Right here stands Our Lady Queen of Peace, a testament to faith. It stands as a community cornerstone in Gladesville. Our Lady Queen of Peace has a story that intertwines with the early days of Catholicism in Australia.
Let’s journey back. It was a time when Catholic convicts yearned for spiritual guidance. Mass was a forbidden act. Imagine the courage it took to practice their faith.
In 1792, the Catholic colony consisted of 300 convicts. They had few free settlers. They lacked a priest or a place for worship. Their petitions to the Governor were ignored. The Governor held absolute power under British rule.
A convict priest, Fr Dixon, celebrated the first officially allowed Mass on May 15th, 1803. Another followed on May 22nd in Parramatta. However, the Governor withdrew permission in 1804. Fr Dixon was accused of involvement in a convict uprising at Castle Hill. Secret Masses were held after this. Fr Dixon returned to Ireland in 1808.
In 1817, Fr O’Flynn was appointed by the Pope. He arrived in Sydney without British Government sanction. Ordered to leave, he secretly ministered to the Catholic colony. Mass and Rosary were said at Mr Davis’s home. His house was on the present site of St Patrick’s at Church Hill. After Fr O’Flynn’s deportation, the Blessed Sacrament was preserved there. People gathered in secret for prayer.
The official founding of the Catholic Church in Australia occurred on May 3rd, 1820. Frs Conolly and Therry arrived with government sanction.
Gladesville wasn’t settled during Fr O’Flynn’s time. Yet, it holds a strong connection to this early history. A small wooden cross resides in Our Lady Queen of Peace’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This cross is a link to Sydney’s early Catholic history.
In May 1818, Fr Jeremiah O’Flynn was deported. The Blessed Eucharist was left at James Dempsey’s home in Kent St. Reserved in a cedar cupboard, it became a focus for worship. The faithful gathered for Sunday devotions. In November 1819, it was consumed by a visiting French ship’s chaplain.
Charles Cavanagh, a devout man, carved the altar frontal for St Patrick’s College chapel from the cedar cupboard wood. He kept some wood and shavings. He made three crosses. One was given to the Catholic Museum at St Mary’s Cathedral. Another was kept in the presbytery. The third was placed in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. It serves as a memento of the first Australian Catholic pioneers’ faith.
Our Lady Queen of Peace had its beginnings between 1900 and 1950. Fr Gell, known for his generosity, purchased the land. The site was on the corner of Victoria Road and Westminister Road. The first part of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church was dedicated on October 13th, 1925. Archbishop Kelly dedicated it under the title Our Lady of Peace. Fr Coughlan later changed the name to Our Lady Queen of Peace. The first stage of the school was completed the same year. The Sisters of Mercy commenced teaching. Further additions were made in 1929.
By the 1930s, the community grew. It incorporated many people from Italy. In 1931, a choir gallery was erected by voluntary labor. In March of that year, the statue of Our Lady of Terzito was unveiled. It had been imported from Italy. This began a special devotion that continues today.
Gladesville was made a separate Parish on November 27th, 1946. Fr R.B. Coughlan was appointed Parish Priest. By 1948, the Church had become overcrowded. Fr Coughlan requested permission to increase the number of Masses.
In the Priests’ Sacristy are photos of the three Parish Priests. They have served the Gladesville community since it acquired its own Church and School in 1925. They are photos of Fr Edward Gell, Fr Richard Bede Coughlan, and Fr Brian Byron.
Today, Our Lady Queen of Peace stands as a beacon. It shines for the Gladesville community. It connects the present to the resilient faith of Australia’s early Catholics.