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
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