Port Pirie, SA - St Mark's Cathedral Catholic
Year Built: 1953
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Saint: Mark
Address: 107 Gertrude Street, Port Pirie, South Australia, 5540
Architect: Russell and Yelland
Traditional Owners: Nukunu people
Last Updated: 31/12/2024
Click on the image to view larger (3 photos)
History and Architecture:
Port Pirie's first Roman Catholic church was St Mark the Evangelist, built in 1875. The second St Marks was a Romanesque building built in 1882 and gutted by fire in 1946. The present church was built on the site of the old, incorporating some of the fabric of the earlier building. Remaining walls were extended 10' using local freestone, gables were extended, the front porch was removed and replaced with a colonnade of arches. The builder responsible for the restoration work was L O'Loughlin of Adelaide. Tabernacle and candlesticks from the burnt cathedral were restored and placed in the new church. The new cathedral was blessed and opened by Cardinal Gilroy on 29 March 1953. The cathedral gallery now houses pipe organ formerly in the Elder Hall University of Adelaide.
A Foundation stone on the front fence reads, " This fence has been erected to the memory of the Very Rev John O'Manhony P.P. Died Port Pirie 1922".
Clergy:
This list may not contain every serving cleric, past or present, for this church.
Further submissions welcomed.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 - 1882 | Father John Evangelist Nebauer | |||
| - | Father Sigismund Karlinger | 1910 | ||
| 1894 - 1905 | Father Thomas O'Connor | 1928 | ||
| 1905 - 1922 | Father John O'Mahony | |||
| 1922 - 1925 | Father Michael Vincent Prendergast | 1952 | ||
| 1925 - 1937 | Father John G. O'Rourke | 1941 | ||
| 1937 - 1942 | Father Michael Brendan Clune | |||
| 1943 - 1954 | Father Patrick Coffey | 1990 | ||
| 1954 - | Father John Joseph Curran | |||
| - 2003 | Father Leon Quinn | |||
| 2014 - 2015 | Father Paul Quirk | |||
| 2016 - 2019 | Father Francis Montaro | |||
| 2019 - | Father Jimmy Pantin |
Organ:
The Organ was built 1901 by J.E. Dodd for Elder Hall, Adelaide University. It had 3 manuals, 32 speaking stops, 10 couplers, tubular-pneumatic action. Rebuilt & enlarged in 1934 by J.E. Dodd. It had 3 manuals, 51 speaking stops, 18 couplers, electro-pneumatic action. Rebuilt and installed in present location in 1979 J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works 3 manuals (four manual divisions), 69 speaking stops, 13 couplers.
For a full description and photos click here.
Source:
1. Heritage-surveys/2-Port-Pirie-Heritage-Study-Part-2-1990
2. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.
3. Church website.
4. Deceased Clergy in Australia, 1788-present.