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Our Lady in Ara Coeli - St Mary's Catholic Church
Northampton, WA 6535
Church Information
| Church Name: | Our Lady in Ara Coeli - St Mary's Catholic Church |
| Church Previous Name: | - |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church in Australia |
| Street Address: | 27 Hampton Rd, Northampton WA 6535, Australia |
| Suburb: | Northampton |
| State: | WA |
| Postcode: | 6535 |
| Foundation Stone Laid: | 24-05-1936 |
| Foundation Stone Notes: | Foundation stone laid on 24/5/1936 by Most Rev J P O'Collins DD, Bishop of Geraldton. The formal text on the foundation stone is not known. Information/photographs are invited. Located next to the church is the old Catholic Convent of the Sacred Heart. Its foundation stone was laid by The Right Rev W B Kelly DD, Bishop of Geraldton on 27/2/1919. A plaque on a rock in the church grounds records: Church of Our Lady in Ara Coeli - 1936 - Architect: Monsignor John Hawes ~ Builder: T P Crothers. - With it's Gothic lines, the Church is a departure from Hawes usual, more simple style architecture. Hawes' initial design was rejected by Father Irwin of the Northampton parish who insisted on the more Gothic plan. Constructed using stone quarried at Willow Gully it was built in commemoration of Father Lecaille who was the first Roman Catholic priest in the Victoria District, arriving in 1865. He travelled to Northampton to hold services, initially in the interdenominational Gwalla Church. In 1868 a stone Church was erected near this site and used for services until 1936. This earlier Church was demolished in 1963 to make way for the new school and grounds. |
| Date Opened: | 01-11-1868 |
| Date Closed: | unknown |
| Email: | admin@churchesaustralia.org |
Comments
The Our Lady in Ara Coeli - St Mary's Catholic Church, Northampton is in the Parish of Northampton and the Diocese of Geraldton. The first church building was erected under the guidance of Father Lecaille, who opened and blessed it on 1/11/1868. Earlier Catholic services had been held in an interdenominatinal church building in Gwalla. The 1868 church building was demolished in 1963 to make way for the new Catholic School. The present church was built slightly in front of the first church. More historical information/photographs of the churches/congregations are invited. Photographs uploaded 14/1/2017 & 24/9/2021.
Note: Photograph attribution/source - By Michal Lewi (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
