Korumburra church honours mushroom lunch victims after Erin Patterson’s conviction

At mass on Sunday, there was a single aching line from the pulpit in the wake of Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial.

The Korumburra Baptist Church held its first Sunday service since Erin Patterson was found guilty of murder. Picture: Mohammad Alfares

Inside the halls of the Korumburra Baptist Church on Sunday, there was a single aching line from the pulpit in the wake of Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial: “We have lost some very good and loving people.”

Parishioners gathered at the church for the first Sunday service since Patterson was found guilty of murdering three of their own — and attempting to murder Pastor Ian Wilkinson.

With journalists welcomed inside the church, no speeches on the trial were made. Just a prayer, a hymn for the three lives lost in one of the most disturbing tragedies to ever touch the small Gippsland community.

It was a bitter cold morning, but dozens braved howling winds to pay tribute to Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, who were poisoned with a beef Wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms in July 2023.

Korumburra locals outside the church on Sunday. Picture: Mohammad Alfares

About 40 churchgoers filled the wooden pews for the 10.30am service, held just days after the emotional end to Patterson’s 11-week trial, which gripped the nation and stunned the tight-knit town.

“It was an eventful and emotional week at the conclusion of the trial,” pastor Joyce Fleming said in his opening remarks. “We have lost some very good and loving people.”

Specific mention of the victims came from church representative Pam Atkinson, who dedicated the final hymn, O God Beyond All Praising, to Heather – a song she had long hoped would be added to the church’s regular repertoire.

Other speakers were more restrained, making simple references to those the church had “recently lost” and offered prayers and bible passages focused on grief, healing and hope.

The service marked a rare public acknowledgment by the church since the tragedy unfolded. Many congregants have close ties to the victims – and to Pastor Wilkinson, who survived the poisoning but has remained largely out of the public eye.

Some members of the congregation, who said they’ve known Pastor Wilkinson for more than 40 years, told The Australian they were relieved the “truth” had come to light after the verdict was handed down.

They spoke of the strain he had endured over the past year as speculation swirled and the community waited for answers.

One said the verdict brought “a sense of peace” after months of uncertainty. Another described it as “a weight finally lifted”.

A note about the Patterson and Wilkinson deaths remains pinned to the church noticeboard.

“We greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail, whether we were friends for a short time, or over 20 years. They were very special people who loved God and loved to bless others,” it says.

“It’s been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support Ian, Simon, and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time.”