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ACROSS Our Diocese
Golden Celebrations for Carlingford
In March this year, the Epping-Carlingford community celebrated the 50th anniversary of the birth of St Gerard Majella’s Church, Carlingford.
The celebrations began with a short informative talk by Gordon Floyd (reprinted below) followed by a beautiful Mass concelebrated by Frs
Peter Dowd PP, Vince Casey VG, David Ranson, Colin Blayney (former PP), Noel Molloy, Michael Stoney SJ and Eugene Szondi. Parishioners,
visitors and guests filled St Gerard’s to overflowing.
Mass was followed by refreshments in the Church Hall, which was the site of the original St Gerard’s Church. Beautifully decorated, and with
tables overflowing with food, parishioners and guests laughed, chatted and reminisced as they expressed thanks for all that had happened
over the past 50 years, and looked forward to a strong and vibrant future together.
St Gerard Majella Carlingford
– 50 Years on,
by Gordon James Floyd
The early history of the
Carlingford area was one of
orchards, market gardens and small
farm holdings. In those days the
Carlingford population of the area
belonged to the Epping parish. In
1950 the parish boundaries were
changed resulting in Carlingford
becoming part of the Rydalmere
parish. Due to the difficulty
of access from Carlingford to
Rydalmere, Father Ford, the Parish
Priest, arranged for Mass to be celebrated
in the old scouts hall in
Lloyds Avenue, Carlingford. The
first Mass was celebrated in that
venue on 17 September 1950.
“I note the rural atmosphere
and I see a strong vibrant future
of the parish.” Betty Connors,
living in Epping for 4 years.
The next development was the
establishment of a church on the
corner of Pennant Hills Road
and Evans Rd, Carlingford. This
church was a damaged Presbyterian
building from Campsie, which was
re-erected on Housing Commission
land granted rent-free for a period
of five years. Named Our Lady of
the Way, the first Mass was celebrated
there in March 1956.
Subsequently, the parish boundaries
were reviewed due to the
residential development throughout
the Rydalmere parish, and
Carlingford became part of the new
parish of Dundas/Carlingford,
with Father Robert Nolan appointed
as Parish Priest.
“I recall all the husbands clearing
blackberry bushes to allow
passage to the church. There
have been great changes to the
area from farmland to a leafy
close community… I still have
friends from those early days and
I see the current generation will
work to continue the community.”
Marie Louise McDiamond,
Parishioner 52 years.
As the Housing Commission
plans necessitated the return of
the land on which the little church
stood, new arrangements were
needed for the establishment of a
new Mass centre for Carlingford.
Father Nolan informed the parishioners
that the Church had acquired
some three and a half acres of land
in Carlingford and consideration
would need to be given to constructing
a new Mass centre on
the site.
This parcel of land was part
of the old Pennant Hills Radio
Station and the portion acquired by
the Church included the machinery
room in a near-derelict state. The
parcel of land is the land on which
the current St Gerard Majella community
of the Epping/Carlingford
parish now stands.
Following inspections of the site,
meetings of parishioners were held
and it was decided that the building
could be renovated to become the
Mass centre for those living in the
Carlingford area. As funds were
short, families of the area willingly
offered their services to undertake
the necessary work to achieve the
desired end of providing a local
Mass centre.
Working bees were organised
on Saturdays and Sundays
for some four months before the
building was ready for the celebration
of Mass. The total cost up to
that point was $24,000 spent on
materials, as there were no labour
costs incurred. The first Mass was
celebrated on 13 May 1962.
The working bees up to this
point had concentrated on the
preparation of the interior of
the building so that it was presentable
for Mass, however there
remained a lot of work to be
done to improve the appearance
and suitability of the building to
function in the longer term as a
church. Accordingly working bees
continued for many months.
Due to the development of the
area and its population growth,
it soon became evident that the
parish of Dundas/Carlingford
was becoming too big for one
priest to manage. It was soon
split into the two parishes of
Dundas and Carlingford, and
Father Robert Nolan elected to
take the Carlingford portion and
to continue with the parish development
work he had initiated.
The first Mass to be celebrated
in the new parish of St Gerard
Majella Carlingford took place on
3 March 1963.
“I believe there is a strong future
thanks to good priests including
Fr Colin who established
many groups. Fr Peter is now
continuing this good work. I
particularly praise Sr Pauline
for her continued devotion to the
community…” Margaret Maher,
Parishioner over 40 years.
The separation of the
Carlingford area into its own parish
meant more work and more
working bees! Having vacated his
Dundas presbytery, Father Nolan
initially rented a cottage in Tripoli
Avenue, Carlingford, to serve as
a presbytery until one could be
built on the parish site. The parish
engaged a builder, Mr Dallas
Shannon, who undertook the
major building works with parishioners
undertaking much of the
labouring tasks together with all
the plumbing and electrical works.
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