Thornbury East, VIC - Holy Spirit Catholic

History and Architecture:

The area of the future Holy Spirit Parish must have seemed miles away from St. Mary's. Father M.A. Vaughan, Parish Priest of St Mary's, saw a need to serve this growing area of Thornbury. He purchased nine parcels of land at a cost of approximately £430. Council records reveal that a Building Permit was issued on 28th of March 1950 for the construction of church/school and toilet blocks.

The Building was completed in 1951 with the first Mass being held in the same year.

The first and original building still bears the Celtic Cross with trefoil buds above the north and south gables.

The fund raising had continued after this. The dedication and vision of parishioners and Father Brace enabled the design and construction of the new church to begin in 1954. By 1955 the building was completed at a cost of approximately £21,000 and on May 22nd it was officially blessed and opened by His Grace, the Coadjutor Archbishop, Most Reverend J.D. Simonds.

A wall plaque reads, " Dedicated to the Holy Spirit this Church was solemnly blessed by His Grace Most Reverend J.D. Simonds DD Phd on 22nd May 1955 Veni Sancte Spiritus Rev J. Brage Parish Priest Alan G. Robinson Architect".