St Felix Catholic Primary School Bankstown founded
St Felix began in 1853 when the area was called ‘Irishtown’. Archbishop Moran sought help from Mother Mary …
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Concord founded
St Mary’s Primary School began in the first church and received government funding from the Denominational Schools …
St Thomas Becket Primary School Lewisham founded
The parish was established in 1851, with a parish school opening in the 1850’s. This was an elementary school taught by lay …
The Irish potato famine leads to the emigration of many Catholics
The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the ‘Great Hunger’, started in 1845 when a fungus-like organism affected crops and spread rapidly throughout Ireland. The infestation had a catastrophic impact on Ireland and its population. Before it ended in 1852, the Potato Famine resulted in the death of ap …
First Archbishop of Sydney, John Bede Polding, appointed
John Bede Polding was an English Benedictine monk who became the first Catholic Bishop of Australia. He was concerned for the plight of the convicts. He was responsible for the emergence of the Good Samaritan Sisters, whose institute he founded in 1857. Read More …
All Saints Catholic Primary School Liverpool founded
Catholic schooling in Liverpool goes back to the early nineteenth century, when the area was a mission district in …
St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney Founded
In 1838, Archbishop Polding opened this secondary school for boys on the present site next to the Cathedral. Today, …
Fr Dixon conducted the first Catholic Mass in New South Wales
On 15 May 1803, Fr James Dixon conducted the first Catholic Mass in New South Wales with vestments made from curtains and a chalice made of tin. The Mass was celebrated until 1804 when the Castle Hill rebellion alerted Governor King, who withdrew Fr Dixon’s privileges to celebrate Mass. Read More …
First Catholic priests arrive in Australia – James Harold, James Dixon, Peter O’Neil
In 1800, the first Catholic priests arrived in Australia as convicts. These included James Harold, James Dixion and Peter O’Neil. Read more …
First Catholics arrive in Australia with the First Fleet in Sydney Cove
The first Catholics to be settled in Australia arrived with the First Fleet in 1788. The majority were Irish convicts, together with a few Royal Marines. Other nationalities that joined the First Fleet were either English or Scottish. Read more …