On 31 December 2025, the Marist Fathers celebrated their final Mass – after 157 years of serving the faithful and the needy at St Patrick’s Church Hill, also known as the “spiritual oasis in the heart of the city.”
A Thanksgiving Mass was held on 28 December. We gathered with grateful hearts and mixed emotions. Gratitude for the many years of faithful ministry we have received from the Marist Fathers, and a sense of sadness as we marked the close of this chapter at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Church Hill.
The journey commenced on Sunday 21 August 2022 when Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP announced that the Marist Fathers would be leaving St Patrick’s. The Marist Fathers had informed him that they would be unable to supply priests for St Patrick’s beyond 31 December 2025. At that Mass, Fr Anthony Corcoran, Provincial of the Australian Province of the Marist Fathers, explained that “the Marist Fathers in Australia have 51 members. Half of us are 75 or over the age when bishops have to put in their resignation. In 2025, of the 15 men available for full-time or part-time active service, only nine will be under 75. The Marists have been constrained in our work, in our responsibilities by our rapid diminishment over these years and the most challenging issue is to find able and willing leaders for ministries and administration. So, in 2025 there will be nine who might be available for full or part-time service here at St Patrick’s, but that’s a different question from who would have the skills, the experience, the reasonable youthfulness to be able to take on the leadership of the parish.”
A transition process began which consisted of prayer, reflection, conversation, discussion, and the announcement in 2025 of the new parish priest from the Archdiocese of Sydney, Fr Lewi Barakat and three assistant priests, Fr Matthew Lucaszewicz, Fr Anthony Mifsud and Fr Anderson Gallego Rodas.
My connection with St Patrick’s began in 1995, when as a university student studying to be a teacher, I would attend the Aquinas Academy to study a Certificate in Religious Education. Aquinas Academy was set up by the Marist Father, Fr Austin Woodbury, and was part of the parish life at St Patrick’s for many years. One of my friends from the course ended up becoming a priest, so I like to think of Aquinas Academy as playing a part in priestly vocations. That experience was just one small example of the extraordinary breadth of Marist ministry at St Patrick’s. And when we reflect on it, we can only marvel at how busy and fruitful these 157 years have been.
For a time, St Patrick’s was my second parish as is the case for so many today. Later, when I moved closer to the city, it became my parish home, and it was here that I received the sacrament of Confirmation as an adult.
Like so many parishioners, through the quiet guidance, teaching, and witness of the Marist Fathers, my faith has been deepened and my relationship with Jesus gently and faithfully nurtured.
After the Marist Farewell Thanksgiving Mass, a plaque was presented to the Marist Fathers by the parishioners in the Davis Courtyard. The plaque bears simple words but behind those words lies a story of extraordinary faithfulness over many years. Faithfulness, of course, is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and it has been displayed by the Marist Fathers in an abundant and enduring way.
The plaque reads:
The plaque donated by parishioners to the Marist Fathers. Image: supplied
The unveiling of this plaque was a simple gesture, but it carried deep meaning. It was offered by the lay parishioners of the St Patrick’s community as a visible sign of our appreciation, our affection, and our thanks for all that the Marist Fathers have shared with us over so many years.
When the Marists first arrived in September 1868, the parish of St Patrick’s, like much of the Church in Australia at the time, was young, raw, and growing. The Marist Fathers came simply to serve. To lead is to serve. They brought with them the spirit of their founder, Fr Jean Claude Colin, and a way of being Church that has shaped St Patrick’s ever since.
Fr Jean Claude Colin had a very clear vision for the Society of Mary. He wanted Marists to be:
Present in the Church as if living Mary’s life.
Instruments of God’s mercy.
Hidden and unknown.
When we reflect on the ministry of the Marist Fathers, we see these key dimensions of the Society of Mary’s charism everywhere and in a sustained way over many years.
At its heart, their ministry has been about one essential purpose: helping us to know God, and to make Him known. Everything else flowed from that — the sacraments, the preaching, the pastoral care and the quiet acts of service that so often went unseen. Like Mary, who “treasured all these things in her heart” (cf. Luke 2:19), the Marist Fathers have helped parishioners grow in a quiet, attentive relationship with God, and then encouraged us to carry that relationship into the world through our words, actions, and lives.
True to the Marist charism of being hidden and unknown, the work of the Marist Fathers was never about prominence or recognition. It was marked instead by humility, simplicity and quiet faithfulness. The Marist Fathers have shown us that leadership in the Church does not seek the spotlight, but is lived through steady presence, careful attentiveness and a lifelong willingness to serve.
On the top of the plaque are the Latin words “SVB MARIAE NOMINE” which means , “Under the name of Mary”, the motto of the Society of Mary. The Marist Fathers devotion to Mary, our Good Mother, has gently shaped the spiritual life of this parish. Mary has not only been honoured but imitated. The Marist Fathers have reminded us that Mary’s way is not loud or dramatic, but faithful and courageous, a way of saying yes to God and of walking beside others with hope and tenderness. To be present in the Church as if living Mary’s life is to be faithful, steady and attentive, to listen with the ear of your heart before speaking, to accompany rather than dominate and to remain close to ordinary people and their struggles. For generations, the Marist Fathers have done exactly that at St Patrick’s.
The Marist Fathers have been present in our joys — celebrating marriages, welcoming new life through baptism, rejoicing in First Communions and Confirmations. And also in our sorrows — at hospital bedsides, at graves, in moments when words were few and faith was all that remained. I experienced this presence myself when my mother left her earthly life in 2025. Shortly after, I attended Mass at St Patrick’s, grieving my mother’s death. In passing, I shared my sad news with a parishioner before Mass and in a matter of minutes one of the Marist Fathers was expressing their sympathy to me, offering his condolences and asking about my mother’s name so that we could pray for her in the Mass that was about to begin. In that simple, compassionate moment, I experienced exactly what it means for the Marist Fathers to live Mary’s way among us: present, caring, merciful, and quietly faithful. It also reminded me of how parishioners at St Patrick’s, simply by sharing with one another, help bring God’s love and care into our lives through the ministry of His priests.
Fr Jean Claude Colin called his priests to be instruments of God’s mercy, and under the ministry of the Marist Fathers that mercy has never been abstract or distant. We have encountered it in patient hours spent in the confessional, in compassion shown to those who felt unworthy or forgotten and in second chances offered freely and without condition.
We have also experienced the Marist spirit of family. St Patrick’s has not simply been a parish under the care of the Marist Fathers, it has been a home. A home which is not easy to describe in words. Parishioners have described St Patrick’s with phrases such as, “This is so special” and “It is very difficult to articulate just the uniqueness and the special nature of the community here.” Many here, whether leading ministries or quietly sitting and kneeling in prayer after stepping away from busy city offices, have felt truly welcomed and valued, not as numbers, but as people.
In a bustling city parish, that sense of belonging is a rare and precious gift. A community has been created where participation is encouraged, yet anonymity is respected, a place where one can belong deeply, whether actively involved or quietly present.
A hallmark of the Marist spirit has always been a commitment to be with people rather than over them. At St Patrick’s, that has meant priests who were available, who listened and who walked alongside us in the ordinary rhythms of parish life. Lay people were never treated as secondary, but as valued partners in the mission of the Church, with their gifts and ministries respected and encouraged. In this way, the Marist Fathers showed us that priesthood is not about being above others, but about serving among them. Fr Paul Mahony, one of the last Marist priests at St Patrick’s, shared a story in one of his homilies which for me illustrates this beautifully. When Fr Paul’s mother was complimented on having such an important and special son as a priest, she responded simply that all her children were special. Fr Paul had chosen a different vocation from his siblings, she said, but not a better one. Different, not better. In that gentle response, we see the very heart of the Marist approach – humility, equality, and a deep respect for the dignity and vocation of every person as they respond to their baptismal call to be holy and to spread the Gospel.
Ever since the arrival of the first Marist priest, Fr Joseph Monnier, who was known to work tirelessly as an instrument of God’s mercy, a deep love of work by the Marist Fathers has been evident in the steady rhythm of parish life. There are so many activities at St Patrick’s, from when the doors open on a Monday morning to the last Mass on a Sunday night, reflecting a parish that is alive with faith and service. The convenience of frequent Masses and confession on tap has been extraordinary. There were times when on holy days of obligation, Masses were celebrated continuously on the hour from 7am until 8pm, with busy periods seeing three Masses being celebrated simultaneously: in the church, the crypt, and in the parish hall.
For many years there was a Sunday Mass at 8pm, affectionately known by many as the ‘last Mass in Sydney’, a lifeline for those who had found their day slip away and suddenly realised on a Sunday evening, that they had not yet made it to Mass. St Patrick’s has a long tradition of providing generous access to confession. For example, in the 1890s, it was common prior to major feast days on the Church calendar for four priests to be hearing confessions continuously in the church from mid-afternoon until midnight.
It should also be mentioned that St Brigid’s Church, the oldest surviving place of Catholic worship in Australia, in Kent Street, Millers Point was also under the pastoral care of the Marist Fathers. Mass is held there at 9am each Sunday.
The Marist Fathers’ love of work has been evident in every aspect of parish life: in liturgy prepared with care, preaching firmly rooted in Scripture, faith taught clearly and patiently, the rich musical life of the parish and the attentive care shown to those on the margins. Through all of this, the Marist Fathers have helped us encounter God in the ordinary moments and have inspired us to make Him known through the way we live. I am reminded of the words of Fr Bernie McFadyen who would send us off at the end of his Masses with this simple yet profound instruction: “Go and preach the Gospel by the way that you live.”
As the Marist Fathers have concluded their time at St Patrick’s, we know that their story does not end, it simply changes form. St Patrick’s is part of the pilgrim Church, a journeying people, continually on the move.
The plaque will remain at St Patrick’s as a quiet witness to the Marist Fathers’ years among us. It will not tell the full story, no plaque ever could, but it will remind future generations that the Marist Fathers once served here as instruments of God’s mercy and that it was a good and successful story.
The seeds planted by 162 Marists over 157 years will continue to bear fruit in the faith life of St Patrick’s long into the future. As they move on to new ministries and new communities, they do not leave empty-handed. They carry with them the prayers, gratitude and deep affection of parishioners past and present. And as the Marist Fathers step back, they leave behind a legacy, one in which Christ has truly increased at St Patrick’s. We are reminded of the words from the Gospel of John, when John the Baptist says of Jesus, “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30).
We give thanks to the Marist Fathers for their courage and generosity in responding to God’s call. Over the years, many Marist Fathers have faithfully served God at St Patrick’s. Those entrusted with the title of parish priest carried the added responsibility of guiding and leading the parish community. Fr Joseph Monnier (1868-1874) was the first parish priest followed by Fr Charles Heuze (1874-1883), Fr Peter Le Rennetel (1883-1904), Fr Augustin Ginisty (1904-1912), Fr Peter Piquet (1912-1920), Fr Francis Laurent (1920-1926), Fr Daniel Hurley (1926-1934; 1939-1944; 1955-1963), Fr Hugh McDonnell (1935-1937), Fr Robert Nowlan (1945 – 1953) (the first Australian Marist to be appointed parish priest), Fr Edwin Kelly (1964-1968), Fr Alan Connors (1969-1974), Fr Neville Byrne (1975-1980; 1988-1993; 2008-2009), Fr Thomas Ryan (1981-1986) Fr Peter Guiren (1987 – died suddenly, May 1987), Fr Paul Cooney (1994-1997), Fr Garry Reynolds (1998-2003), Fr Peter McMurrich (2004-2007), Fr Ray Chapman (2010-2015) and Fr Michael Whelan (2016 -2025).
The decision to leave St Patrick’s was not easy and developed after a long period of discernment. As St Mary of the Cross MacKillop told her Sisters, “we are but travellers here.” And as departing parish priest, Fr Michael Whelan has said “travellers have to get used to saying farewell.” We thank them for their faithfulness across generations and for being present among us as Mary was present, quietly, faithfully and lovingly. We will miss the Marist Fathers very much and wish the new priests the best in the next chapter for St Patrick’s.
