St Mary Star of the Sea, West Melbourne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Star of the Sea |
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St Mary Star of the Sea, from Howard Street
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| 37°48′22″S 144°57′11″E / 37.80611°S 144.95306°E | |
| Location | 235-273 Victoria Street, West Melbourne, Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Religious order | Opus Dei |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | June 1892 |
| Dedication | Our Lady, Star of the Sea |
| Dedicated | 18 February 1900 by Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran |
| Consecrated | 12 February 1925 by Archbishop Bartolomeo Cattaneo, Apostolic Nuncio |
| Relics held | Archdiocese Shrine of the Holy Family |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1892 – 1925 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 53 metres (175 ft) |
| Width | 29 metres (96 ft) |
| Nave width | 21 metres (68 ft) |
| Materials | Brick, stone, slate |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary's Star of the Sea |
| Archdiocese | Melbourne |
St Mary Star of the Sea is a Catholic parish church in West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is a very large church, sometimes called the biggest parish church in Melbourne or even Australia.
The first stone for the church was placed in 1882. The main building was finished by 1900. Since 2002, work has been ongoing to restore the church to its original beautiful state.
The church was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on December 11, 2008. This means it is an important historical building.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Early Beginnings
In 1852, land was set aside for a church in North Melbourne. The first stone was laid on May 14, 1854. Within six months, a simple stone church was built.
Melbourne's port was close by, so the church was named after Our Lady, Star of the Sea. She is the patroness (special protector) of sailors. Priests from St Francis' Church, which was Melbourne's first main Catholic church, served this new mission.
Many people moved to Victoria during the Victorian Gold Rush. This caused the Catholic community to grow quickly. In 1862, people decided to build a new, bigger church. However, there wasn't enough money.
Instead, two extra parts (transepts) were added to the existing church in 1871. This made the church big enough for 500 people.
In 1873, St Mary Star of the Sea became its own parish. A parish is a local church community. The first parish priest was Rev Henry England. In 1875, the Archbishop said the church was still not big enough. So, another transept was added, and the inside was updated.
New plans for an even bigger church were made in 1881. The foundation stone was laid in 1883. But the priest died, and there wasn't enough money. The project stopped. In 1889, the new parish priest, Rev Patrick Joseph Aylward, stopped the project completely. He thought the planned church was still too small for the growing number of Catholics.
Building the Current Church
The foundations for the church we see today were laid in June 1892. A young architect named Edgar J. Henderson designed a grand stone church in the French Gothic style. It was planned to be 175 feet (53 meters) long and 94 feet (29 meters) wide.
Some people, including Archbishop Thomas Joseph Carr, thought the church was too big. But the local people loved the ambitious plan. However, a big economic downturn happened within a year. Despite this, the community managed to raise money to keep building. The church was mostly built in just eight years.
Phillip Kennedy later took over as the architect. He added his own style, which is why the church's outside and inside look a bit different. Henderson's design included large rose windows and tall timber ceilings. Kennedy added shiny marble and granite pillars, with pink walls. This mix shows both French Gothic and Italian influences.
On February 18, 1900, Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran officially opened the new church. About 1,400 people attended. A local newspaper said the community had gone from the "worst" church building to "one of the finest."
The church was fully completed in 1925. On February 12, Archbishop Bartolomeo Cattaneo dedicated the new marble altar. He also officially consecrated the finished church.
Parish Life Over Time
In its early years, St Mary's was mostly for Irish Australian families. During the Gold Rush, many Chinese Australians also attended. The graves of many early church members are under the nearby Queen Victoria Market.
After World War II, many new immigrants came to Australia. Italian and Maltese Australian families joined St Mary's. They added to the church's traditions. More recently, Lithuanian and Vietnamese Australians have also become part of the parish.
Important church leaders lived at St Mary's. Daniel Mannix was a bishop who lived there from 1913 to 1917. He was also the parish priest. He led a campaign against Australians being forced to join the army during World War I. He later became an Archbishop and served for many years. Other bishops, like Justin Simonds and Arthur Francis Fox, also lived and served as parish priests at St Mary's.
In 2001, Archbishop George Pell asked the priests of Opus Dei to take care of the parish. Opus Dei is a special part of the Catholic Church.
Restoration of the Church
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Why Restoration Was Needed
The economic problems of the 1890s meant the church was built with cheaper materials. The stone used for the outside wore down over time. The beautiful blue and gold patterns inside the church also faded. In the 1950s, these patterns were painted over.
From the 1960s, West Melbourne became more industrial. Fewer people lived there, so fewer people attended the church. This meant less money for repairs. The church's stone exterior and slate roof needed expensive work.
Because of money issues, St Mary's did not change much after the Second Vatican Council. Many Catholic churches updated their interiors then. St Mary's kept its old communion rails, and its forward altar was only temporary.
By the 1990s, the outside of St Mary's was in bad shape. It was even dangerous in some places. The inside was dark and looked worn out.
How the Church Was Restored
In 2002, the parish priest, Rev Joseph Martins, started a big restoration project. It was planned to cost $10 million and is still ongoing. Thomas Hazell led the project. Dennis Payne was the main architect, working with a team skilled in old buildings. George Giannis was the chief restorer. He not only brought back old designs but also added details that were planned but never built.
For example, gold stencil patterns were recreated in the sanctuary (the area around the altar). Some of these patterns are like those found in the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. Others are from designs for the Houses of Parliament in London. Giannis's team also restored the images of St Gabriel and St Michael above the high altar.
They also painted a picture of Christ Pantocrator (Christ as Ruler of All). This picture was meant to be on the arch between the nave (main part of the church) and the chancel (area near the altar). Fiberglass angels now stand in high niches in the ceiling. Wooden angels were planned in the 1890s but never made.
A new permanent marble altar was built so the priest could face the people during Mass. This altar was designed by Rev Victor Martinez. It is very heavy and needed extra support underneath. The inside restoration is mostly finished.
Many trade unions and building companies helped by donating labor and materials. Most of the money raised went to replacing the old stone on the outside walls. Over 250 tons of new stone were used on the north and east sides. Work on the west and south sides is still needed. The global financial crisis affected fundraising, slowing down the work.
The church is an important historical site listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
About the Church Building
Outside the Church
The church has a traditional shape. It has a tall main section (nave) with a pointed roof. It also has side sections (transepts) that cross the main part. At the back, there is a rounded area called an apse.
The nave has lower side sections (aisles). This allows for windows higher up in the nave, called clerestory windows. In the front corner, there is an unfinished tower. It was meant to be 162 feet (about 50 meters) tall.
The church is built of brick, covered with stone on the outside. It has a base of dark bluestone. Above that are layers of lighter limestone and sandstone. Different types of limestone from New Zealand were used for details around doors and windows. The small columns next to windows and doors are made of polished red granite.
The church roof is covered with green slate tiles from England. At the center of the roof is a tall, thin spire called a flêche. It is made of zinc and wood. It has openings with vents and is topped with a cross.
The Fitzgerald Tower, as it was named, is still not finished. It was planned to be much taller. The part that is built has two levels. It has strong supports (buttresses) at each corner.
Inside the Church
Main Areas of the Church
The church's inside layout is shaped like a Latin cross. It is 175 feet (53 meters) long from front to back. It is 96 feet (29 meters) wide from one side section (transept) to the other. The main part of the church is 68 feet (21 meters) wide. It includes the nave, two side aisles, and three pairs of small alcoves. Some of these alcoves are used for confessions.
At the front of the nave is the organ gallery. You can reach it by stairs in the northeast corner. In the southeast corner is the original baptistery, now used as a chapel for Saint Josemaría.
The main part of the church has five sections. Arches separate the nave from the side aisles. Each arch is supported by six red granite columns. These columns are placed so they do not block the view of the high altar from the aisles. The tops of the columns have carved leaf designs. Each column has a brass plate at its base. These plates show the name of the person or group who paid for that column.
Sanctuary and Chapels
St Mary's has four smaller chapels in addition to the main altar. Two chapels are next to the sanctuary. One is for the Sacred Heart (south side), and the other is for the Blessed Virgin Mary (north side). Two smaller chapels are in front of the transepts. One is for Saints of Ireland (south), and the other is for Saint Joseph (north). All four chapels and the sanctuary have a semi-octagonal shape.
A white marble rail separates the sanctuary and chapels from the rest of the church. This rail was put in in 1927. It has decorative quatrefoil patterns. The sanctuary and chapels have special entrances with fancy brass gates. Some columns inside are made of Pyrenean rose marble. Others are scagliola, which is a special plaster that looks like marble.
The floor of the sanctuary and chapels is covered with a marble mosaic pattern. It was installed in 1927. The mosaic has off-white tiles with a yellow grid. It also has a detailed border of black, grey, and yellow tiles. The design includes circles with symbols. These symbols include a lamb (for Christ), a sailing ship (for Star of the Sea), a cross, and a basket with loaves and fish (for the Eucharist).
The Organ
The church's organ was built by George Fincham, a leading organ builder. He worked on it from 1898 to 1900. It was the first pipe organ in Australia to be recognized as historically important. It is the largest 19th-century organ in Australia that is still mostly original.
Many of Fincham's other large organs have been changed or destroyed. The organs at St Joseph's Parish in Warrnambool and St Mary's are two of the few that remain largely untouched. The St Mary's organ was restored in 1993.
While building this organ in 1899, Fincham had a stroke but recovered. He later made his son Leslie a partner in his company. Fincham continued to build organs until he died in 1910.
St Mary's in Film
The church has been featured in movies. In 2000, it appeared in The Wog Boy. In 2007, it was seen in Ghost Rider.
Gallery
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Santa María Estrella del Mar (Melbourne) para niños
