FOR 21 YEARS FROM 1972 UNTIL THE CLOSURE OF ST PIUS X RETREAT IN 2003 THE PASSIONISTS IN ST IVES PROVIDED PASTORAL CARE FOR THE PARISH OF TERREY HILLS. WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE RETREAT AT ST IVES PROVISION HAD TO BE MADE FOR THE PRIESTS AND BROTHERS CARING FOR THE PARISH AND ACCORDINGLY A HOUSE WAS OBTAINED IN THE NEARBY SUBURB OF BELROSE TO SERVE AS A THEIR 'PRESBYTERY'.

FOR THE THREE YEARS FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE RETREAT THE PRIESTS SERVING TERREY HILLS LIVED IN THIS HOUSE UNTIL IN 2005 THE PASSIONISTS WITHDREW FROM THE PARISH AND IT WAS HANDED OVER TO THE DIOCESAN CLERGY WHO TODAY CONTINUE WITH THE WORK OF PASTORAL CARE BEGUN BY THE PASSIONIST FATHERS AND BROTHERS.

ST IVES WAS THE PASSIONISTS' SECOND FOUNDATION IN SYDNEY. IN 1935 IT WAS DECIDED TO ESTABLISH A JUNIORATE - A SCHOOL FOR BOYS INTENDING TO GO ON TO THE NOVITIATE - IN THE STILL LARGELY RURAL AREA OF ST IVES IN SYDNEY'S NORTH. IN 1937 THE PLAN CAME TO FRUITION WITH THE OPENING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AWARD-WINNING ST PIUS X COLLEGE WHICH OPERATED UNTIL THE LATE 1970's. FROM 1972 THE PASSIONISTS FROM ST IVES ALSO TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PARISH OF TERREY HILLS. IN 1976 WITH THE CLOSING OF THE JUNIORATE ST PIUS X COLLEGE BECAME THE ST PIUS X RETREAT AND THE PROVINCIALATE. IN 1979 IT ALSO BECAME THE PROVINCIAL NOVITIATE FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS TILL IT WAS CLOSED FROM LACK OF VOCATIONS IN 1994. LIKE OTHER ORDERS THE PASSIONISTS HAVE SUFFERED A DECLINE IN NUMBERS DURING THE LATER YEAR OF THE 20TH CENTURY WHICH HAS IMPACTED ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR FOUNDATIONS. THE PROVINCIALATE WAS MOVED BACK TO MARRICKVILLE IN 2000 AND ST IVES WAS CLOSED AND SOLD IN 2003. A TEMPORARY HOUSE WAS PURCHASED AT BELROSE FOR THE USE OF THE PASSIONIST FATHERS AND BROTHERS WHO WERE WORKING AT TERREY HILLS.

ST PIUS X COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED FOR USE AS A JUNIORATE WHICH WAS A SECONDARY SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY INTENDED FOR STUDENTS CONTEMPLATING LATER ENTRY INTO THE NOVITIATE - A FORM OF RECRUITMENT NOT UNCOMMON TO RELIGIOUS ORDERS DURING THE PRE VATICAN II PERIOD. THE AUSTERE YET ATTRACTIVE BUILDINGS WHICH MADE UP THE RETREAT COMPRISED THE FRONT WING (ENTRANCE AND ADMINISTRATION) AND A SIDE WING (CLASSROOMS) AND REAR WING (DORMITORIES) ALL SET AROUND A CENTRAL QUADRANGLE ENCLOSED BY A CLOISTER. ALONG THE FOURTH SIDE WAS LOCATED THE CHAPEL BUILT IN THE 50's TO REPLACE THE LITTLE INTERIOR CHAPEL WHICH HAD BEEN USED UP TO THAT TIME. THE IMPRESSION WAS VERY MUCH THAT OF A TRADITIONAL MONASTIC BUILDING BROUGHT UP TO DATE YET STILL EXPRESSING THE STRONG ASCETICISM OF THE ORDER'S FOUNDER ST PAUL OF THE CROSS. THIS WAS ALL VERY APPROPRIATE FOR THE STUDENTS WHO BOARDED AT THE COLLEGE AS THEY WERE EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF LIFE IN A RELIGIOUS ORDER.

VIEWED ABOVE AT ITS OPENING IN 1937 THE NEW COLLEGE OF ST PIUS X WAS A MOST IMPRESSIVE BUILDING AS WELL AS THE WINNER OF AN ARCHITECTURAL AWARD FOR ITS DESIGN. SOMEWHAT UNUSUALLY IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE RENAISSANCE STYLE WHICH AT THE TIME WAS JUST BEGINNING TO REPLACE THE ALMOST OBLIGATORY GOTHIC OF THE 19th AND EARLY 20th CENTURY ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDINGS. THE ROUND-HEADED WINDOWS AND DOORWAYS AND THE HIGH TOWER-LIKE SHALLOW PORCH ARE TYPICALLY THE HALLMARKS OF THIS STYLE.

AS PART OF A PROCESS OF DISCERNMENT BY THE STUDENT BOARDERS OF A POSSIBLE RELIGIOUS VOCATION TO THE ORDER THE COLLEGE ENCOURAGED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MONASTIC CULTURE. DAILY LIFE AT THE COLLEGE APART FROM CLASSES WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE PRACTICE OF THE TWO MONASTIC COMMANDS TO 'WORK' AND 'PRAY' IN A SELF-SUSTAINING COMMUNITY. THE FORMER INCLUDED MANUAL LABOUR AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE PHOTO ABOVE OF TWO BROTHERS WORKING IN THE COLLEGE VEGETABLE PATCH. AFTER VATICAN II THE USE OF JUNIORATES AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW NOVICES STRAIGHT FROM SCHOOL WAS LARGELY ABANDONED AS SPIRITUALLY UNSOUND. IN THE LATE 1970's THE JUNIORATE WAS CLOSED AND THE BUILDING CONVERTED FOR USE AS THE PROVINCIALATE AND NOVITIATE.

FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE JUNIORATE IN THE LATE 70's THE PROVINCIALATE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM MARRICKVILLE TO THE NOW UNUSED COLLEGE IN 1976. THREE YEARS LATER THE NOVITIATE FOLLOWED, TAKING OVER THE REAR WING (ABOVE) WHICH HAD ORIGINALLY COMPRISED THE COLLEGE DORMITORIES. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS TIME THAT THE LIVING QUARTERS WERE CONVERTED TO INDIVIDUAL ROOMS. THE NOVITIATE CONTINUED UNTIL 1994 WHEN IT TOO WAS CLOSED DUE TO A DEARTH OF NEW ENTRANTS. THE PHOTOGRAPH ABOVE TAKEN AROUND THE TIME THE JUNIORATE CLOSED SHOWS THE LAWN QUADRANGLE AND THE CLOISTER DOMINATED BY A LARGE STATUE OF OUR LADY. THE ATTRACTIVE FISH POND AROUND THE BASE OF THE STATUE WAS CONSTRUCTED BY STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE IN THE 1970's.

BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY A RATIONALISATION OF THE ORDER'S HOUSES HAD BECOME NECESSARY IN THE LIGHT OF DECLINING NUMBERS AND IT WAS DECIDED WITH REGRET TO RETURN THE PROVINCIALATE TO MARRICKVILLE. FOR A FEW YEARS AFTERWARDS THE RETREAT REMAINED OPEN BUT IN 2003 IT WAS FINALLY CLOSED. SEVERAL EFFORTS WERE MADE TO RETAIN THE BUILDING BUT IT WAS NOT REALLY SUITED TO RENOVATION OR CONVERSION TO A NURSING HOME OR SIMILAR INSTITUTION AND SO WAS SOLD TO DEVELOPERS WHO DEMOLISHED THE RETREAT EXCEPT FOR THE FRONT WING SAVED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL IMPORT OF ITS INTERNAL WOODEN STAIRCASE. THIS PART OF THE BUILDING STILL STANDS TODAY PROVIDING A MEMORIAL OF THE SIXTY-SIX YEARS OF PASSIONIST PRESENCE IN ST IVES.

THE FIRST CHAPEL (LEFT) WAS SIMPLY A ROOM IN THE MAIN COLLEGE BUILDING AND WAS IN HARMONY WITH THE IDEAL OF MONASTIC SIMPLICITY AS ESPOUSED BY THE ORDER'S FOUNDER, SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS.

DURING THE 50's A FREE-STANDING CHAPEL WAS BUILT FOR THE COLLEGE. THE CHAPEL EXTENDED OUT FROM THE COLONNADED FOURTH SIDE OF THE QUADRANGLE THUS CREATING A CLOISTERED SQUARE IN THE STYLE OF THE TRADITIONAL MEDIEVAL MONASTERY CLOSES.

THE STYLE OF THE CHAPEL WAS TYPICAL OF ITS TIME BEING TRADITIONAL IN LITURGICAL ORIENTATION BUT MODERN IN MATERIALS AND DESIGN (SEE BELOW). IN STRUCTURE IT IS LOW WITH AN ASYMMETRICAL ROOF AND SQUARE WINDOWS. ITS PURPOSE IS PROCLAIMED BY A BIG PLAIN CROSS ON THE WALL AND A FLECHE-LIKE SPIRE SURMOUNTING THE WESTERN RIDGELINE.

THE INTERIOR, LIKE THE EXTERIOR, IS A HARMONIOUS BLEND OF BOTH TRADITIONAL AND MODERN STYLES. SEEN ON THE LEFT AS IT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE CHANGES BROUGHT IN BY VATICAN II THE DOMINATING FEATURE OF THE SANCTUARY IS A POWERFUL RAYED CRUCIFIX ON THE EAST WALL. DIRECTLY BELOW THIS IS LOCATED THE ORIGINAL HIGH ALTAR AND A LOVELY TABERNACLE.

THE STYLING OF THE ALTAR AND ITS ACCOUTREMENTS, WHILE THEY SATISFY THE LITURGICAL NEEDS OF THE TIME, ALREADY LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEW STYLE. THIS CAN BE SEEN IN THE PHOTO ABOVE WHERE ALL THE FEATURES OF THE HIGH ALTAR ARE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MASS CARDS, ESSENTIALLY STILL INTACT WHICH INCLUDES THE CANDLES, THE TRADITIONAL LIGHTS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF A HIGH MASS TO THE TABERNACLE'S SIDES.

THE PLAIN WHITE MARBLE ALTAR IS INCISED WITH A MONOGRAM MADE UP OF THE TWO LETTERS 'J' AND 'P' AROUND A CROSS SUPERIMPOSED WITH A LARGE 'X'. TOGETHER THEY A SYMBOL OF THE PASSION (CROSS) OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ('XP' STANDING FOR XPISTOS IN GREEK).

AFTER THE CLOSURE OF VATICAN II AND THE CHANGES IN THE LITURGY OF THE LATE 60's THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAPEL WAS RE-ORGANISED TO ACCOMODATE THE NEW ORDER OF MASS. THE OLD CRUCIFIX AND HIGH ALTAR WERE KEPT, ALTHOUGH THE VASES WERE REMOVED. A MODERN WOODEN ALTAR WAS PUT IN JUST OUTSIDE THE SANCTUARY STEPS. A MATCHING AMBO IS TO THE RIGHT.

ANOTHER ATTRACTIVE FEATURE IS THE SERIES OF SMALL WINDOWS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ALTAR. THESE ARE MADE UP PIECES OF BRIGHTLY COLOURED GLASS. ALTHOUGH THE CHAPEL WAS AMONG THE SECTIONS OF THE OLD RETREAT WHICH WERE DEMOLISHED BY THE DEVELOPERS, BOTH THE CORPUS OFF THE CROSS AND STAINED GLASS CHIPS WERE SAVED AND ARE NOW BEING USED IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE FOYER OF THE MARRICKVILLE PROVINCIAL HOUSE.

TODAY THE CHAPEL HAS GONE BUT THE MEMORY OF THE MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE LORD REMAINS, SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE LIVES OF THE PASSIONISTS, FATHERS AND BROTHERS, WHO PASSED THROUGH ITS HALLS OR PRAYED BEFORE OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.

I AM INDEBTED TO BROTHER JEFF DALY CP, PROVINCIAL ARCHIVIST FOR MUCH OF THE INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE HISTORICAL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE. HIS HELP AND UNSTINTING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT ARE HERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH GRATITUDE.