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The St Finbarr's Story

In 1919 “Betheden” in Ashgrove, once the residence of Mr W. J. Trouton, a well-known chemist, was purchased by Archbishop James Duhig. The Archbishop had the house renovated and the largest room was prepared for a chapel. It was dedicated by Archbishop Duhig and Archbishop Redwood (visiting from New Zealand) on 19th January, 1919.

On the following Sunday, 120 were present in the chapel when Archbishop Duhig celebrated Mass. The congregation was promised there would be Mass each Sunday. Initially the people were looked after by clergy from the Cathedral. A collection was already underway for the building of a parish church.

In 1921, the foundation stone of the church/school was blessed on the site of the present church. Fr Lalor was appointed the first Parish Priest. Accommodation for Fr Lalor was not available, so in the beginning the church also doubled as the presbytery. Then, when “Grantuly” was purchased, he stayed there until the presbytery was opened on 3rd May, 1925. Unfortunately he was not in residence for very long, as he was killed in a car accident on Waterworks Road on 25th August, 1925.

In the midst of this tragedy Fr William Hogan was appointed and he arrived on 6th September, 1925. The need for school accommodation was evident, so renovations and extensions of the building were undertaken. This wooden building served the parishioners very well for thirty years.  Fr Hogan was to shepherd the people of Ashgrove until his death on the 7th February, 1945.

Upon Fr Hogan’s death the Archbishop appointed Fr Daniel Cremin as the 3rd Parish Priest of Ashgrove.  The present church, blessed and opened by Archbishop Duhig on 17th March, 1957, replaced the church/school for which he had laid the foundation stone on 24th April, 1921. Fr Cremin died on Christmas Day, 1967, and was succeeded by Fr Dudley Boland. 

The present St Finbarr’s primary school, blessed and opened by Bishop Kennedy on 20th September, 1970, replaced the one opened in 1925. With Fr Boland’s retirement in 1978, Fr Pat Cleary was made Parish Priest and remained in that position until 1998.

In 1999, Ashgrove joined neighbouring parishes in an extensive time of pastoral review from which eventually emerged its linking with the historic parishes of Rosalie, Bardon, Herston, Newmarket and Red Hill.

On 9th November 2006 these churches formally combined to form the Jubilee Parish with Fr Peter Brannelly appointed as the foundation Parish Priest.

In 2011 St Finbarr’s church completed a major refurbishment which will ensure that she continues to play a pivotal role in our lives and the life of our community. Alongside the church refurbishment extensive maintenance was carried out at St Finbarr’s school, with improvements to the hall and gathering area providing many opportunities to the community.

In 2016 the St Finbarr’s parishioners welcomed the Latin American Catholic Community to Ashgrove.  Every Sunday at 11:30am St Finbarr’s is overflowing with colour and music and our Latin American brothers and sisters celebrate mass in Spanish.  They extend a warm welcome to join them each Sunday. 

Every Saturday evening our Saturday vigil Mass is at 6pm and our popular Sunday morning Mass begins at 8:30am.  Welcome.

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The St Mary Magdalene's Story

Up until 1917, when Sacred Heart was built, and 1923 when St Finbarr’s church was opened, people of the Bardon area would have had to attend Mass at St Brigid’s, Red Hill. Then, in 1923 Archbishop Duhig purchased “Bardon House” and the surrounding land. This beautiful home was built in 1864 by Joshua Jeays. Mr Jeays was a prominent builder, architect and politician. The house was named "Bardon" at the request of Jeays’ wife who likened the rolling hills of the western suburbs to Bardon Hill in Leicestershire. The name, incidentally, is derived from the Old English “Beorg-dun” meaning barren hill. The surrounding suburb was named Bardon in 1926.

The house was built of rough sandstone called Woogaroo stone which was quarried near to the site of Wolston Park Hospital; roofed with shingles, and featuring gables, casement windows and chimneys in the style of an old English manor house. After the Jeays, “Bardon House” was home to Sir Charles Lilley, Attorney General and Premier during the late 1860s. After Sir Charles’ death in 1897, a succession of notable Queenslanders made “Bardon House” their home.

By the time Archbishop Duhig purchased the property, the large estate on which it originally stood had long been divided up and sold along with “The Drive” that had led to the front entrance. By that year of 1923, the area had become part of the growing suburb of Bardon.

In 1925, Bardon was made a separate Parish, the 38th Parish of the Archdiocese and the first Mass was celebrated in “Bardon House” by Mons. Lee of Rosalie Parish.  The first Parish Priest was Father Maxwell Irvine. He was also the chaplain to Stuartholme Convent and was thus kept very fit walking from “Bardon House”, where he lived, to Stuartholme to say morning Mass.

The people of Bardon quickly rallied around their new priest and within a year they had built St Mary Magdalene’s church – a gracious wooden structure in the grounds of “Bardon House”. The church was built on a difficult sloping site, but the workers were not daunted by the problems involved and they threw themselves into the task with vigour and courage. The church was officially opened in 1926 and blessed by Mons. English, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese. In 1935, Archbishop Duhig bought the house and land in Kennedy Terrace where the old St Bernard’s church stands, and the property at Rainworth now occupied by St Paul’s. He had previously bought land in Rockbourne Terrace, later selling it because the Kennedy Terrace site was more suitable. Some years later he sold part of the Rainworth property that adjoined Boundary Road and, to help the people in the area, he gave the Brisbane City Council the strip of land that now serves as a laneway between church property and the Rainworth State School grounds.   

The enthusiasm of parishioners has always been a hallmark of the Bardon community; this gave the foundation to another building effort which saw the construction in 1963 of the present St Mary Magdalene church. The original church now serves the school and is home to the Outside School Hours Care programme.

Fr Ray Lyons was appointed curate immediately after his ordination in 1936 and  faithfully served as Parish Priest until his retirement in 1978. The curate, Fr Vince Hobbs, was then appointed Parish Priest. Under Fr Vince’s leadership and pastoral presence, the parish flourished and continued to grow.

As part of a pastoral review process, Fr Vince was also given the responsibility of Rosalie and Red Hill in 1999.

Upon Fr Vince’s retirement in December 2004, the recommendations of the pastoral review process were implemented in November, 2006, when the Jubilee Parish was created and Fr Peter Brannelly was appointed as the first Parish Priest. 

Guided by the master plan, St Mary Magdalene church and St Joseph’s school have  undertaken a comprehensive refurbishment and maintenance programme. Part of the plan was the newly constructed Fr Ray Lyons Centre and the 3 new classrooms that were blessed and opened on 24 July, 2011. In 2014 a new servery was constructed and extensive drainage and car park resurfacing was completed.  2017 has seen the construction of a gathering area overlooking the newly refurbished tennis courts.  

Bardon has always prided itself on being hospitable and family friendly and the community extends a warm welcome to join them each Sunday morning for their 8am Mass.

 
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The St Joan of Arc's Story

In 1920 the house ‘Clydesdale” on Clyde Road caught the eye of the astute Archbishop James Duhig who sent a trusted confidant to inspect. They agreed it was just what they wanted. It was central with a fine plot of land. It was purchased for £1800. They then bought the allotment at the rear which would make a fine site for a brick church. The next buy was the home of a Mr Smead, this was to become the first presbytery. The stately, two storey, “Clydesdale” was built by D. McKellar. (lithographer and engraver, Elizabeth Street, city) in 1889. The next owner was Mr William Healion and it was from his estate that His Grace purchased the property through the Union Trustees who were the executors of his will. The intention of the Archbishop was to proceed without delay to establish a church and convent school on the site and he appointed Fr William S. McGoldrick as Parish Priest. The appointee had for some time been the Archbishop’s secretary. He lived at the university college where he was well thought of by the students. So it was that on Sunday morning, 11th July 1920, the new Catholic Parish of Herston was inaugurated by Archbishop James Duhig.

The Archbishop handed “Clydesdale” over to the parish, this would eventually serve as a convent. A Salvation Army Hall from Gaythorne was purchased for £550 (a gift from Archbishop Duhig). The materials from that building were used, together with extra materials, to complete the building of the church. Archbishop Duhig praised the committee for their rapid progress and the blessing and dedication ceremony was set for 5th December, 1920 at 3.30pm.

Early in 1920 the Church in Rome had authoritatively declared that the Maid of Orleans, who had been burned at the stake five centuries ago, was entitled to be called St Joan of Arc. Her name was taken for the Herston Parish and it was believed to be the first parish in the world to bear the name of this illustrious French girl who rose from humble peasant origins.

In October 1923 Fr William McGoldrick sailed for China, the first Australian priest to work in the Columban missions overseas. His successor was Fr Bartholomew Gorman.

In 1924 the Presentation Sisters came to the parish to establish their first convent in the Archdiocese. Mothers Patrick and Ursula, after discussion with Archbishop Duhig, accepted the challenge of starting a new school at the Herston Parish. The primary school of St Joan of Arc was opened on the 14th July, 1924. When 5 pupils were enrolled on 3rd August the convent was blessed and formally opened by the Archbishop. Numbers reached as high as 130 by about two years later and stabilised at this level for forty years and the school was always staffed by the Presentation Sisters. With declining numbers the school closed in 1968.

During the ensuing years, the Parish steadily developed under the direction of Frs Jim O’Connor, Pat Costello, the Norbertine Fathers, Fr Gerry Nicol and Fr Brian McMullen who was appointed in 1962.

In 1963 Archbishop Duhig blessed the present church and in 1972 the new presbytery was opened.   The presbytery served as home not only to the parish priest but also to the hospital chaplain. In 2009 the presbytery was renamed Canali House and is now a residential center for pre seminary discernment  More information about Canali House can be found here.

To mark the Silver Jubilee of the blessing of the church, extensive renovations were carried out and the provision of a new servery at the entrance to the church ensures that Joan of Arc continues its long tradition of welcome and hospitality.

While being the smallest of the Jubilee churches, St Joan of Arc, is a vibrant multicultural community which welcomes many young students from abroad, as well as local parishioners.  Please accept our invitation to join us each Sunday morning for our 7:30am Mass.

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The Sacred Heart Story

The Sisters of Mercy share in the early history of Rosalie Parish.  In 1905 the Sisters arrived to assist with the catechism class. They travelled each Sunday from All Hallows and, in 1906, a small temporary school opened and the education of the children was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy. The children came from Paddington, Bardon, Rainworth, Torwood, Milton, Barney’s Flat, Rosalie and Belotti’s Hill (Heussler Terrace).  For eleven years the Sisters came from All Hallows to Rosalie by tram to teach the children.

In 1907 a second larger church was built and was blessed and opened by Fr William Lee, who was Rosalie’s first Parish Priest. He took up residence in a dilapidated old building on the corner of Given Terrace and Fernberg Road. The Rosalie Parish boundary extended from Rosalie to Red Hill, from Paddington Cemetery (Petrie Terrace) to the mountains, and from Kennedy Terrace to the Brisbane River. In 1914 the foundation stone for a new presbytery was laid and in December, 1914, the new presbytery was blessed and opened by Archbishop Duhig. At the opening Archbishop Duhig announced the parish was large enough to warrant a new brick church. 

In 1917, to save time and travelling, Mother Patrick Potter decided to build a convent at Rosalie.  In June of 1917 the foundation stone of the new brick church was laid.  The cost to build it was 8000 pounds and on 16th June 1918, the church was opened by His Excellency Archbishop Cattaneo, Apostolic Delegate representing Pope Benedict XV, assisted by Archbishop Duhig.

In response to the growing number of families in the area the Marist Brothers established their first foundation in Queensland at Rosalie. In July, 1928, the foundation stone of the Marist Brothers’ monastery was laid by Archbishop Cattaneo, with Br Osmond as the first Superior.

In 1934 Monsignor Lee returned to Ireland because of his ailing health and died there the following year.  In 1936 Fr Arthur O’Keeffe was appointed Parish Priest.  After Fr O’Keefe’s retirement in 1943 he was succeeded by Fr Patrick MacGinley who died two years later.  Stability was to be restored with the appointment in 1945 of Fr John McCarthy who was to remain at Rosalie until his retirement in 1969.

In January, 1942, there was a fire in the church. The infants’ school became the church until restoration of the church was completed.  The restored church reopened in 1943. In 1948 the foundation stone for the new Brothers school was laid by Mr Eamon De Valera, Premier of Ireland, assisted by Archbishop Duhig.

Fr Denis Power was appointed Parish Priest in 1970.  With great enthusiasm Fr Power embraced the changes of the Second Vatican Council and was proactive in such diverse areas as aged care, subsidised housing, ecumenical contacts and education.  Fr Power retired to the Sunshine Coast in 1998 and died on 23rd December, 2007.

The changing demographics of inner city suburbs saw the closure of the Sacred Heart Primary School in 1995.  The same pressure resulted in the closure of Marist Brother’s College in 2008. The following year the Marist Brothers renamed the former college The Lavalla Centre as a place of Marist spirituality and mission. For more information about the Lavalla Centre please click here.

With the retirement of Fr Power, Rosalie joined neighbouring parishes in an extensive time of review from which eventually emerged its linking with the historic parishes of Ashgrove, Bardon, Herston, Newmarket and Red Hill. On the 9th of November 2006 these churches formally combined to form the Jubilee Parish with Fr Peter Brannelly appointed the first Parish Priest.

A process of rejuvenation has been quietly taking place which has seen Rosalie emerge as a vibrant and busy Catholic hub utilizing existing facilities for the mission of the parish and the Archdiocese.  The Lavalla Centre, the Sr Mary de Ricci Atrium, MacKillop Centre and the Emmaus Centre are just some of the organizations that now call Rosalie home. 

Additionally, the convenience and available parking has made the 4:30pm Saturday Vigil Mass and 5:30pm Sunday evening Mass very popular.

For history of the Church organclick here.

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The St Ambrose' Story

In 1928 Archbishop Duhig announced the formation of the new parish of Kelvin Grove, later to be called Newmarket parish. The parish priest was Fr Brian Bolton who had previously acted as secretary to the Archbishop. The first Mass was celebrated on 10 March 1928 in the temporary church, “Corinthia” built in 1898, which had been purchased by the Archbishop. On 7 April 1929, Archbishop Duhig laid the foundation stone for the church; this was blessed and officially opened by the Archbishop on 8 July 1929.

The building was designed to act as a church and school, but was never used as a school. The school was opened in July 1936, staffed by Sisters of the Good Samaritan. “Corinthia” now became the convent; Father Bolton, who had been living in “Corinthia”, moved into a house which had previously been occupied by a Police Inspector, James O’Brien. This property had been purchased in 1936 by the Archdiocese of Brisbane and became the presbytery.

There were additions to both church and school in 1954 and to school and convent in 1970. In mid-1972 building commenced on a new church, designed by John Dawson. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on 7 December 1972. The old church had to be demolished before the bell tower and the north porch could be completed. The double iron gates at the entrance to the church, built circa 1904, a gift from Archbishop Duhig to his former secretary, Fr Bolton, were the gates of “Dara”, former residence of Brisbane’s Catholic archbishops.

The Sisters withdrew from the school in 1977 and the convent was used as a pre-school and kindergarten run independently by the Creche and Kindergarten Association. The building was also used for Outside School Hours Care. It now contains the school administration and the pre-school.

In 1999, Newmarket joined neighbouring parishes in an extensive time of pastoral review from which eventually emerged its linking with the historic parishes of Rosalie, Bardon, Herston, Ashgrove and Red Hill. On the 9th of November 2006 these churches formally combined to form the Jubilee Parish with Fr Peter Brannelly appointed the first Parish Priest.

 In 2008 St Ambrose church underwent a major refurbishment as part of the Newmarket church and school master plan. 

The presbytery, which for several years had no resident priest, had been used as a parish centre, for Outside School Hours Care, and, for a time, as an outlet for the Good Shepherd Trading Circle. It was condemned in December 2009 and demolished in January 2010; it has now been replaced by the new multi-purpose Bolton Centre, named in honour of our first parish priest.

The St Ambrose is a busy, dynamic Catholic centre of education and faith and a warm welcome is extended to you and yours each Sunday morning to join us at our 9:30am Mass.

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The St Thomas More' Story

Petrie Terrace is a suburb that adjoins the north-western end of Brisbane's central business district.  It was named after the main thoroughfare, Petrie Terrace, which runs from Upper Roma Street to the Five Ways at Musgrave Road.   Andrew Petrie was a pioneer of Brisbane and his son, John, was the first mayor of the town of Brisbane in 1859.  The narrow streets and lanes of Petrie Terrace originate from the first subdivision of the area after 1861.  By the 1880s Petrie Terrace was intensively inhabited with the Petrie Terrace State School having an enrolment of 300 when it opened in 1868.  The Catholic Church’s connection with Petrie Terrace goes back to 1870 when the Sisters of St Joseph opened a school in rented houses on Caxton Street, approximately across the street from the current church.  The school, which was called the St John the Baptist School, was closed in 1878 when the sisters withdrew.

The current church site was purchased after this date and served as a mass centre of St Brigid’s until 1951 when it was made a parish in its own right.  The current church of St Thomas More, which was blessed and opened by Archbishop Duhig on the 6th of July, 1952, served the mainly migrant population that crowded into the suburb after the Second World War.  Petrie Terrace was a primarily working class suburb that provided relatively inexpensive housing especially for migrants.   With the changing demographics and the demolition of many houses with the Hale Street Bypass the population dwindled and in 1982 St Thomas More came under the  pastoral care of the Sacred Heart parish.  In 2006 Petrie Terrace joined with the Catholic Communities of Bardon, Red Hill, Newmarket, Ashgrove, Herston and Rosalie to form the Jubilee Parish.  Every Sunday morning at 8:30am there is mass in Italian.

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 With the influx of Irish migrants, Brisbane expanded and this is reflected in the number of people living at Red Hill. In 1897 Archbishop Robert Dunn laid the foundation for a new school building and, when it opened, there were over 400 on the school roll. This building was located in the present car park and had to be demolished after a fire partially destroyed the building in 1974.The school was closed in 1983 because of declining numbers.

In 1907 the energetic Fr John McCarthy was appointed as the second Parish Priest.Fr McCarthy encouraged his parishioners to believe they could build the imposing church that stands today by encouraging them to ‘buy a brick’. It took from 1912-1914 for the church to be built at a cost of 14000 pounds, a staggering amount for an impoverished working class community.

Fr McCarthy and a committee of parishioners asked the architect, Robin Dods, to incorporate design features from the cathedral at Albi into the design of the new church. On the 15th of May, 1912 the newly arrived coadjutor Archbishop, James Duhig, laid the foundation stone.

Over the next two years, as parishioners raised money, the workmen followed the instructions of the architect and the people of Brisbane wondered what lay behind the scaffolding. With much fanfare, and surrounded by civil and religious dignitaries, on August 9th, 1914 the present St Brigid’s was blessed and opened by Archbishop Duhig. 

The church, which is now listed by the National Trust, was a bold statement of faith by the Catholic people of Brisbane and remains a powerful place of prayer and hope for today’s generation.

In 1999, Red Hill joined neighbouring parishes in an extensive time of pastoral review from which eventually emerged its linking with the historic parishes of Rosalie, Bardon, Herston, Newmarket and Ashgrove. 

On 9th November 2006 these churches formally combined to form the Jubilee Parish with Fr Peter Brannelly appointed as the first Parish Priest. 

IN 2012 The Jubilee Community marked the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop James Duhig. As part of that event the newly arrived Archbishop of Brisbane, Most reverend Mark Coleridge celebrated the anniversary Mass and blessed the new Dr Jack Clarke Meeting room, located under the sanctuary of the Church.

2014 marked the centenary of the opening and blessing of St Brigid’s. On the 9th of August, 1914, with much fanfare and excitement, church and civil dignitaries gathered with the Catholic people of Brisbane for the opening of the Church. One hundred years later the church was once again full of church and civil dignitaries as with much fanfare Archbishop Coleridge led the anniversary mass.

With its magnificent Whitehouse organ, superb acoustics and energetic choir the Sunday morning 10am solemn Mass is popular with parishioners, families and visitors.    A warm invitation is extended to join us each Sunday for our solemn mass which begins at 10am.

Information on the history of the Church organ can be found here.

Would you like to be part of the choir and musicians of St Brigid’s?  More information can be found here.

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78 Musgrave Road 

Red Hill QLD 4051

Mass Times:

Sunday: 10:00am

*Monday: 6.30am

*Thursday: 6.30am

Saturday: 6.30am

(*Please refer to the current week’s newsletter for the weekday Masses)

Patron Saints:

St Brigid is one of the Patron Saints of Ireland, along with Patrick and Columba.

Brigid was probably born in eastern Ireland in 451 or 452, and died in Kildare, Ireland about 525.

She was inspired by the teachings of St Patrick and vowed to enter religious life.

About the age of 18 she settled near Croghan Hill with seven like-minded girls. They consecrated their lives to God’s will and to His service. Brigid founded an abbey in Kildare in 470, and, as an abbess, she held the rank and function of a bishop.

She established schools for men and women, and realized the need for the body, mind and spirit to be intertwined and nourished. She founded a school of art which included metal work and illumination of manuscripts. The quality of the art here was well known and copied through the known world at that time.

Her chief virtues lay in her common sense, gentleness, compassion, holiness and hospitality, which won affection from all who knew her.

Brigid was called ‘Mary of the Gael’ because of her spirit of charity and the miracles attributed to her.

Her statue and the stained glass window above the altar at St Brigid’s show her with a building in her hand, a reference to her mission to erect monasteries and schools in Ireland.

Wikipedia