St Francis Xavier Church, Goodna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Francis Xavier Church, Goodna |
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St Francis Xavier Church in 2015
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| 27°36′38″S 152°53′58″E / 27.6106°S 152.8995°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Patrick's Church |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 15 August 1880 |
| Founder(s) | Bishop James Quinn |
| Dedication |
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| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Andrea Giovanni Stombuco |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1881–1980s |
| Completed | 1 May 1881 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone; corrugated galvanised iron |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ipswich |
| Archdiocese | Brisbane |
St Francis Xavier Church is a very old and important Roman Catholic church in Goodna, Australia. It is located at 6 Church Street. The church was designed by a famous architect named Andrea Giovanni Stombuco. It was built in 1881 by William Hanley. When it first opened, it was called St Patrick's Church. This church is so special that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is protected for its historical value.
Contents
History of the Church
The St Francis Xavier Church was designed by architect Andrea Stombuco. The very first stone, called the foundation stone, was laid on Sunday, 15 August 1880. This was done by Bishop James Quinn of Brisbane. The church was officially opened on Sunday, 1 May 1881, also by Bishop Quinn.
Building the Church
Building the church was a big project. Local stone came from a nearby quarry, which is like a stone mine. People from the church community helped by moving the stone to the building site for free. Most of the stone work was done by William Hanley. Other workers finished the job. James Madden from Ipswich did the carpentry and painting.
The wood for the church came from different places. The cedar wood was from Doorey's sawmill. Other wood came from Reillys and Hancocks in Ipswich. The original front door was made of cedar and painted red. Inside, the walls were plastered, but the ceiling was made of "Rosewood pine" and painted dark blue. The first roof was made of a material called Gospel Oak iron.
This church was quite large and impressive for its time. Most other Catholic churches in the Ipswich area back then were simpler buildings made of timber.
Becoming a Parish
The church was first part of the Ipswich church area. But in 1892, it became its own separate church area, called a parish. The first priest for this new parish was Father Thomas Hayes.
A school was started in 1910. A building for nuns, called a convent, was built in 1911. The Sisters of Mercy nuns taught at the school. This two-story timber convent building is still standing today on Church Street, across from St Francis Xavier Church. A house for the priest, called a presbytery, was built in the 1890s. It was taken down around 1980. You can still see where it was because there is a flat area with trees around it.
Church Renovations
The church was updated and made bigger in 1915. A builder named J.C. Hobbs from Brisbane did the work. The main change was adding a new rounded section at the back, called an apse, made of brick. Two small rooms, called sacristies, were also added on the sides. To connect the new apse, an archway was cut into the back wall of the church.
Two side windows were changed into double doors. The other six pairs of windows were changed so they could open. A new rail, called an altar rail, was put in front of the altar. A new entrance area, called a porch, was added at the front. It had a black-and-white tiled floor and a special window with colored glass, called a leadlight window, made by Extons. The church's foundations were made stronger. Iron plates were added along the walls to hold them together.
At this time, two large stained glass windows were put into the side walls. One window was a memorial for a local school teacher, John Carroll. The other was for Denis Gorman. Other special windows and items inside the church, like the Stations of the Cross paintings and statues, are also memorials.
Name Change and Later Updates
The church's name was changed to St Francis Xavier in the 1920s. This was done to avoid confusion because many churches were named St Patrick's.
More changes happened in the 1970s and 1980s. These changes were made because of new ways of doing church services. Outside, a light timber structure was built at the northern side entrance. This gave people a place to gather after a service. A local architect and church member, Hubert van Hoof, designed it. The church building was also repaired at this time, and a new floor was put in.
Inside, the area around the altar, called the sanctuary, was changed many times. The altar was moved and later made smaller. The altar rail was taken away. The seating, called pews, are not the original ones. They were brought from another church recently. New altar furniture made of silky oak wood was designed by Hubert van Hoof.
What the Church Looks Like
St Francis Xavier Church is built in a traditional cross shape, known as a cruciform-plan. It is in the Gothic Revival style. It is made of sandstone and has steep, pointed roofs, called gabled roofs. These roofs are covered with corrugated galvanised iron.
At the western end, there is a small gabled entrance porch. Its floor has black and white tiles. At the eastern end, there is an extended sanctuary and two sacristies made of brick. A newer timber entrance on the northern side lets people enter from the car park into the middle part of the church, called the nave. The windows are shaped like pointed arches. Some of them have beautiful stained and colored glass memorials.
The nave is the main part of the church where people sit. It has a large archway that leads to the extended sanctuary. The floor of the sanctuary is raised and now extends into the nave. There are special alcoves, called niches, on each side of the archway. These niches hold religious statues. The ceiling is made of painted wooden boards. You can see the steel rods and braces that support the roof.
The church pews are benches made of light-colored wood. They have low backs and are likely from the 1970s. Other furniture includes a small timber altar from an earlier time. There is also new altar furniture made of light-colored silky oak wood, designed by Hubert van Hoof.
On the walls of the nave, you can see paintings showing the Stations of the Cross. There is also a special plaque honoring the first Parish Priest, Father Hayes. On the outside walls, above the windows, there is a steel strap running along the length of the stone work.
The church is surrounded by a park-like area with old, tall trees. The most noticeable are the tall hoop pines to the north, east, and west. The original entrance gates from Church Street are still there in front of the church.
New school buildings are located close to the south side of the church. A brick presbytery (priest's house) and church office, built around 1980, are to the north-east. These newer buildings are not part of the heritage listing.
Why the Church is Important
St Francis Xavier Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is recognized as a very important historical place for several reasons:
- Shows Queensland's History: The church helps us understand how the Goodna area developed. It shows how much the Catholic community wanted to build a strong local church in the 1880s.
- Good Example of its Style: It is a great example of a simple, traditional stone church built in the Gothic Revival style.
- Looks Beautiful: The church is in a very noticeable spot near Goodna's main shops. With its old trees, it stands out and adds beauty to the street.
- Important to the Community: Since it was built in 1881, the church has been very important for the spiritual, social, and educational life of the Goodna community.
- Connected to Important People: It was built following the design of a very important architect in Queensland's history, Andrea Stombuco.
