Dolores Stellmach now McDonald writes of that time
.... When the church was remodelled in 1936 my father’s family was
anxious to donate the main Altar but that was already promised by the Tansey
family so he donated the Sacred Heart Altar.
And, since my brother Ray had died the previous year, my family donated
in his memory, the crucifix and the twelve brass candlesticks which cost 400
pounds at that time. The window above
the main Altar was then donated by my father in memory of his wife who died not
long after. Two of the angel faces in
that window are my brother Ray and sister Bernadette. My mother had been a wonderful worker for
the Church and had a committee of forty and more ladies who all worked hard and
raised a lot of money. Mum’s family the
Sullivans donated the statue of Our Lady at the front of the church. Out of gratitude, Archbishop Duhig never came to Maryborough without visiting the Stellmach home. I therefore feel very closely linked with
St. Mary’s Church - my grandparents were married there in 1877 by Father
O’Brien.
Following
High Mass, a banquet was held in the Parish Hall, Mr. J.A. Murray acting as Chairman. In his speech Archbishop Duhig
again praised St. Mary’s which he described as a gem and singled out the
magnificent sanctuary surmounted by exquisite Corinthian capitals in which
are interwoven Queensland flora and fauna.
He also praised the High
Altar sculptured locally by Mr. Prout and was
amazed that a man of such skill should be found here and practically in an
obscure workshop. I told Mr. Prout to make two statues of St. Peter and St. Paul to
flank the altar and I will not be surprised if orders come from various places
as I have never seen better work of its kind in Australia. St. Peter & St. Paul statues are
supposedly in Canberra.
A
stonemason and carver who also worked on the construction of the High
Altar was reportedly a Mr C. H Andrews.
The day
concluded with Pontifical Benediction given by Archbishop Duhig. Monsignor McCarthy then proceeded to read
out a list of donors whose contributions had totalled over 1,100 pounds on that
day alone. The list included many
families still connected with St. Mary’s and Maryborough - the Wilsons, Noonans,
Mossops, Connors, Kiernovskis,
Lukins, Deeres, Steindls, Klucks, Gosleys, Aitchisons, Bradshaws, O’Gradys, Massinghams, Collins, Gatakers,
Frasers, Geraghtys, Monsours,
Walshs, Cordies, Lusks, St. Ledgers, Hansens, Lavercombes, Costellos, Balkins, Kellihers, Bertrams, Brennans and Coughlins.
THE
COCKERAL ON THE GABLE: It was during the rebuilding of St. Mary’s that the cock
which always fascinates visitors was placed on the front gable. Monsignor McCarthy is said to have been
interested in French ecclesiastical architecture and that is how St. Brigid’s
at Red Hill came to be known as ‘the Bastille’. Many French churches have a cock on the roof
- the reason being that for centuries, since the time of the Avignon Captivity,
the French resented the Italian domination of the Papacy. The cock symbolised this resentment - a
reminder to the Italians that even a Pope, after the manner of Peter, can deny
Christ. The Rooster is a sign of vigilance. The Rooster also cries out to greet
the “Rising Sun” just as Christians “Cry out to greet the Risen Son of God –
Jesus.” The Rooster is a symbol of the
French, being a play on the words Gallic (French) and Gallo (Rooster).
St. Mary’s Gable Cockeral:: This
was the work of Mr. Ted White of Brisbane..
Stations of the Cross:
The present set were the gift of Mr. Maurice O’Regan in 1936. The
earlier ones seem to have been given by Mr. Jeffries. Stations
of the Cross and Memorial Plaque. "THESE STATIONS ERECTED TO THE
MEMORY OF MAURICE AND HANNAH O'REGAN BY THEIR LOVING CHILDREN. RIP." In
the 1970s this plaque was given to Margaret-Mary Hayes, a great grand-daughter
of Maurice and Hannah O'Regan when it was decided
that it should be removed from St. Mary's Church. In 2006 it was returned to
the Parish in anticipation of use being made of it in the History Room. Maurice and Hannah were married in St. Mary's Church on 4 June 1866
by the first Parish Priest, Fr. P.E. Tissot.
They had ten children, three daughters becoming Sisters of Mercy and one son a
Christian Brother. Maurice O'Regan died on 29 August
1920 in Maryborough. He owned various grazing properties in the South Burnett.
He willed money to Fr. Philip Brady, Parish Priest, "for additions to the
present Catholic Church in Maryborough or....towards the cost of another
Catholic Church in the City of Maryborough "
He also made bequests to the Christian Brothers; Hospital; Lady Musgrave
Hospital; and St. Michael's Convent, all in Maryborough, amongst other
bequests. In all he was a very generous benefactor of the Church here and
elsewhere. He is buried at the Maryborough Cemetery in the O'Regan
Family Plot - a four-sided monument with a Celtic cross. The Stations of the
Cross and the memorial plaque were donated by his son Maurice O'Regan, jnr. on behalf of the O'Regan
family. (Compiled from information supplied by Margaret-Mary
Hayes upon the return of the plaque to this Parish. Detailed family
information is recorded elsewhere in this History Room).
Sanctuary Frescos: The sanctuary paintings were the work of
Messrs. O’Mally and Mill, about 1938.
St. Mary’s Altar:
and the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul; these has been treated in the account
of the re-opening of the Church in 1936.
the statues are no in Sts. Peter and Paul’s
Church in Garran, Canberra.
SEVENTH PARISH PRIEST:
FR MARTIN JORDAN (LATER MONDSIGNOR) (1941- 1957)
·
EIGHTH PARISH PRIEST:
FR ROBERT LYONS (LATER MONSIGNOR) (1957- 1978)
·
FR
ROBERT LYONS appointed 1957.PP.
·
1977
WOODEN FLOORING REPLACED WITH CONCRETE.
·
1958
ARAMARA BECAME PART OF PARISH, THE CHURCH THERE WAS BUILT BLESSED AND OPENED IN
1950. ARAMARA CHURCH ONLY ONE IN PARISH WITH A SPIRE.
·
***PARISH
HALL AND PRESBYTERY 1973
·
1972
NEW PRESBYTERY AND HALL
DECIDED TO BE BUILT. 1973 THEY WERE BUILT. 21ST OCTOBER 1973 ARCH
RUSH BLESSED IT........
................
NINTH PARISH PRIEST:
FR
·
FR
TENTH PARISH PRIEST:
FR HARRY BLISS (1989-JUNE 2002)
·
harry
bliss 1989- june
2002,
·
***-organ
full resoration, 1989-1991. rededicated 4.08.1991
·
-
·
***CHURCH RESTORED
19.02.1993. ARCHITECTS - HURST AND HARRIS PTY LTD. BUILDERS BELLERO
CONSTRUCTIONS. REV HARRY BLISS PP (1989-2002)
·
.
·
heritage
rm 1994
·
***jubilee
wall hanging 24/5/2000. CABINET CRAFTED BY BRIAN WHITE AND SONS, CHRIS AND
LUCAS. CABINET FUNDED BY GAMING MACHINE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND.
ELEVENTH PARISH PRIEST : FR ANTHONY MELLOR (JUNE 2002- JANUARY 2005)
·
Father
Anthony Mellor 3/6/02- Jan 28th 2005.
TWELFTH PARISH PRIEST:
FR PAUL KELLY (29TH JANUARY, 2005- PRESENT)
·
Fr
Paul Kelly. Official appointment 29th January 2005-
(arrived Maryborough
parish around 1 Feb 2005) -to the present.
----
ORGANISTS -
- in memory of
JOSEPHINE CONCANNON, ORANIST OF THI
CHURCH FOR 50 YEARS.
-STAN NEUMANN OGANIST - 1960-1994
-
GARDENERS:
IN MEMORY OF BARRY FOOT FOR HIS
DEDICATED CARE OF THE GROUNDS AND GARDENS. BORN 6TH NOV. 1939.
DIED 13TH DEC 2004.
THE DES AISTHORPE (1929-1993)
GARDEN.
-------
7 14 14 TAB 13 6 16 12 C 10 18 5 1 C T T 2 P 3 8
