Williamstown, VIC - St Mary's Catholic

Year Built: 1856

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Saint: Mary

Address: 116 Cecil Street, Williamstown, Victoria, 3016

Architect: William W Wardell

Traditional Owners: Bunurong people

Last Updated: 16/07/2022

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History and Architecture:

Fr Geoghegan was Victoria's pioneer priest, and for six years, was Williamstown's first resident pastor. Dublin-born, zealous, and 34-years-old, he landed in the Port Phillip district of New South Wales in 1839, aboard the square-rigged coaster Paul Pry.

He was a driving force behind the building of the village's first church.

Erection of a more substantial chapel- school building of solid bluestone began about 1854. The Architect was William Wardell, whose plans at one stage were lost.

The church is sixty feet long and was officially opened in 1856. At one stage during its construction when the walls were 14 foot high, Mass was celebrated in the partly-built church, with tarpaulins forming a makeshift roof.

The octangonal "centenary spire" was raised in 1933. A Foundation stone that reads, "This stone of this centenary spire was blessed and laid by his Grace the Most Reverend Dr Mannix Archbishop of Melbourne, Dec 3rd 1933".

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
1853 - Rev Gerald Archibald Ward 1858
1853 - 1860 Rev Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan 1805 1864
1860 - 1861 Rev Patrick Verling 1866
1861 - 1864 Rev Matthew Downing 1870
1864 - 1866 Rev Thomas Lenehan
1866 - 1867 Rev Patrick Riordan 1889
1867 - 1870 Rev Thomas Neville
1870 - 1877 Rev James Gillicuddy 1899
1877 - 1882 Rev Matthew Hayes 1916
1882 - 1891 Rev Patrick Walshe
1891 - 1898 Rev Gerald Byrne 1898
1898 - 1900 Rev Patrick Fallon 1917
1900 - 1924 Rev Thomas Brazil 1924
1925 - 1949 Rev Michael Flannery 1949
1951 - 1974 Rev John Cassidy Retired 1976 1992
1976 - Rev James Shorten 1993
2017 - Father Greg Trythall

Organ:

No information currently available, submissions welcomed.

Source:

A brief history of the parish of St Mary of the immacualte conception Williamstown. 282.945 1 CHA