Our History

 
History 
 
 

There had been a Catholic faith community in this area since the 1860’s. The first church, the old St Patrick’s church, was opened in 1875 when Fr Benedict Scortechini was the Parish Priest to the Mission of the Logan. Beenleigh became a parish in its own right in 1955, with Fr Vincent Kiley its first Parish Priest. The St Joseph Tobruk Memorial School was opened in 1953, on the initiative of Fr Owen Steele and with the involvement of the Sisters of St Joseph. The school was built in memory of the men who served at Tobruk during World War II.

In 1959 Fr Kiley purchased the property at the corner of Lehville and Tobruk streets as a presbytery. Later the Lehville Street house became the convent for the St Joseph sisters and it is now the St Patrick’s Parish office.

In 1963 Fr Kiley had the church moved from Wharf Street to the end of Tobruk Street. It was blessed and officially opened by Archbishop Sir James Duhig.

In 1975 the parish celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the old church. Archbishop Rush concelebrated with a number of priests who had been involved with the Beenleigh church over the years. Fr George Ainsley was the Beenleigh Parish Priest.

Trinity College opened in 1982. It was initially administered by the Marist Brothers and the Sisters of St. Joseph were prominent on the staff for the first three years. St Patrick’s Church has been continually enhanced since it was first opened. The Blessing and Opening of the Columbarium was celebrated with a special mass in 2001 by the Dean and Fr Dan Grundy.

In 2005 the parish celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Bishop of Brisbane, Joseph Oudemann was the principal celebrant with a number of concelebrants, including Fr Bill O’Shea and the then parish priest Fr Dan Grundy. The building of a second primary school, Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School Ormeau, started in 2010, catering for the Catholic children in the rapidly growing Ormeau area. Fr Anthony Girvan blessed the land and “turned the sod” at a ceremony on 19 September.

Eventually the old church became too small for the growing congregation and in 1979 the design for a new church was commissioned. Fr Bill O’Shea was a driving force behind the project, with the church officially opened on the 3rd of August 1980.

St Patrick’s is a multicultural congregation with members originating from over 50 different countries. The Parish has a very strong faith community and at times there have been over 20 parish groups each

Learn More About Our History

Weekly Reflection

THE JUBILEE YEAR OF 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope 

Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year of 2025 on Christmas Eve this year. It will come to its conclusion on the feast of the Epiphany 2026. He has invited all the dioceses of the world to inaugurate the Jubilee locally on Sunday, 29 December, which is not the most convenient time in this part of the world. Nonetheless, the Dean of St Stephen’s will lead a celebration inaugurating the Jubilee at the Cathedral, blessing the Holy Door and leading the people through it as a sign of walking as pilgrims with Christ into newness of life. I invite parishes and deaneries to be as creative as possible in inaugurating and celebrating the Jubilee Year. 

The Jubilee looks back to the first Roman celebration in 1300; and Rome has always been the epicentre of celebration, as it will be of the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage which I hope to accompany in September next year. But the Jubilee Year also looks back much further to the biblical jubilee, which was celebrated every fifty years. It was a time of renewal for the people of God, a time to make a new beginning, a time to focus again on the God-given identity of ancient Israel as a community of slaves set free in a world which says that slaves can never come free. 

The Jubilee Year is therefore a call to recognise the many forms of slavery, overt and covert, that are found in this culture and in our own lives – and to renew our faith in the possibility of freedom and commit ourselves anew to what freedom requires. Any pilgrimage – even the little pilgrimage of walking through the Holy Door – is a farewell to an old enslaving way of life and an embrace of a new way of life which the Lord crucified and risen makes possible. 

The motto of this Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope”. Any journey we make through this year we make not as tourists or holiday-makers but as pilgrims. It is a journey of faith. And it is driven by a hope which is not mere wishful thinking but the proclamation of a true hope in a world which often seems hopeless, a hope grounded ultimately in Easter. This hope is an expectation that what God has done in Jesus he will do in the world and even the cosmos. God will bring light from darkness, life from death. 

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that “there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God” (4:9). In a deeply restless world, may this Jubilee Year be a time of sabbath which God alone can provide, refeshing our souls and putting new heart into the Church as we take the path traced by the Archdiocesan Synod and its Action Plans. Amen. (Message from our Archbishop) 

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Make a Donation

To make a donation using a direct funds transfer / Electronic Funds Transfer use the EFT details below:

EFT Details (not for in-branch use)
A/C Name: St. Patrick’s Parish Working Account
BSB: 064-786  
A/C No: 100006012

Reference: Your full name/business name
Remittance: Email your remittance advice to: fin.beenleigh@bne.catholic.net.au

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Children’s Liturgy

Children’s Liturgy As a group we gather in the MacKillop Room, listen to the gospel, sing the Alleluia and discuss what it all means for us as followers of Jesus in 2015. We usually respond to the word in a number of ways- using drama, mediation, song, drawing and creating in a meaningful way. We conclude with Prayers of the Faithful, often sharing our own prayers from the heart with each other. We often receive more spiritual wisdom from the children than that from a lot of adults!!

 

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Sacramental Program 

St Patrick’s Parish Beenleigh Sacrament Program Dates 2017

First Holy Communion

Parent Formation/Information 6.30pm Monday, 24th April

Rite of Enrolment Weekend of 6th and 7th May

Presentation of Lord’s Prayer Weekend of 20th and 21st May

Family Barbecue 6pm Thursday, 8th June

Family Session with Elizabeth, Carole 6.30-8pm Thursday, 8th June

Celebrating God’s Mercy 2nd Rite of Penance Tuesday 13th June

First Holy Communion Weekend of 17th and 18th June

Parish celebration cake? Weekend of 24th and 25th June?

School holidays

School Holidays Activity Day Alive in the Spirit Friday, 30th June

 

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Your Prayers Are Requested For

The Sick:  Gary Battle, Graeme Becker, Carolyn Becker, Sofia Birch, Rosario Burgos, Billiie Fiscalini, Peter Fiscalini, Debbie Chambers, Priscilla Gabriel, Jeffrey Graver, Val Hintz, Mary Hall, Ben Hall, Mary Harrigan, Roy Hull, Brenda Humberstone, Arthur French, Dominga Kennedy, Peter Katsadores, Neil Kajewski, Mary Kolosowski, Steve Leibinger, Vicki Leibinger, Ruth Marshall, Jill Palmer, Carol Robertson, Paul Russell, Gavin Stewart, Rubeth Samuelsen, Jodie Taylor, Helen Topp, Kev Topp, Joe Topp, Peter Topp, Kallum Topp, Neil Wright, Googal Zillionoro Prayers are also requested for the following nursing home residents at Beenleigh, Pimpama, Bethania Gardens, Jimbelunga—Eagleby, Connolly Court, Palm Lake, Jeta Gardens and Woodbeck Village.

Announcements & Reminders

Catholics “Come Alive” Seminar 22,23 & 24th September 2017. St Patrick’s Church. To book contact Mary McGrath 0402 859 396

Catholic lay apostolate, Aneel  Aranha will be speaking at the Church 7pm Thursday 14th September 2017.

SVDP DINER 

28th July, in the School Hall. Tickets are now on sale at all Masses.

Safeguarding Policy

Our parish has implemented the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults policy. We are committed to high standards of recruitment, screening and selection of all of our employees and volunteers and undertake intentional strategies to maintain a safe and healthy ministry environment for all.  If you are a volunteer reader, Eucharistic Minister etc. and have not received a Volunteer Data Form and the Code of Ethical Behaviour, please contact the parish office.

Young Adults Meetings

Young Adults meetings every Wednesday night (except the 2nd Wednesday of the month) in the Church from 7.30 – 8.45 (after 7pm Mass). Depending on the night, it may include prayer and praise, discussion, Scripture and Church teaching. If you’re in your late teens, twenties or thirties you will be very welcome!

 

Band Practice 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesday nights from 7-8.30pm in the office. No practice on Anzac Day this week. Call Cathy 0400 494 943 or email youth.beenleigh@bne.catholic.net.au

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Sacramental Program 

St Patrick’s Parish Beenleigh Sacrament Program Dates 2017

Confirmation 

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