1948
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BROKEN BAY
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PARISH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS WAHROONGA |
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FOUNDED 1948 |
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DIOCESE BROKEN BAY |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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| PARISH | |
| UNTIL THE SECOND WORLD WAR WAHROONGA HAD VERY FEW CATHOLICS. THOSE THERE WERE WORSHIPPED AT WAITARA OR PYMBLE. AT THE TIME THE AREA FELL WITHIN THE LATTER PARISH BUT WITH THE GROWTH IN POPULATION AFTER WORLD WAR II WAHROONGA WAS DECLARED A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT IN 1948. SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR ENDED THE DOMINICAN ORDER CHOSE TO ESTABLISH A PRIORY AT WAHROONGA. INEVITABLY THEY FOUND THEMSELVES PROVIDING FOR THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF LOCAL CATHOLICS AND IT WAS THEREFORE FITTING THAT A DOMINICAN SHOULD BE APPOINTED PARISH PRIEST OF THE NEW PARISH, BEGINNING AN ASSOCIATION THAT WAS LAST UNTIL 1997. UNTIL IT WAS DECLARED A PARISH, MASS HAD BEEN SAID AT THE NEARBY CHURCHES AT PYMBLE AND WAITARA, AND LATER IN A SCHOOLROOM AT THE PRIORY. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH, PLANS TO BUILD A CHURCH WERE PUT IN HAND. THE CHURCH WOULD SERVE BOTH THE PARISH AND THE PRIORY, THUS BECOMING A RARITY IN AUSTRALIA, A PRIORY CHURCH, A NAME IT POPULARLY RETAINS EVEN AFTER THE WIRTHDRAWAL OF THE DOMINICAN FRIARS. NEXT | |
 | CHURCH |
| THE CHURCH DESIGNED BY A LOCAL PARISHIONER WAS COMPLETED IN 1954 AND REFLECTS THE EARLIER LITURGY IN ITS DESIGN THOUGH NOT ITS MATERIALS. THE GENERAL DESIGN OF THE CHURCH IS A MODERNISED MIX OF GOTHIC AND CLASSICAL. THE NAVE IS BASICALLY TRADITIONAL WITH A CIRCULAR "ROSE-WINDOW" DOMINATING THE WEST END. A CLASSICAL PORCH WITH THREE ARCHES PROVIDES THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH. A FURTHER CLASSICAL TOUCH IS THE ROUND-HEADED WINDOWS OF THE NAVE. THE LINES OF THE CHURCH ARE CLEAN AND GEOMETRICAL ENHANCING THE BEAUTY OF THE MODERN BRICKWORK AND THE FOCUS ON ESSENTIALS TYPICAL OF THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE COMBINATION OF GOTHIC INSPIRATION IN THE SHELL OF THE CHURCH AND CLASSICAL INSPIRATION IN ITS DETAILS IS EVIDENT HERE. ALSO OF NOTE ARE THE ATTRACTIVE GROUNDS AND GARDENS AROUND THE CHURCH WHICH ADDS TO THE MONASTIC AMBIENCE OF THE CHURCH. NEXT |
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 | THE REMODELLED SANCTUARY COMPLETED IN 2003 REFLECTS THE TWO FUNCTIONS OF THE CHURCH. EXTENDING INTO THE NAVE IS THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE WITH THE NEW ALTAR, A SIMPLE MARBLE TABLE. BEHIND THE ALTAR CAN BE SEEN THE FRIARS CHOIR TAKING UP THE TRADITIONAL CHANCEL AREA. TO THE LEFT IS THE BRASS AMBO WITH THE TRADITIONAL EAGLE OF ST JOHN AND TO THE RIGHT IS THE REPOSITORY FOR THE SACRED OILS AND THE MODERN FONT. ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY ARE CHAPELS, BLESSED SACRAMENT ON THE LEFT AND LADY ON THE RIGHT. ABOVE THE ALTAR HANGS THE UNUSUAL AND BEAUTIFUL CRUCIFIX. A TRADITIONAL TOUCH IS PROVIDED BY THE TWO STATUES IN THEIR NICHES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CHANCEL ARCH. NEXT |
| UP CLOSE THE LAYOUT OF THE SANCTUARY IMPRESSES BY ITS SIMPLE AND ELEGANT LINES. THE APSIDAL EAST END IS PAINTED AN ATTRACTIVE CREAM AND IS LIT BY TWO SIDE WINDOWS. THE ALTAR IS FLANKED BY SIX BRASS STANDING CANDLESTICKS. THE ALTAR ITSELF IS A SIMPLE MARBLE TABLE. THE CHOIR CHAIRS FOR THE FRIARS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE BEHIND THE ALTAR, WITH THE CELEBRANT'S CHAIRS AGAINST THE EAST WALL. NEXT |
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 | <<< THE UNUSUAL AND ATTRACTIVE GLASS AND BRASS CRUCIFIX IN WHICH THE CORPUS IS SURROUNDED BY FOUR COLOURED GLASS SQUARES WITH THE SYMBOLS OF THE FOUR EVANGELISTS. THE MODERN FONT IS CARVED FROM A SINGLE BLOCK OF STONE AND IS COVERED BY A CONICAL BRASS LID. BEHIND IT IS THE MARBLE COLUMN SURMOUNTED BY THE HOLY OIL REPOSITORY. >>> TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |  |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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