St Patrick's Cathedral: Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

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History

A Story of St Patrick's Cathedral

A pictorial introduction to the history of St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne. The Cathedral, the Catholics and the City: three stories intertwined. Presenting a "Snapshot, Understanding the Context, Introducing the Personalities and Exploring the Consequences" provides a wealth of information to better understand this one embroidered tapestry that gives meaning and purpose; revealing the Mystery in a culture of doubt and offering Sanctuary in our part of the world.

The Archbishops of Melbourne

By Dean W.J. McCarthy

The Catholic Church of Melbourne has had eight Archbishops. Three Archbishops - Goold, Carr, and Mannix - were born in Ireland. Archbishop Simonds and Cardinal Knox were born in Glen Innis, New South Wales and Bayswater, Western Australia, respectively, while Archbishops Little and Pell are native Victorians, claim as their common Alma Mater St. Patrick's College, Ballarat and Denis J. Hart. Archbishop Denis Hart was born at East Melbourne on 16 May 1941, the eldest of three children of Kevin James Hart and Annie Eileen Larkan. His primary education was at St John's Marist Brothers, Hawthorn 1946-53 and Xavier College, Kew 1954-59. He studied for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College, Werribee 1960-63 and Corpus Christi College, Glen Waverley 1963-67. He was ordained to the priesthood at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne on 22 July 1967 by Most Reverend A F Fox DD, the then Auxiliary Bishop. . Each archbishop however has contributed most significantly to the story and the fabric of St. Patrick's.

William Wilkinson Wardell By T.A. Hazell

"Inveni Quod Quaesivi" translates as "I have found that which I sought". This is the motto adopted by the young architect and, engineer, William Wilkinson Wardell, at the time of his reception into the Catholic Church, in London, in 1843.

Wardell's conversion was the climax of a period of intense spiritual introspection and study, begun during the previous five years, when he was engaged on engineering surveys throughout England for the implementation of the new railways system. His keen mind was instantly drawn to the monuments of England's Catholic past, to the great Cathedrals, ruined Abbeys and Parish Churches which dominated the landscape.

The Diocese of Melbourne was created, as a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Sydney, by Pope Pius IX on 26 June, 1847. Father James Alipius Goold, an Augustinian priest who was in charge of the District of Campbelltown, just out of Sydney, was appointed the first Bishop of the new diocese on 9 July, 1847. The sesquicentenary of these two events is being commemorated, also, in this centenary year of the consecration of St Patrick's Cathedral.

1835		Settlement of Melbourne (at the head of Port Phillip Bay) in Port Phillip District of the Colony of NSW.
1839		Rev Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan OSF, first priest, arrives in Melbourne.
1847	July 9	Australia Felix established as the Diocese of Melbourne .