St Patrick's Catholic Church, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Patrick's Church |
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St Patrick's Catholic Church, York, in 2006
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| 31°53′18″S 116°45′43″E / 31.88833°S 116.76194°E | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Nunan |
| Style | Victorian Academic Gothic style |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth |
St Patrick's Church in York, Western Australia is a Catholic church that serves the local community. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth. Besides York, it also helps look after churches in nearby towns like Beverly, Brookton, and Pingelly.
The church building is famous for its beautiful design. It was built between 1875 and 1883. It is made of stone and slate and has a tall, four-level tower. The style of the building is called Victorian Academic Gothic.
Contents
The First St Patrick's Church
In 1858, many Catholic people lived in York. Some were convicts who had arrived in the area. A Spanish monk named Father Francisco Salvado came to York. He quickly started collecting money to build a small church.
By the end of 1858, he had collected £25. The first stone for the church was laid on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1859. Bishop Serra led the ceremony, and about 100 people attended. In October 1859, the government also gave £25 to help with the building costs.
The first church was made of brick and cost £180. We don't know who built it. It was a simple Gothic-style building that could fit about 80 people. A small room at the back was used as a sacristy (a room for church items) and also as Father Salvado's home. Around 200 Catholics lived in York at that time, mostly convicts. The church officially opened on March 17, 1860.
Building the New St Patrick's Church
Father Patrick Joseph Gibney became the Catholic priest in York in 1868. He stayed until the early 1900s. His biggest achievement was building the new, larger St Patrick's Church. This is the church you see today, located next to the old one.
When the new church was planned, York was the fourth largest town in Western Australia. So, they wanted to build a big and comfortable church. Before construction began, many building materials were gathered on the site.
The architect for St Patrick's was Joseph Nunan. He arrived in Australia on the last convict ship, the Hougoumont, on January 10, 1868.
The foundation stone for the new church was planned for October 28, 1874. However, it was delayed until Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, 1875. This allowed Bishop Matthew Griver to place the stone himself.
Henry Davies was hired as the stonemason. Other workers were hired for different tasks. People who had been convicts but were now free to work (called "ticket-of-leave men") were employed from 1868 to 1875. Many church members helped by bringing timber, lime, stone, and bricks. Father Gibney himself helped a lot, carrying 39 loads of timber and working 322 days moving stone and bricks, all while doing his regular priest duties. The Sisters of Mercy also helped raise money by holding many fairs.
By May 1877, enough stone work was done to start building the roof.
A German immigrant named Thomas Prunster created many of the wooden parts inside the church. These included the strong beams supporting the roof, the high choir and organ area above the entrance, and the staircase in the tower. The roof was first covered with thousands of sheoak wood shingles by Thomas Tompkinson.
Opening and Dedication
The unfinished church had its first blessing and opening on January 14, 1883. Father Gibney's brother, Bishop Matthew Gibney, led this event.
Three years later, on February 21, 1886, the church was officially dedicated to Saint Patrick. Bishop Rosendo Salvado performed this special ceremony. By this time, the church had cost £7,000. This money was raised by 800 church members. The beautiful stained glass windows came from Franz Mayer and Co in Munich and London, costing £330.
Later Work on the Church
Work continued on the church tower for the next ten years. It was finally finished in 1909. Around the same time, the original wooden roof shingles were replaced with more durable slate tiles.
Church Architecture
St Patrick's Church is built in the Victorian Academic Gothic style. This style includes several special features:
- A very steep roof
- High-quality stone work
- A tall, noticeable tower
- Decorative walls at the top, like those on a castle
- Pointed gables (the triangular part of a wall under a sloping roof)
- Tall, slender spires (pinnacles)
- A covered entrance (porch)
- Strong supports built into the walls (buttresses)
- Pointed arches, typical of Gothic buildings
- A large round window with a pattern (rose window)
- Windows with decorative stone patterns (tracery)
- Circular, three-leaf, and eight-leaf shaped window designs (quatrefoils, trefoils, and an octofoil)
Current Use
St Patrick's Church is still an active church today. It continues to hold Catholic services for the community in York.
Heritage Status
The building is recognized as an important historical site. It is listed on several heritage registers, including:
- The Shire municipal inventory (since December 31, 1995)
- Classified by the National Trust of Australia (since March 5, 1985)
- On the Register of the National Estate (since March 21, 1978)
- On the State Register Permanent (since May 18, 2004)
