Catholics celebrate 150 years of St Mary's Church

JAY FIELDING

MARYBOROUGH’S Catholic community celebrated a special anniversary this month – 150 years since the first mass was held at St Mary’s Catholic Church.

A special mass held to mark the occasion provided a moment of solidarity and joy for less than a fortnight after they faced the challenge of flooding.

Brisbane Auxiliary Bishop Ken Howell led the mass, assisted by Dr Adrian Farrelly, episcopal vicar for the North Country Deanery, and Father Lucius Edomobi, the current parish priest at St Mary’s.

Other clergy participating included former priests who spent time in the parish in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Fr Leo Burke and Fr Denis Martin.

Retired Bishop Brian Finnigan made the trip from Brisbane to attend as did Nigerian priests serving in the Brisbane archdiocese alongside Fr Edomobi.

Bishop Howell’s homily included the history of the parish from the 1850s.

After three years of building, St Mary’s was officially opened on February 4, 1872.

Missionary priest Fr Paul Tissot, from a small French Order of the Augustinians of the Assumption, celebrated the first mass for 500 parishioners, and the church has stood as a beacon of faith since.

Apologies were received from former parish priests Fr George Joseph, Fr Paul Kelly and Fr Anthony Mellor, as well as Fr Mark Percival, who was ordained in St Mary’s.

Rita Lynch, the church organist for the last 55 years, led a 16-member choir, and nine altar boys and girls served during the mass.

A slideshow presented before and after the mass highlighted significant changes to the appearance of St Mary’s over the past century and a half, as well as photos of past parishioners, and significant events including baptisms and weddings.

The presentation was assembled by parishioner and historian Stephen McGinley, who will continue adding photos as they are contributed for display on the parish website.

Bishop Howell blessed a 150th anniversary memorial plaque near the entrance looking up the church’s freshly repainted Marian statue and statue of a rooster.

The rooster is a tribute to Fr Tissot and his French heritage. Added as a church feature in 1936, it is now the emblem of the parish.

In January, St Mary’s escaped the flooding that inundated Maryborough’s central business district.

The flood peaked two steps below the parish office, which contains valuable documents, records and equipment.

The first Catholic services in Maryborough were held in 1852 in the house of the local chief constable, and a timber church was opened on the present site of St Mary’s in 1858.

The present landmark building was completed in stages.

The original section, opened in 1872, was designed by renowned architect Charles Tiffin of Brisbane, who also designed the Maryborough Post Office and Bond Store, as well as the main wing of Queensland’s Parliament.

From 1884-85, the nave was extended by three bays and a large chancel was added to the design of F.D.G. Stanley of Brisbane.

Finally, in 1936, the length of the nave was again increased, and north and south chancels were added, along with sacristies, confessionals and a baptistry, to the design of noted local architect P.O.E. Hawkins.