St Bernard’s Catholic Church

From atop a hill, it began its journey. St Bernard’s Catholic Church wasn’t always where you see it today. Our story begins in 1911, high on a hill between Ohiro Road and Jefferson Street. Archbishop Redwood opened and blessed the church, then known as St Anthony’s. For a time, it served a dual purpose. Not just a place of worship, St Anthony’s also housed a school run by the Sisters of Mercy. This continued until a dedicated school building was erected on Taft Street in 1948. By then, the original church location wasn’t ideal for the growing Catholic population in Mornington. A new site was acquired across from the new school. Instead of building anew, the community embraced a unique solution. They decided to recycle their beloved church. Imagine the scene: the church, carefully dismantled, transported down the hill on tram lines to Ohiro Road. Then, horse-drawn lorries carried it piece by piece to its current location on Taft Street. Rebuilt and extended, St Anthony’s found new life. Archbishop O’Shea blessed the resurrected church in 1949. The spirit of recycling extended beyond the building itself. A parishioner, Monica Healy, began collecting unwanted items, selling them to raise parish funds. This evolved into the Waste Product Society, recycling vast quantities of materials. The parish hall, opened in 1958, was jokingly said to be built “on rags and bottles”. St Anthony’s eventually became an independent parish in 1961, served by its first parish priest, Father Bernard Hehir. To avoid confusion with other similarly named parishes, it was renamed St Bernard’s in 1962. So, as you stand before St Bernard’s Catholic Church, remember its unusual journey. It’s a testament to the community’s resourcefulness and dedication. It’s a story of recycling, both literal and spiritual, woven into the very fabric of this building.