The 10-year anniversary celebration of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish attracted more than 1200 worshippers, a tender illustration of the vitality of the combined Blacktown Catholic faith community.
“Today you might hold the title for the biggest congregation at a Sunday Mass!” Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv exclaimed while presiding over a Mass that celebrated the unification of St Michael’s Blacktown South and St Patrick’s Blacktown under a new banner — Mary, Queen of the Family — 10 years ago.
The Mass at St Patrick’s Church Blacktown on Sunday 18 August also heralded the beginning of a new chapter as the parish farewelled Fr Kevin Redmond SM, the parish administrator since 1 July 2024, and welcomed new parish priest, Fr Wim Hoekstra.
Bishop Vincent expressed “great joy” in welcoming everyone to the unification celebration and remarked how “it is a wonderful sight from where I stand to see so many of you gathered in this church to honour Our Mother.” He was making reference to the mother of Jesus and the Patron Saint and cornerstone of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish.
The 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Bishop Vincent invited the congregation to reflect on Mary’s faith and active discipleship and to consider her as the best role model of faith because in her, “we witness an unconditional love for others”. “Be inspired by her,” he said.
Perhaps fittingly, the Mass was celebrated on the Feast of St Helena, who is remembered as the Patron of Difficult Marriages.
In many ways a church amalgamation is like a marriage and Bishop Vincent acknowledged that just like in any marriage, “there have been trials and tribulations” during the formal twinning of the parishes of St Michael’s and St Patrick’s.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, speaks during the 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Fr Andrew Rooney, who was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Vincent nearly two years ago, thanked those who had contributed to the founding and continuing development of the Mary, Queen of the Family faith community, including the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee. He also thanked those present “for your wonderful spiritual witness.”
Fr Andrew added that it was his ardent hope that Mary, Queen of the Family Parish might be a beacon of light not only to Blacktown and Western Sydney, but to the world.
Assistant Priest Fr Andrew Rooney speaks during the 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
After the Mass, parishioners were treated to a multicultural fiesta packed with vibrant performances, and an exploration through food of the beautiful melting pot of cultures that together make up Mary Queen of the Family Parish.
So much to celebrate
Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Cecil Fernandes said the size and scale of the latest Parish Fiesta is a powerful testimony of what a successful church merger can look like.
“Despite having no parish priest for six months, we have put together this parish celebration,” Cecil said.
He said none of this would be possible without a strong volunteer core. The Fiesta Committee consisted of 60 parishioners working behind the scenes, Cecil said.
“We have three to four such events each year, plus a pilgrimage from St Pat’s to St Michael’s for the Feast of Christ the King,” Cecil added.
The 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Long time parishioners Susanne Wilson and Theresa Azzoparei, both aged 84, said the amalgamation had given them and others a unique opportunity to gather with even more of their brothers and sisters in Christ in ways such as this.
“I like being together, praying together and meeting new people,” said Theresa, a parishioner of 57 years. “I’m so proud that three of my students, who I taught Scripture, were on the altar today.”
Sri Lankan-born Rosharie Kannangara said she and her family attend both St Michael’s Blacktown South and St Patrick’s, depending on the occasion. She spoke of the “spiritual upliftment” Mary, Queen of the Parish brings to her life and of feeling “the presence of God here.”
Rosharie Kannangara (far right) with her father-in-law Kanthi Perera, husband Rajeeva Obeyesekera, mother-in-law Jagath Obeyesekera, and son Rael, aged four months following the 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown. Image: Isabell Petrinic/Diocese of Parramatta
Also in attendance was Sr Victory, a religious sister in the Institute Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM) based in Washington DC, who said: “It’s nice to see the parish together.”
The long path to a community of communities
The first St Patrick’s Church Blacktown was opened and blessed on 18 June 1892. It was built in Patrick Street on land donated by Thomas Patrick Fitzsimmons.
After the church was closed the land was sold in 1980 and the headstones, including that of Mr Fitzsimmims, moved to the new church site in Allawah Street. The current church building was opened and blessed on 7 December 1986.
St Michael’s emerged from the literal shell of the old St Brigid’s Church in Prospect, which was opened in 1856. Mass was celebrated regularly at St Brigid’s, whose parish boundaries stretched into Prospect, Eastern Creek, and the southern parts of Blacktown, for 119 years until 1975.
Between 1960 and 1961, Fr Hugh Law (St Patrick’s Parish Blacktown’s parish priest), looked for land south of Blacktown to lay the foundations of a new church. A lot was found on Reservoir Road that would hold a new high school, primary school, and parish church.
Parishioners are seen during the 10th anniversary celebrations of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
In 1963, a migrant centre in Scheyville closed and Fr Law received permission to move the on-site church building to South Blacktown. The church was blessed in 1965 and a priest from St Patrick’s Parish Blacktown would visit weekly to celebrate Mass — until 1969 when Blacktown parish was divided and, in the division, Blacktown South parish was born.
The first steps to amalgamation began in February 2012 with the formal twinning of the parishes of St Michael’s and St Patrick’s. From May 2012 until now both parishes have been sharing resources and teams from each have been undergoing formation together.
Then-Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, the third Bishop of Parramatta, decreed the amalgamation of St Michael’s Parish, Blacktown South and St Patrick’s Parish, Blacktown into a new single parish — Mary, Queen of the Family Parish — on 18 September 2014. One of the 47 Parishes in the Diocese of Parramatta, Mary, Queen of the Family Parish is made up of two churches and five schools.
Isabell Petrinic is a freelance writer and contributor to Catholic Outlook.
View images from the Mary, Queen of the Family Parish celebrations here or below:
