Holy Name Church marks 100 years
THEY say if you look up in any town you will see the Catholic Church.
So, it is no surprise that the church of Holy Name commands the highest position on the western range at what is now included in the Mort Estate at Newtown.
The original church was of timber construction, built in 1905.
Sadly, a fire burnt it to the ground in August 1919.
The parishioners, however, were not to be daunted and plans were made to replace it with a much more substantial building, and the foundation stone was laid in November 1919 by Archbishop Duhig.
The present church was completed in 1921, a two story building of solid brick, which incorporated the school, run by the Mercy Sisters.
Quite a number of our present day parishioners received their early schooling at Holy Name, some with memories going back more than 70 years.
The building was financed at a cost of £9500, half of that being an interest free loan from the family of Peter Venaglia, an incredible sum considering at the time what that amount would have purchased. (In the 1970s a house in Newtown could be bought for less than $7000 (£3000).
The interior was beautifully decorated with large oil paintings and a fresco above the altar, painted by an itinerant Polish artist.
However, in the wake of Vatican 2, the church was remodelled, the altar rails disposed of, in keeping with the times, and the altar was relocated to a side wall with a plywood fascia.
In 2014, a decision was made by the parishioners, with encouragement from Father Ray Johnson, to restore the church to its former glory, and a design was prepared for redecoration. Toowoomba builder Dan Fitzpatrick and his building team completed the restoration, which returned the altar to its original position, the paintings were restored and replaced, and a beautiful set of rosewood bifolding doors has created an area for parish gatherings, where Sunday morning tea has become a weekly part of the Holy Name community life.
Amazingly, Holy Name managed to pay for the cost of more than $200,000 with the generous support of our parishioners.
Holy Name parish continues to grow with a happy community of young families and an active youth group who provide regular opportunities for social gatherings.
We are now planning for our centenary with the support of our parish priest, Father Darryl Irvine.
The celebrations will commence on November 7, with mass at 10am followed by a Eucharistic procession, a free alfresco luncheon with live music and family entertainment.
There will also be activities for children and a historical display.
We invite all to share this occasion with us, especially past members of Holy Name, although we do request an RSVP for catering and Covid compliance.
Bookings can be made at www.trybooking.com/bugau.