sacred significance, and always worthy of reverence.

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‍Smoke and Fire: Cleansing, Healing, and Light
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Smoke and fire play central roles in Aboriginal ceremony. When someone dies, homes are ‘smoked’ to help the spirit move on and to cleanse the space of grief and pain. The burning of eucalyptus leaves offers warmth, healing, and comfort. Sacred fire brings community together around song, dance, and stories of creation. Firelight through the night keeps bad spirits away.These actions of purification and spiritual readiness strongly parallel the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass. There, the Church prepares to enter the sacred by calling for forgiveness and healing. Incense, traditionally used at funerals, feast days, and times of solemn prayer, functions in a similar way: it sanctifies the space and lifts our prayer to God.Scriptural echoes of sacred fire include:

• “God appeared to Moses in the burning bush” (Ex 3)
• “Tongues of fire rested on each of them” (Acts 2)
• “Let your light shine for all in the house” (Matt 5:15)

When Aboriginal communities gather around the sacred fire or perform a smoking ceremony, they enter into sacred time and space; this is a reality that the Church already recognises and reveres through its own ritual tradition. The inculturation of these Australian Indigenous symbols into Catholic worship is not a departure from the liturgy but rather a deeper expression of it.

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‍An Invitation to Inculturate with Integrity

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The Church in Australia is increasingly called to honour and incorporate Australian Indigenous spirituality into its liturgical life. The symbols of water, fire, smoke and light are not foreign to the Roman Rite; indeed they are already there. What is needed is attentiveness to how they are lived, loved, and understood by First Nations peoples.​These symbols are not decorative. They are full of Spirit. They hold stories, healing, sacredness, and prayer. When welcomed with respect and used with care, they can become bridges of deeper understanding and signs of true reconciliation.The work of inculturation does not dilute the liturgy. On the contrary, it deepens it, rooting it more fully in the soil of this land, and more richly in the lives of its people.