Grieving community members have gathered at a small town’s Catholic church to remember their three friends who died at a lethal mushroom lunch.
Erin Patterson, 48, invited her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian for dinner at her Leongatha home on July 29.
Mr and Mrs Patterson and Mrs Wilkinson all died after eating Erin’s beef wellington which is believed to have contained deadly toxic mushrooms.
Mr Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor, remains in critical condition.
St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Korumburra, where the four guests lived, opened its doors to the non-Catholic community on Saturday for ‘a day of prayer, reflection and solidarity’.
St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Korumburra opened to the community on Saturday (pictured, locals attending the church with flowers)
St Joseph’s Catholic Church announced Saturday as a ‘day of prayer, reflection and solidarity’ (pictured, people entering the church)
Heather and Ian Wilkinson (above) attended Erin Patterson’s fatal beef wellington lunch on July 29 – Heather died from suspected mushroom poisoning while Ian remains in critical condition
Parishioner Ken Loughnan told reporters the open day will be a chance for the small town to come together.
‘This is a close-knit community, but right across Australia, small towns are just like this where everybody shops at the same supermarket and whatever, so people get to know each other really well,’ he said.
‘When a tragedy happens in a small community, it has a real hurt and it’s been a difficult time over the last three weeks for people.
‘So we’ve taken the opportunity to open our doors of our church here today, not just for the Catholics, but for the whole community because after all, we are all the people of God.
‘It’s a great opportunity to come together… it’s part of the future I think of Korumburra, that we can rebuild the community.’
Mr Loughnan described the day as a chance for all parts of the Christian and non-religious community to unite.
Parishioner Ken Loughnan (above) told reporters the open day is a chance for the small town to come together
The church hoped the day could be a chance for all parts of the Christian and non-religious community to unite following the deaths of three community members (pictured, people at the service)
Don and Gail Patterson (above) died after eating lunch at their former daughter-in-law Erin Patterson’s home
Upon entering St Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday, visitors were handed a flyer (above)
‘Obviously, these people were very involved in another church in the town so it must be really hitting particularly these parts of the community,’ he said.
‘The community has hurt over the last three weeks and there’s a lot of sadness in this community, that’s what today is about.
‘It’s natural in any small community people would rely on each other and this today is an important part of the healing process for very much appreciate.’
Upon entering the church, visitors were handed a flyer which read: ‘Today is a day of prayer, reflection and solidarity.
‘Against the background of much sadness within the local community over the last few weeks, today we invite all people of Korumburra and surrounding districts to come together as God’s children for individual prayer and reflection.
‘We remember with love those who have died and we pray particularly for pastor Ian Wilkinson as well as everyone who is affected by this tragedy’.
Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday reported Ms Patterson was an ‘experienced forager’ who – like many families in the area – picked mushrooms when they were in season.
All members of the Korumburra community were invited to St Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday (pictured, an attendee of the service)
The special service was open to members of different churches within the small town (pictured, two men at the service)
It’s believed Ms Patterson’s fatal meal included deadly death cap mushrooms.
Investigating police have said Ms Patterson is a person of interest in the three deaths.
She has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest she intentionally poisoned her four relatives.
Her ex-husband Simon Patterson was initially invited to the lunch but pulled out at the last minute.
Mr Patterson himself spent 21 days in intensive care after collapsing from a mystery stomach illness at his home in May, 2022.
Throughout his stay in hospital, Ms Patterson kept his worried friends updated about his condition on social media.
Ms Patterson this week confirmed she had dumped a lawyer she initially engaged after police declared her a ‘person of interest’ in the deaths of her in-laws.
The 48-year old told the ABC she had voluntarily provided a statement to police after realising she had made a ‘serious mistake’ providing a no comment interview to investigators on advice from her lawyer, whom she promptly dumped.
Ms Patterson is now represented by a prominent Melbourne criminal barrister.
On Thursday, Victoria Police Deputy Police Commissioner Wendy Steendam told ABC radio Ms Patterson’s lengthy written account may have hindered the investigation.
Investigating police have declared Ms Patterson (above) a person of interest in the three deaths, she denies any wrongdoing
‘What I would say is that anything that’s in the media … working on an investigation through the media is unhelpful to our investigation,’ Ms Steendam said.
‘The matter needs to be dealt with by us, looked at [by] us, and determined by us thoroughly what’s actually occurred, and using the evidence that we have to determine and understand exactly what’s happened and if we can explain what caused the deaths.’
Police have all but shut down commenting on the ongoing investigation, which Ms Steendam said be ‘lengthy’.
‘I don’t think it’s helpful to actually comment further on this investigation,’ she said.
‘It is an active matter and when we have more to say publicly, we’ll do that. But I think to speculate or to talk about the aspects of the investigation in detail is unhelpful.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk