St Michale’s Catholic Church

Atop a hill, overlooking Sydney’s vibrant northern suburbs, stands St Michael’s Catholic Church. It’s not just a building. It’s a story etched in stone and stained glass, a testament to faith and community. St Michael’s wasn’t always the grand structure you see today. Its journey began modestly in 1919. A simple, eighty-year-old structure, then known as the Dorritt Street Hall, became the first Church of St. Michael, Longueville. This unassuming building served the burgeoning Catholic community, its dedication a curious confluence of Michaels – Father Michael Sherin, builder Michael Breen, and Archbishop Michael Kelly. The area grew rapidly. By 1924, the first church was overflowing, a testament to the expanding community. This led to the construction of a second St Michael’s Church, a Byzantine-style edifice opened in 1926. Imagine the parishioners marveling at the new church, with its commanding views and seating for 650. This beautiful building served the community for half a century. A curious fact about both the first and second churches? Their foundation stones initially identified the location as Longueville. Only in 1930 did the records definitively switch to Lane Cove. Time marched on, and Lane Cove continued to grow. By the 1970s, the second church, built for 400, was again inadequate. The old weatherboard sacristy and sanctuary had deteriorated. Thus, the current St Michael’s Church was born. The last service in the second church was held on a Sunday morning in January 1976. Parishioners processed the Blessed Sacrament to the Dorritt Street hall, which once again became a temporary place of worship. Opened later that year by Cardinal Freeman, the present St Michael’s Church, built by F. C. Zadro, stands as a symbol of the enduring faith and ever-growing community it serves. The next time you visit St Michael’s, take a moment to reflect on its remarkable journey. From a humble hall to the magnificent building that graces the hilltop today, St Michael’s is more than just a church. It’s a living story, a testament to the power of faith and community.