1955
 |
MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
|
PARISH OF ST JOSEPH TORONTO |
|
FOUNDED 1955 |
|
DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
|
| PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH | ||
 | ||
| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
 |
 | PARISH |
| THE TOWN OF TORONTO ON THE WESTERN SHORE OF LAKE MACQUARIE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE EXCELSIOR LAND INVESTMENT AND BUILDING ON THE WESTERN END OF A PENINSULA STRETCHING OUT INTO LAKE.THEY HAD PLANS TO CREATE A TOURIST RESORT ON THE SHORES OF THE LAKE NOT TOO FAR FROM THE COMING RAILWAY LINE. IT WAS NAMED IN HONOUR OF WORLD-CHAMPION SCULLER EDWARD HANLAN WHO HAILED FROM TORONTO IN CANADA. IT WAS ONLY AFTER WORLD WAR II HOWEVER THAT THE TOWN TOOK OFF AS A TOURIST DESTINATION AND TODAY IT HAS BECOME A SUBSTANTIAL TOWN WITH A BUSTLING SHOPPING CENTRE AND AN ALMOST COASTAL ATMOSPHERE. BECAUSE OF ITS SLOW DEVELOPMENT TORONTO WAS MERELY A STATION OF WYONG FOR MANY YEARS. WITH THE POST-WAR DEVELOPMENT AND THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN POPULATION AS A RESULT OF THIS HOWEVER TORONTO CLEARLY DESERVED TO BE PROMOTED TO PAROCHIAL STATUS. AS A SIGN OF ITS GROWING IMPORTANCE THE SISTERS OF MERCY ESTABLISHED A CONVENT THERE IN 1952 AND IN 1955 TORONTO DID INDEED BECAME A PARISH. TODAY IT IS THE MOST POPULOUS OF THE WESTERN LAKE MACQUARIE PARISHES. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, TORONTO | |
| A STATION CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED AT TORONTO IN 1915. CONSTRUCTED OF WEATHERBOARD IT FOLLOWED THE TRADITIONAL COUNTRY GODBOX DESIGN BUT ON A SOMEWHAT LARGER SCALE AS THE TOWN'S POPULATION BEGAN TO GROW. LOCATED ON THE HILL AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TOWN AND OVERLOOKING THE MAIN SHOPPING AREA, IT COMPRISED A LARGE NAVE, PORCH, CHANCEL AND SACRISTIES. IT THUS DEVELOPED THE FEEL OF A PARISH CHURCH WHILE RETAINING THE LOOK OF A COUNTRY STATION. BY THE 80's THE PARISH WAS FACING SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE SITE OF THE EXISTING CHURCH WAS TOO RESTRICTED TO PERMIT FURTHER EXPANSION AND THE SCHOOL WAS LOCATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A BUSY MAIN ROAD MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND ACTIVITIES IN THE CHURCH. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO PROBLEMS LED TO THE DECISION TO SELL BOTH SCHOOL AND CHURCH AND USE THE MONEY TO BUILD A NEW CATHOLIC COMPLEX. THE CHURCH WAS SOLD IN 1984 AND IS NOW USED AS AN OFFICE BUILDING. | |
 |  |
| THE ORIGINAL CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH SURROUNDED BY BUSH WHICH BELIES ITS CLOSENESS TO THE CENTRE OF THE TOWN. NEXT | |
 | SECOND CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, TORONTO |
| WITH THE DECISION TAKEN TO BUILD A NEW CHURCH AND SCHOOL, THE PARISH SET ABOUT FINDING A SUITABLE SITE TO BUILD A TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC COMPLEX COMPRISING CHURCH, PRESBYTERY, SCHOOL AND CONVENT. SUCH A SITE WAS FOUND AT KILABEN BAY ABOUT 10KM SOUTH OF THE TOWN. THERE, IN A BEAUTIFUL NATURAL AND SPACIOUS BUSHLAND SETTING THE NEW CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1984. A LARGE SQUARE BUILDING WITH A TENT-LIKE ROOF IT FORMS THE CENTREPIECE OF THE ENTIRE COMPLEX WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BLEND IN WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS IN KEEPING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN BUSH ETHOS. EACH OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE COMPLEX IS PLACED SEPARATE FROM THE OTHERS TO MINIMISE THE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. NEXT |
| THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH IS BETWEEN OUTFLUNG WALLS LIKE WELCOMING ARMS OVERSHADOWED BY THE ROOF. SMALL GARDENS MAINTAIN THE NATURE THEME AS ONE ENTERS. THE PROFILE OF THE CHURCH IS DELIBERATELY KEPT LOW TO TO BLEND IN WITH THE BUSHLAND SETTING. LARGE WINDOWS ALLOW FOR THE NATURAL SETTINGS TO INTRUDE UNOBTRUSIVELY INTO THE INTERIOR THUS PROVIDING A PART OF THE INTERNAL DECORATION OF THE CHURCH. AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH ARE A SHRINE TO ST JOSEPH (ABOVE) AND AN OUTDOOR CHAPEL OF ST FRANCIS. FULL ADVANTAGE HAS BEEN TAKEN OF SPACIOUSNESS OF THE SITE TO PROVIDE SOME ATTRACTIVE LANDSCAPED DEVOTIONAL SITES INCLUDING THE LOURDES GROTTO AND THE UNUSUAL OUTDOOR STATIONS OF THE CROSS. NEXT |
 |
 |  |
| STATION XII JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS | STATION XIII JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS | STATION XIV JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB |
 |
 |  |
| THREE OF THE OUTDOOR STATIONS. NO XIV IS UNUSUAL IN SHOWING A RISEN CHRIST IN PLACE OF THE LAYING IN THE TOMB. NEXT | ||
 | THE INTERIOR FORMS A LARGE OPEN SPACE FOR THE NAVE. THE SEATING IS PLACED AT ANGLES TO CREATE A "THEATRE IN THE ROUND" EFFECT. AROUND THE OUTER WALLS ARE PLACED VARIOUS CHAPELS AND RITUAL SPACES. JUST INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR IS THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL. IN THE FAR CORNER IS THE LADY SHRINE AND CLOSE TO THE SANCTUARY ITSELF IS THE BAPTISTRY. THE SANCTUARY ITSELF IS DELIBERATELY KEPT BARE, WITH NOTHING TO DISTRACT FROM THE ALTAR ON WHICH THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IS CONFECTED. THE SOLE DECORATION IS THE MODERN CRUCIFIX ON THE PLAIN POLISHED WOOD REREDOS. TRACK LIGHTING FOCUSES ALL ATTENTION ONTO THE ALTAR AND THE CRUCIFIX, SYMBOLS OF CHRIST'S REDEEMING SACRIFICE. NEXT |
| THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL | THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR |
 |  |
| NEXT | |
 | <<<< THE MODERN CRUCIFIX PROVIDES A STARK REMINDER OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE FOR US. THE BAPTISTRY WITH ITS MODERN GREY FONT MADE FOR AGGLOMERATE. BEHIND THE FONT CAN BE SEEN THE UNUSUAL STAINED GLASS WINDOWS WHICH AS WELL AS PROVIDING DECORATION IN THEMSELVES, ADMIT A VIEW OF THE SURROUNDING BUSHLAND. ALSO TO BE NOTED IS THE EXTENSIVE USE OF MODERN MEDIA IN THE FORM OF A TELEVEISION SCREEN FOR PROJECTING HYMNS OR VIDEOS. >>>> |  |
TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES> |
|
| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
|
|
| OTHER BUILDINGS |
| TORONTO MERCY CONVENT |
|
| MERCY CONVENT, TORONTO | |
 | THE SISTERS OF MERCY ARRIVED IN TORONTO IN 1952, JUST THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH. THE MAIN PURPOSE WAS THE RUNNING OF THE PARISH SCHOOL AND THIS THEY DID UNTIL THE 1970's WHEN DECLINING NUMBERS OF SISTERS FORCED THEM TO WITHDRAW. NONETHELESS, THE SISTERS REMAINED TO DO PARISH AND COMMUNITY WORK, AN APOSTOLATE IN WHICH THEY ARE STILL INVOLVED. WHEN THE PARISH MOVED TO KILABEN BAY IN 1984, THE SISTERS ALSO MOVED TO THE NEW SITE. THE SIMPLE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE NEW CONVENT IS DESIGNED AS IS THE WHOLE COMPLEX TO FIT INTO THE BUSHLAND SETTING WITH MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
