ARCADIA NESTLES ON THE FAR NORTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF THE SYDNEY METROPOLIS. A LARGELY RURAL AREA THAT IN THE 1970's EXPERIENCED GROWTH AS SYDNEYITES SOUGHT A BUSH ENVIRONMENT TO ESCAPE FROM CITY CONGESTION

BEFORE 1970 THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL HAD HAD TO TRAVEL TO DURAL OR ASQUITH FOR MASS BUT IN 1970 ARCADIA WAS DETACHED FROM THE CASTLE HILL PARISH AND ESTABLISHED IN ITS OWN RIGHT UNDER THE CARE OF THE MONKS OF ST BENEDICT'S MONASTERY. IN 1986 IT BECAME ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PARISHES OF THE NEW BROKEN BAY DIOCESE

FOR THE FIRST TWELVE YEARS MASSES WERE HELD IN ST BENEDICT'S CHAPEL IN THE MONASTERY UNTIL THE COMBINED PARISH CHURCH, OFFICE AND HALL WAS BUILT IN 1982. THE DESIGN OF THIS NEW CHURCH OF ST BENEDICT IS UNIQUE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. IT CONSISTS OF TWO EQUAL HALLS SPLIT BY A HIGH CENTRAL 'TOWER' HOUSING THE SANCTUARY. THE BUILDING'S VERY STRIKING INTERIOR IS ORIENTED WIDTHWAYS MAKING A WIDE SHALLOW NAVE AND CENTRAL CHANCEL MARKED OFF FROM THE NAVE BY A PAIR OF IMPRESSIVE ARCHING BRICK PIERS.

THE GENUINE HEART OF THE CHURCH, BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY, IS THE SANCTUARY 'TOWER'. UNLIKE A TRADITIONAL SANCTUARY WHICH WAS THE FOCAL POINT OF A WALK FROM NARTHEX THROUGH TO THE CHANCEL THE SANCTUARY OF ST BENEDICT'S IS A SEED AROUND WHICH THE BODY OF A MODERN CHURCH HAS BEEN BUILT.


BETWEEN THE TWO EXTENDED ARMS OF THE CENTRAL TOWER IS LOCATED THE LARGE EASTERN WINDOW OF THE SANCTUARY (BELOW). PLACED ALONG THE BASE OF THE CHURCH IS A BUSH GARDEN IN KEEPING WITH THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE AREA. A PAIR OF BALCONIES BRANCH TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT ALONG THE OUTSIDE OFAA THE HALLS ALLOWING SHELTER FROM THE HARSH ENERVATING SUN OF THE TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN SUMMER DAYS.

A TRULY UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS CHURCH IS ITS PARTICULAR MULTI-USE STRUCTURE. EACH WING FORMS AN INDEPENDANT AREA CAPABLE OF BEING CLOSED OFF BY WALLS FROM THE CHANCEL AREA AND THUS USED FOR A VARIETY OF CATHOLIC LITURGICAL, PARISH AND GENERAL SOCIAL FUNCTIONS.

OF THESE TWO HALLS, THAT ON THE RIGHT (WHEN LOOKED AT FROM THE LITURGICAL WEST) SERVES AS THE PERMANENT NAVE WHILE THE LEFT-HAND ONE (SEEN HERE ON THE RIGHT) FUNCTIONS AS A PARISH HALL.

BOTH OF THE HALLS ARE INTENDED TO BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANY PURPOSES BOTH LARGE AND SMALL, FROM PROVIDING FOR THE OVERFLOW OF WORSHIPPERS ON OBLIGATORY HOLY DAYS TO SERVING AS A PARISH MEETING ROOM.

SEEN FROM THE (LITURGICAL) WEST SIDE, THE HIGH SKYLIGHT OF THE CENTRE TOWER DOMINATES THE BUILDING. TO THE RIGHT ARE THE PARISH OFFICES AND CHURCH NAVE WHILE ON THE LEFT SIDE PARTIALLY SCREENED BY BUSHES IS THE LARGER BULK OF THE PARISH HALL WITH A MORE EXTENSIVE COVERED PORCH. THE ROOF HERE SLOPES MORE GENTLY, EMPHASISING THE SHARPER RISE OF THE SKYLIGHT.

INSIDE THE CHURCH SPACE HAS BEEN SUB-DIVIDED INTO THREE SEPARATE, STRUCTURALLY INDEPENDANT AREAS WHICH COMPRISE A BIG HALL, A NAVE AND A DEDICATED SANCTUARY AREA.

THE CORE SPACE IS FORMED BY THE SANCTUARY (LEFT) DEFINED BY TWO POWERFUL HIGH ARCHES. CONTAINED WITHIN THIS SPACE IS THE HOLY OF HOLIES AS WELL AS SPACE FOR USE AS A MASS CHAPEL FOR WEEKDAYS.

TO THE RIGHT OF THE SANCTUARY IS THE 'NAVE' (SEEN HERE) MARKED BY THE STATUE OF THE PARISH PATRON.

TO THE LEFT, AND CLOSED OFF FROM THE SANCTUARY IS THE LARGE HALL (SHOWN BELOW RIGHT) WHICH CAN BE OPENED OUT TO PROVIDE SEATS FOR AN OVERFLOW CONGREGATION THEN CLOSED TO FUNCTION AS A MEETING AND SOCIAL SPACE FOR THE PARISH.

LIT BY A HIGH SLOPING SKYLIGHT THE SANCTUARY IS BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CORE OF THE BUILDING. LOCATED IN THE CHURCH'S CENTRAL 'TOWER' AND COMPOSED OF TWO BROAD ARCHES FRAMING A SIMPLE STAINED GLASS WINDOW OF THE CROSS WITH THE CRUCIFIX SUPERIMPOSED ON IT IS THE SANCTUARY. THE FURNISHINGS ARE MINIMAL CONSISTING OF AN UNUSUAL MARBLE TABLE ALTAR AND A CENTRALLY LOCATED CELEBRANT'S CHAIR.

BETWEEN EACH OF THE CENTRAL ARCHES AND THE MOVEABLE PARTITIONS IS LOCATED A SIDE SPACE CONTAINING A STATUE OF OUR LADY AT LEFT AND A TABERNACLE ON THE RIGHT. A MINIMALIST SET OF STATIONS ARE PLACED ALONG THE INNER ARCHES.

WITHIN THE AREA SO DEFINED BY THE ARCHES, AND DISTINCT FROM THE TWO HALLS, IS A SPACE FOR A WEEKDAY MASS CHAPEL AND ALSO SUNDAY CHOIR.

THE PHYSICAL DIMENSION OF THE SANCTUARY IS FORMED BY A RAISED STEPPED DIAS ON WHICH IS LOCATED THE UNUSUAL TABLE ALTAR MOUNTED ON ITS FOUR SLIM ECHELONED MARBLE LEGS (LEFT).

WITH THE SKYLIGHT CLOSED THE CRUCIFIX SHOWS STARKLY AGAINST THE SUNLIT WINDOW (BELOW).

THE YOUTH AND SMALL SIZE IN TERMS OF POPULATION OF ARCADIA HAS LIMITED THE USUAL COMPLEX OF CATHOLIC BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A PARISH TO THE CHURCH CUM PARISH CENTRE. IN THE AREA OF THE PARISH HOWEVER LIE TWO RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS - THE MONASTERY OF ST BENEDICT FOUNDED BY THE SYLVESTRINE MONKS IN 1961 AND A CONVENT OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN SISTERS. THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY ALSO MAINTAINS A SMALL RETAIL OUTLET IN THE TOWN OF GALSTON.