The Building of the New Presbytery, Parish Office and Classrooms
In 1993 Father Julian Williamson O.M.I. was appointed parish priest. It was his suggestion that the parish should consolidate. The parish in many ways was still fragmented with the Church and Hall on one plot, and two hundred metres up the road, the Parish Office and Presbytery, whilst catechism was still being held in the Convent school of Our Lady of Natal Classrooms. The proposal was put to the parish to build a new presbytery and classrooms on the vacant parish land. The parish accepted the proposal. Permission was sought and granted by the Archdiocese. In 1995 the presbytery was sold. Due to the kindness of a parishioner, Father Julian was given the use of his house as a residence, whilst the parishioner lived in the granny flat on the property.
In November 1996 Father Eric Boulle O.M.I., the newly appointed parish priest (Father Julian unfortunately passed away in the April 1996 and never saw the building completed) moved into a brand new house. The classrooms were completed the same year. The Catechetical year of 1997 started in the parish’s own classrooms.
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Message from Cardinal Napier | Message from Fr Stuart Bate OMI | Forward: Professor Joy Brain | Introduction | A history of the St Francis Mission | Establishment of the Church at Fynnland | The Church at Wentworth | Centralisation of St Francis Xavier and Building of the New Church | The Building of the Parish Hall | The Building of the New Presbytery | The Building of the Wall of Remembrance | The Architectural meaning of the New Church | Your Church in Rhyme by Fr Andy Slowey | The Human Contribution to the Growth of the Parish | Groups and Organisations that have contributed to the Parish | Current Groups within the Parish | Local Vocations | Awards and Recognition | An Armchair tour of the Parish | The Shrine to Our Lady of Natal | Landholdings of the Catholic Church on the Bluff | A Portrait of the Life and Times of St Francis Xavier | Picture Gallery | Timeline of incidents of the Bluff Parish
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