1989
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ST MAROUN
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PARISH OF ST GEORGE THORNLEIGH |
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FOUNDED 1989 |
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DIOCESE ST MAROUN |
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| PARISH CHURCH OF ST GEORGE | ||
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| WHILE THE FIRST MARONITE CATHOLICS FROM LEBANON SETTLED LARGELY IN THE INNER CITY SUBURBS BY THE EARLY 70's A SIGNIFICAN COMMUNITY HAD DEVELOPED IN THE NORTHER SUBURBS ESPECIALLY AROUND THORNLEIGH ALONG PENNANT HILLS ROAD. THE APPOINTMENT OF aRCHBISHOP ABDO KHALIFE IN 1973 SAW A GREAT EXPANSION IN THE NUMBER OF MARONITE PARISHES. AMONG THE BUILDINGS PURCHASED DURING HIS TIME WAS THE FORMER ST JOACHIM'S CHURCH THORNLEIGH WHICH WAS NOW SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS SINCE THE BUILDING OF ST AGATHA'S AT PENNANT HILLS. RENAMED ST GEORGE'S IT BECAME THE SOLE MARONITE CHURCH IN THE NORTHERN SUBURBS. IN 1989 IT WAS DECLARED A PARISH OF THE MARONITE DIOCESE OF ST MAROUN OF SYDNEY. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST GEORGE, THORNLEIGH |
| FOR THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS THE MARONITES OF THORNLEIGH USED THE ORIGINAL CHURCH BULDING OF ST JOACHIM'S, A SIMPLE WEATHERBOARD GODBOX THAT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A LATIN RITE CHURCH/SCHOOL BY THE WAITARA PARISH AND LATER USED BY PENNANT HILLS PARISH AS THEIR INTERIM PARISH CHURCH. BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY HOWEVER IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE LITTLE CHURCH WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE GROWING CONGREGATION AND IN 2001 IT WAS REPLACED BY THE PRESENT CHURCH. NEXT |
 | SECOND CHURCH OF ST GEORGE, THORNLEIGH |
| IN APRIL 2001 THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST GEORGE WAS OPENED. CONSTRUCTED IN A MODERNISED BYZANTINE STYLE WITH A PLETHORA OF SQUARE POINTED WINDOWS AND CIRCULAR COLUMNS. EFFECTIVE USE IS MADE OF THE SLOPE OF THE SITE TO PROVIDE AN UNDERGROUND PARKING AREA. A LARGE AWNING PROVIDES A COVERED ENTRANCE WAY. THE REPETITION OF THE SQUARE POINTED ARCH IS CARRIED THROUGH TO THE ENTRANCE DOORWAY. OVERALL THE CHURCH EFFECTIVELY BLENDS MODERNITY WITH TRADITIONAL CULTURE. NEXT |
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| NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH REFLECTS THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT AFTER VATICAN II ON THE SYRIAC LITURGY OF THE MARONITE CHURCH. IN MANY WAYS THE MARONITE CHURCH IS THE CLOSEST IN APPEARANCE OF THE ORIENTAL CATHOLIC CHURCHES TO THE LATIN RITE CHURCHES WITH WHICH MOST AUSTRALIAN ARE FAMILIAR. THE SANCTUARY IS RAISED ABOVE THE FLOOR LEVEL WITH A MARBLE SKIRTING. BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS WINDOWS LIGHT THE AREA AND SHOW THE SACRED HEART AND ST MAROUN PATRON OF MARONITE CATHOLICS. TWIN AMBOS PROVIDE FOR READINGS AND HOMILY FROM THE TRADITIONAL EPISTLE AND GSOPEL SIDES OF THE ALTAR. NEXT |
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 | CENTRAL TO THE SANCTUARY IS THE LOVELY MARBLE ALTAR AND BEHIND IT A PAINTING OF ST GEORGE THE PARISH PATRON AND THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST. TO THE LEFT IS THE TABERNACLE HOLDING OUR LORD'S BODY. AN ATTRACTIVE FEATURE IS THE GOLD FRINGED AND EMBROIDERED ALTAR CLOTH. BEHIND CAN BE SEEN THE SACRED HEAR WINDOW WHILE THE ICON OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP IS PLACED ON THE EPISTLE AMBO. AS WITH THE EXTERIOR THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE BLENDING OF MODERN AND TRADITIONAL FORMS AS THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE BLENDING OF EASTERN AND LATIN TRADITIONS. OVERALL THE CHURCH IS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO THE LITTLE CHURCH DEDICATED TO OUR LADY'S FATHER THAT ONCE SERVED THE CATHOLICS OF THORNLEIGH. TOP |
