1952
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STS PETER AND PAUL
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PARISH OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD NEWCASTLE |
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FOUNDED 1952 |
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DIOCESE STS PETER AND PAUL |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD |
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| UKRAINIAN MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA WAS LARGELY A POST-WAR PHENOMENON AND ONE WHICH FLOWED DIRECTLY INTO THE LARGE CIIES WHERE INDUSTRIAL JOBS COULD BE FOUND. AS THE HOME OF ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST STEEL WORKS IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT NEWCASTLE WOULD EXPERIENCE A CONSIDERABLE GROWTH IN THE UKRAINAIN CATHOLIC POPULATION ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE GRETA IMMIGRATION CAMP. IN 1952 NEWCASTLE WAS DECLARED A PARISH OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC EXARCHY OF AUSTRALIA AND A PARISH PRIEST APPOINTED. INITIALLY THE UKRAINIAN FAITHFUL LACKED A CHURCH AND VARIOUS EXPEDIENTS HAD TO BE FOUND UNTIL IN 1969 THEY WERE ABLE TO OPEN THEIR OWN CHURCH BUILDING. TODAY NEWCASTLE IS AN ACTIVE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY TAKING IN BOTH NEWCASTLE AND THE GRETA MISSION. NEXT |
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| IN 1969 THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS OF NEWCASTLE WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING AND CONSECRATION OF THEIR OWN CHURCH IN THE SUBURB OF ADAMSTOWN. DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, COMMON AMONG UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS AND DERIVING FROM THEIR UKRAINIAN ICONIC HERITAGE, THE CHURCH IS AN ATTRACTIVE LITTLE BRICK BUILDING MORE IN KEEPING WITH WESTERN ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE YET MARKED BY SEVERAL TOUCHES THAT ARE CLEARLY DERIVED FROM THE EASTERN CATHOLIC TRADITION. THE MOST NOTEABLE OF THESE FEATURES IS THE BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC OF THE TRADITIONAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OVER THE MAIN DOOR. A SECONDARY FEATURE IS THE FOUR GABLE CROSSES EACH MOUNTED ON A TRIPOD MOUNTED BALL ECHOING IN MINIATURE THE ONION DOMES SO COMMON IN THEIR HOMELAND. WELL MAINTAINED GROUNDS TESTIFY TO THE LOVE OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR LITTLE CHURCH. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| GRETA |
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| UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL, GRETA | |
 | THE FIRST IMPRESSION OF AUSTRALIA FOR MANY MIGRANTS IN THE 50's WAS THE IMMIGRATION CAMP, ONE OF WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED NEAR GRETA CLOSE TO THE HUNTER COALFIELDS. IN 1962 THE GRETA MISSION OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC EXARCHY WAS ESTABLISHED AND AN OLD HALL PURCHASED FOR USE AS A CHAPEL TO MINISTER TO UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS IN THE AREA. THE CHAPEL, UNDER THE CARE OF NEWCASTLE SERVED THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR 40 YEARS UNTIL IT WAS CLOSED IN 2004. TODAY THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS OF THE GRETA AREA USE THE LOCAL LATIN RITE STATION CHURCH FOR THEIR LITURGY. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
