1905
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF ST COLUMBAN MAYFIELD |
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FOUNDED 1905 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | HISTORIC CHURCHES | OTHER BUILDINGS |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST COLUMBAN |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| THE IMPORTANT INNER CITY SUBURB OF MAYFIELD LIES TO THE WEST OF THE CITY BETWEEN THE INDUSTRIAL SUBURBS ALONG THE MOUTH OF THE HUNTER RIVER AND THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL SUBURBS TO THE SOUTH. MAYFIELD PARISH WAS ERECTED IN 1905 OUT OF THE PARISHES OF HAMILTON AND LAMBTON. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT CENTRE OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY WITH THE MOTHER HOUSE OF THE REDEMPTORIST ORDER LOCATED THERE AND THIS TRADITION IS MAINTAINED TO THIS DAY. NEXT |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE AWE INSPIRING CHURCH OF ST COLUMBAN IS BUILT TO A UNIQUE DESIGN UNKNOWN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AUSTRALIA. IT DATES FROM THE EARLY 20th CENTURY AND IS A MAGNIFICENT STATEMENT OF THE CHURCH MILITANT RISING HIGH OVER ITS SURROUNDINGS AND DOMINATING THE THE SUBURB. RISING LIKE A MONOLITH ABOVE THE PLAIN, THE BODY OF THE CHURCH IS FORMED BY A HUGE APSIDAL ENDED NAVE WITH HIGH NARROW LANCET WINDOWS. CLUSTERED FOOTHILL LIKE AROUND THE BASE OF THE NAVE ARE THE SACRISTIES, SIDE AISLES, NARTHEX AND THE LOVELY SEMI-DETACHED BAPTISTRY. NEXT |
 | THE SENSE OF MONOLITHIC POWER IS CONTINUED IN THE WEST FRONT WHICH CLIMBS EVEN HIGHER THAN THE CENTRAL NAVE BEHIND IT. FIVE PENCIL THIN LANCETS FORM THE WEST LIGHTS BELOW A PARAPET TYPE GABLE SURMOUNTED BY A LARGE CROSS. THE NARTHEX IS ALMOST TINY IN COMPARISON. HERE, AS IN THE SIDE AISLES, THE WINDOWS ARE MUCH SHORTER AND WIDER, WHILE RETAINING THE ROUND HEADED STYLE OF THE NAVE LANCETS. THE CENTRAL DOORWAY IS SURMOUNTED BY A MAGNIFICENT TYPANUM WITH A BAS RELEIF OF THE PATRON SAINT, COLUMBAN, WITH SCENES FROM HIS LIFE. TO THE RIGHT IS THE CONTINENTAL STYLE CIRCULAR BAPTISTRY. AS WAS COMMON IN THAT STYLE THE BAPTISTRY IS ATTACHED TO YET ARCHITECTURALLY DISTINCT FROM THE CHURCH MARKING THE POINT OF ENTRANCE OF THE INITIATE TO THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH IS MARKED BY AN ELEGANT SIMPLICITY. THE SOARING HEIGHT OF THE NAVE IS ECHOED IN THE PILLARS WHICH MARCH BOLDLY AROUND THE PERIMITER. TO THE RIGHT CAN BE SEEN ONE OF THE LOW AISLES WITH THE CHAPEL OF OUR LADY. THE SANCTUARY IS SEVERE IN ITS DECORATION AND FURNISHINGS. A PLAIN STOEN TABLE FORMS THE ALTAR WITH THE TABERNACLE MOUNTED ON A PILLAR BEHIND IT. A COMPARATIVELY SMALL CRUCIFIX ADORNS THE EAST WALL. TWO FLOWER VASES COMPLETE THE ADORNMENT OF THE SANCTUARY WHILE A PLAIN CHAIR FOR THE CELEBRANT AND AN AMBO ROUND OUT THE SANCTUARY FURNISHINGS. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |  |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS | |
| MAYFIELD REDEMPTORIST MONASTERY |
MAYFIELD RESIDENCE OF THE SOCIETY OF CHRIST |
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| MONASTERY OF MOUNT ST ALPHONSUS, MAYFIELD | |
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| THE REDEMPTORISTS FIRST APPEARED IN AUSTRALIA AT THE INVITATION OF BISHOP MURRAY INITIALLY SETTLING IN SINGELTON IN 1882. BY 1887 HOWEVER THEY HAD MOVED THEIR BASE TO THE THEN SEMI-RURAL MAYFIELD IN NEWCASTLE AND IN 1887 CARDINAL MORAN OPENED THEIR AUSTRALIAN MOTHER HOUSE THERE. DEDICATED TO THE FOUNDER OF THE ORDER, ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, WHOSE STATUE DOMINATES THE ENTRANCE COURT, THE MAGNIFICENT MONASTERY OF MOUNT ST ALPHONSUS SERVED THE ORDER FOR 116 YEARS UNTIL IT WAS CLOSED IN 2003 DUE TO DECLINING NUMBERS OF ENTRANTS. NEXT |  |
 | MONASTERY CHURCH OF ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI |
| TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN BUILDING IS THE IMPRESSIVE CHURCH OF ST ALPHONSUS. BUILT OF RED BRICK DURING THE EARLY 20th CENTURY IN A SIMPLIFIED GOTHIC WITH A NAVE, ENTRANCE PORCH AND CENTRAL TRANSEPTS WITH SEVERAL SMALL CHAPELS PROTRUDING FROM THE CORNER SPACES, IT IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF AN AUSTRALIAN RARITY, A MONASTERY CHURCH. FOR MANY YEARS THE CHURCH WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND MASS WAS CELEBRATED SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK FOR THE LAITY BUT IT WAS CLOSED ALONG WITH THE MONASTERY IN 2003. IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT THE DIOCESE WILL NOT LET THIS WONDERFUL CHURCH GO TO WASTE IN THE FUTURE. TOP OTHER BUILDINGS NEXT |
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| RESIDENCE, SOCIETY OF CHRIST, MAYFIELD | |
 | THE SOCIETY OF CHRIST IS A POLISH ORDER FOUNDED IN 1932. WITH THE IMMIGRATION OF MANY POLES TO AUSTRALIA FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II THE FEDERAL CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION COMMITTEE INVITED THE SOCIETY TO COME TO AUSTRALIA TO SERVE AS CHAPLAINS TO THE IMMIGRANTS. LIKE MOST LARGE CITIES NEWCASTLE RECEIVED ITS SHARE OF POLISH IMMIGRANTS AND CONSEQUENTLY A CHAPLAINCY WAS ESTABLISHED THERE TO SERVE THEIR SPIRITUAL NEEDS. THE SIMPLE RESIDENCE OF THE SOCIETY OF CHRIST IN MAYFIELD IS AN OLD WEATHERBOARD HOME BARELY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE SURROUNDING RESIDENCES BUT FOR THE LOVELY PRIVATE CHAPEL WHICH HAS BEEN ADDED TO IT. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
