1910
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BROKEN BAY
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PARISH OF OUR LADY OF DOLOURS CHATSWOOD |
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FOUNDED 1910 |
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DIOCESE BROKEN BAY |
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PARISH CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF DOLOURS |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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| PARISH |
| CHATSWOOD IS A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CENTRE FOR THE NORTH SHORE. IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST PARISHES IN THE DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY, HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED FROM PYMBLE IN DECEMBER 1910. |
| FIRST CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF DOLOURS |
| PRIOR TO 1895 MASS HAD BEEN CELEBRATED IN VARIOUS PRIVATE HOMES. IN 1895 A SMALL CHURCH/SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN ARCHER ST. THIS BUILDING CONTINUED AS A SCHOOL BUILDING UNTIL 2001, WHEN IT WAS DEMOLISHED. NEXT |
 | SECOND CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF DELOURS, CHATSWOOD |
| THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS LAID IN 1920 AND THE PARTIALLY COMPLETED CHURCH WAS OPENED IN 1921. IT WAS TO BE ANOTHER FORTY YEARS BEFORE THE CHURCH WAS COMPLETED IN 1961 WITH THE ADDITION OF THE TRANSEPTS AND CAMPANILE. UNUSUALLY FOR AUSTRALIA, THE INSPIRATION OF THE CHURCH IS THE CLASSICAL STYLE OF THE RENAISSANCE. IN BETWEEN 1921 AND 1961 THE ORIGINAL SITE HAD BECOME RESTRICTED DUE TO THE EXTENSIONS TO ST PIUS X SCHOOL. ON THE RIGHT CAN BE SEEN THE SOUTH TRANSEPT. THE MIXTURE OF CLASSICAL ELEMENTS (ROUNDED WINDOWS AND CUPOLA) AND GOTHIC ELEMENTS (THE TRANSEPTS AND CAMPANILE) ARE TYPICAL OF THE RENAISSANCE STYLE. NEXT |
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| THE WHOLE OF THE FRONT SECTION WAS COMPLETED IN 1921. IT CONSISTS OF A LARGE SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCH FLANKED BY LARGE PIERS OF COLOURED BRICKWORK. THE ARCH IS DIVIDED BY TWO IONIC COLUMNS CREATING THREE DOORWAYS. ON TOP OF THE COLUMNS ARE STATUES OF ADORING ANGELS. ABOVE THE DOORWAYS ARE MOULDED PANELS AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ARCHWAY ARE THE ARMS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY (HIDDEN) AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY (VISIBLE). | THE CAMPANILE IS A SQUARE BRICK STRUCTURE SURMOUNTED BY AN ENTABLATURE AND A CUPOLA. THE WHOLE IS TOPPED OFF WITH A CROSS. THE CUPOLA IS TYPICAL OF THE CLASSIC RENAISSANCE STYLE AS IS THE ROUND HEADED WINDOW. THE CAMPANILE WAS COMPLETED IN 1961 AT THE SAME TIME AS THE TRANSEPTS. NEXT |
| THE 1921 CHURCH HAD A TEMPORARY EAST END FINISHED WITH ASBESTOS CEMENT. IN 1961 WHEN THE CHURCH WAS COMPLETED IT WAS FOUND THAT EXTENSIONS TO THE SCHOOL HAD REDUCED THE SITE AND THE SANCTUARY WHICH IS NORMALLY SEPARATED FROM THE NAVE HAD TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD IN LINE WITH THE TRANSEPTS. THE EAST END IS APSIDAL WHILE THE ROOF IS ESSENTIALLY A MAROON BARREL VAULT WITH CONTRASTING WHITE RIBBING. TO THE RIGHT IS THE SOUTH TRANSEPT CONTAINING A STATUE OF OUR LADY ABOVE AND A REPRODUCTION OF THE PIETA BY MICHELANGELO BELOW. TO THE LEFT IS THE NORTH TRANSEPT WITH THE STATUE OF THE SACRED HEART. NEXT |
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THE ALTAR IS MADE FROM A SINGLE LARGE BLOCK OF SANDSTONE. IN THE CENTRE IS A RED GRANITE CENTRE-PIECE SHOWING THE AGNUS DEI IN GOLD. ABOVE THE ALTAR IS THE SIMPLE ELEGANT BALDACHINO AND BEHIND IS A PLAIN SANDSTONE REREDOS. THE TABERNACLE IS HELD WITHIN A NICHE IN THE REREDOS AND ABOVE IT IS THE LOVELY CRUCIFIX. AN ATRACTIVE BRASS SANCTUARY LAMP COMPLETES THE FURNISHINGS OF THE SANCTUARY. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES | |
| CHATSWOOD WEST | ROSEVILLE EAST |
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| CHURCH OF ST PETER THE APOSTLE, CHATSWOOD WEST |
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| THE GROWTH OF NORTH SYDNEY CREATED A DEMAND FOR ADDITIONAL MASS CENTRES. ONE SUCH MASS CENTRE WAS ST PETER THE APOSTLE'S IN WEST CHATSWOOD. WITH THE DECLINE IN MASS ATTENDANCE ST PETER'S WAS CLOSED AS A PARISH MASS CENTRE AND LOANED TO THE CROATION CATHOLIC COMMUNITY WHO USE IT FOR REGULAR SERVICES. BUILT IN 1954, THE AD HOC NATURE OF THE CHURCH IS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS IN ITS STRUCTURE. IT IS ESSENTIALLY A MULTI-PURPOSE HALL CUM CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS WELL MAINTAINED AS ARE THE GROUNDS, A TRIBUTE TO THE CROATIAN COMMUNITY WHO USE THE CHURCH. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST PAUL THE APOSTLE, ROSEVILLE EAST | |
 | THE FORMER SUBURB OF ROSEVILLE EAST EXTENDING TO CASTLE COVE WAS ANOTHER AREA TO FEEL THE NEED FOR A MASS CENTRE AND AS AT WEST CHATSWOOD THIS WAS MET BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMBINED HALL AND CHURCH DEDICATED TO ST PAUL. THIS CHURCH WAS ALSO CLOSED WITH THE DECLINE IN MASS ATTENDANCE AND OF PRIESTS TO SERVE THESE OUT-STATIONS. TODAY IT IS USED FOR OCCASIONAL SERVICES AND BY THE POLISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. SADLY NEGLECTED THE SIMPLE LITTLE CHURCH HALL BUILT IN 1953 SITS ON SEEMING WASTE GROUND ON DEEPWATER ROAD. NEXT |
| THE CHURCH IS DEDICATED TO ST PAUL THE APOSTLE. PERHAPS THIS WAS CHOSEN TO COMPLEMENT THE DEDICATION OF WEST CHATSWOOD TO ST PETER THE APOSTLE, THESE BEING THE TWO FOUNDERS OF THE CHURCH IN ROME. THE CROSS AND DEDICATION ARE ALMOST HIDDEN BY THE BUSH GROWING WILD AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CHURCH. NEXT |
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 | VIEWED FROM THE OTHER SIDE THE CHURCH AND GROUNDS SHOW OBVIOUS SIGNS OF CARE AND CONTINUED USE. THE HALL STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH IS CLEARLY MARKED SHOWING THE MULTI-PURPOSE NATURE OF THE BUILDING. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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