ST Stephen’s Chapel last week celebrated its 160th anniversary able to count Blessed Mary MacKillop amongst worshippers in its long history.
The anniversary was celebrated on Wednesday with two Masses at the Brisbane chapel and was marked at other Masses in St Stephen’s Cathedral on the day.
Cathedral dean Fr Ken Howell said “credit was due to Archbishop (John) Bathersby for taking on the restoration of such an important historical building”.
“This is especially so this year when we recall Mary MacKillop prayed and worshipped there between 1870 and 1871,” Fr Howell said.
Brisbane’s first parish priest Fr James Hanly supervised construction of the chapel.
Work began on the little stone church in 1848, using a design of Gothic revival architect, AWN Pugin.
Fr Hanly celebrated the first Mass in the church on May 12, 1850, when there were just 60 Catholic families in town.
In 1859, with the appointment of Bishop James Quinn, Brisbane became a diocese and the chapel a cathedral.
When the new cathedral was opened in 1874, this church became a school room.
Archbishop Bathersby solemnly dedicated the restored St Stephen’s Chapel on February 5, 1999.
The apse space has been devoted to the diocesan shrine of Blessed Mary MacKillop.
Fr Howell mentioned in a recent newsletter that if Fr Hanly and others responsible for building the chapel could see Brisbane now “they just would be blown away”.
He said if he was able to take Fr Hanly around today he would show St Stephen’s Chapel and Cathedral with pride.
“It’s wonderful that the chapel is there,” Fr Howell said.
“It was threatened with demolition on several occasions and it’s great that the church did not go ahead.
“In terms of the cathedral, I would be proud to show Fr Hanly what’s developed and the marvellous artistic works there.”
