1947
 |
MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
|
PARISH OF ST JOHN VIANNEY MORISSET |
|
FOUNDED 1947 |
|
DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
|
|
PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOHN VIANNEY |
 |  | |
| PARISH | CHURCH |
 |
| PARISH |
| THE PRETTY LITTLE TOWN OF MORISSET LIES ON THE SOUTHERN SHORES OF LAKE MACQUARIE. MORISSET WAS VERY MUCH THE PRODUCT OF THE SYDNEY TO NEWCASTLE RAILWAY. THE TOWN WAS SURVEYED IN 1887 AS THE LINE NEARED COMPLETION. ORIGINALLY THE STATION FOR COORANBONG IT WAS SOON CHANGED TO MORISSET AS THE TOWN GREW IN IMPORTANCE. BY 1920 THE TOWN HAD GROWN SUFFICIENTLY THAT THE POLICE STATION WAS TRANSFERRED TO MORISSET FROM COORANBONG. TODAY WITH A POPULATION OF 1500 IT IS BOTH A TOURIST TOWN WITH ACCESS TO THE LAKE AND THE SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE SMALL SETTLEMENTS ALONG THE MORISSET PENINSULA. ALTHOUGH THE EARLIEST CATHOLIC PRESENCE IN THE AREA WAS AT COORANBONG BY THE MID 1920's MORISSET WAS THE MAJOR TOWN IN THE AREA AND THEREFORE IT WAS LOGICAL THAT IT SHOULD BECOME THE PARISH CENTRE WHEN THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1947. ORIGINALLY PART OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY IT WAS TRANSFERRED ALONG WITH OTHER LAKESIDE PARISHES TO MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE IN THE 1960's. NEXT |
 | CHURCH |
| THE SIMPLE LITTLE CHURCH OF ST JOHN VIANNEY REFLECTS THE STYLE OF THE LATE 60'S WHEN IT WAS BUILT. THE CHURCH IS SHALLOW IN DEPTH WITH A WIDE NAVE FACING IN TOWARDS A CENTRAL SANCTUARY THUS REFLECTING THE COMMUNAL NATURE OF THE SACRAMENT PREDOMINANT IN THE POST VATICAN II ERA. THE CHURCH IS CONSTRUCTED IN LIGHT BRICK AND NESTLES UNASSERTIVELY AMID SEVERAL TREES. A COVERED ENTRANCE PORCH MARKS THE MAIN ENTRY TO THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH IS MARKED BY THE PLACING OF THE PEWS IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE SANCTUARY WHICH ITSELF IS OPEN AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE. THE SEATING EMPHASISES THE SACRAMENT AS A COMMUNITY GATHERING AROUND THE ALTAR. A SPECIAL FEATURE IS THE LOVELY WOODWORK CEILING AND PILLARS THAT SERVE TO DEMARCATE THE AREAS OF THE SANCTUARY AND LADY SHRINE WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND. A SERIES OF WINDOWS, HERE COVERED AGAINST THE SUN, PROVIDE LIGHT TO THE NAVE AND SANCTUARY AREA. NEXT |  |
 | THE SANCTUARY ITSELF IS MARKED BY A SIMPLE RAISED DIAS DOMINATED BY THE ALTAR. TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT ARE THE PULPIT-LIKE AMBO AND BAPTISMAL FONT WHILE TO THE REAR CENTRE IS THE TABERNACLE BELOW A SIMPLE CRUCIFIX. THE CENTRALITY OF THE SANCTUARY TO THE CONGREGATIONAL SEATING IS OBVIOUS HERE. TWO PLAIN WINDOWS PROVIDE NATURAL LIGHTING TO THE SANCTUARY AREA. THE OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE SANCTUARY IS ONE OF RESTRAINED ELEGANCE AND SIMPLICITY. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
|
| STATION CHURCHES |
| COORANBONG |
|
| CHURCH OF STS PATRICK AND BRIGID, COORANBONG | |
 | STATION |
| THE ATTRACTIVE LITTLE TOWN OF COORANBONG WAS ONCE THE MAJOR SETTLEMENT IN THE AREA AND THE CENTRE OF A THRIVING TIMBER INDUSTRY. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE RAILWAY 5KM EAST HOWEVER THE TOWNSHIP DECLINED AND MANY OF ITS SERVICES WERE TAKEN OVER BY MORISSET. ALTHOUGH COORANBONG WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE AREA COORANBONG BECAME A STATION OF MORISSET WHEN THAT PARISH WAS ESTABLISHED AND HAS REMAINED SO EVER SINCE. NEXT | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF STS PATRICK AND BRIGID, COORANBONG |  | ||
| THE ORIGINAL CHURCH OF STS PATRICK AND BRIGID WAS BUILT IN 1861 AT A TIME WHEN THE TOWN WAS FLOURISHING. BUILT AS A CHURCH/SCHOOL IT SERVED THE TOWNSHIP FOR 45 YEARS. | |||
| SECOND CHURCH OF STS PATRICK AND BRIGID, COORANBONG | |||
| IN 1906 THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL CHURCH/SCHOOL. SET IN LOVELY GROUNDS AND SURROUNDED BY THE GRAVES OF THE EARLY PIONEERS IT FORMS A HISTORICAL MONUMENT TO THOSE WHO OPENED UP THE LAND. | THE CHURCH, CONSTRUCTED IN BRICK IN THE SIMPLIFIED GOTHIC THEN COMMONLY USED FOR CHURCHES, WAS OPENED IN 1906 BY BISHOP KELLY OF SYDNEY WITHIN WHICH DIOCESE COORANBONG THEN LAY. | NAMED THE CHURCH OF THE PIONEERS IT HAS CONTINUED TO FAITHFULLY SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN FOR 100 YEARS AND REMAINS A TRIBUTE TO THE FAITH AND DEVOTION OF OUR FOREFATHERS TO THE CHURCH. NEXT | |
 | |||
 |  | |
| THE CHURCH CONSISTS OF A NAVE, CHANCEL, PORCH AND SACRISTIES WITH SHALLOW POINTED WINDOWS AND MOCK BUTTRESSES. A SIMPLE WOODEN CROSS SURMOUNTS THE WEST GABLE WHICH IS ALSO DECORATED WITH A SMALL ROUNDEL. THE EAST END HAS A HIGH TRIPLE LANCET. THE ORIGINAL ROOFING HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH MODERN COLOURBOND STEEL BUT OTHERWISE IT REMAINS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |  | THE GRAVEYARD CONTAINS THE GRAVES OF MANY OF THE TOWN'S PIONEERS AND RECALLS THE DAYS WHEN CHURCHYARDS WERE ALSO THE LOCAL CEMETERIES. |
|
| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
|
