Hornsby Cathedral Parish
On 1 July 2009, the two parishes of Our Lady of the Rosary, Waitara, and Queen of Peace, Normanhurst, came together to form one parish, Hornsby Cathedral Parish.
The history of these two communities is outlined below.
Queen of Peace, Normanhurst Community
Established
The Parish began on the second Sunday in May viz. 9 May 1971, in Loreto Chapel Normanhurst and functioned there for more than six years, courtesy of the Loreto Sisters.
In 1973, the Council approved the construction of a Church and Priests’ residence.
Construction of the Church commenced on 5 June 1976.
The Parish Church and Presbytery were blessed and opened on 31 July 1977 by Cardinal Freeman.
Parish Priest
Father Francis Vaughan, May 1971 – June 2009, the first and only priest of the parish (died 23 July 2014).
Thanks to the Loreto Sisters
Sister Veronica of Loreto was a great help to the parish during our time in the Chapel and acted as a hostess, welcoming everyone who came to Mass. Throughout our stay, Sister used to take crying babies from their mothers and would nurse them during Mass.
All the Sisters were good to us during our time in the Chapel in the early years. A few to get a special mention are Sr. Ann, Sr. Mary Anne, Sr. Pauline, Sr. Deidre, Sr. Doreen, Sr. Kevin and Sr. Dominic. In later years, Sr. John Baptist of Loreto did great work for us as a Catechist at Normanhurst High and she was extremely popular with the students. Sister was also very much part of our parish, regularly attending our Mass there and participating in our many parish activities. She finally moved to Ballarat.
The first child baptised in our parish was G. Crane and this took place in Loreto Chapel on the very first Sunday we began. It was Fr Vaughan’s privilege to eventually celebrate her marriage on 23 March 1996 in the Loreto Chapel.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Waitara Community
At first, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish was included in the Pymble Parish (founded in 1883), which extended as far as Thornleigh and the Hawkesbury River, including part of the Hills District around Glenorie, Dural, and Arcadia.
1893 to 1898 - Mass was celebrated bi-monthly, sometimes in Mr. Jackson's house at Hookham's corner.
1897 to 1898 - due to the overcrowding of the Babies Home at North Sydney, a Foundling Home was established at Waitara by the Sisters of Mercy of Monte Sant'Angelo.
From 1898 - Mass was celebrated nearly every Sunday at Waitara in the Church-School that had been erected on the rear of an allotment of land facing Peat's Ferry Road (now Pacific Highway) and opposite the site of the present Waitara train station.
Fathers Briody and Kirby travelled by the transport of the day (foot, bicycle, horseback or sulky) during those years.
22 November 1908 - the brickwork was at a stage that allowed the laying of the Foundation Stone by His Eminence, Cardinal Moran.
In 1916, the area from Cockle Creek as far as the Hawkesbury River was cut off from the Pymble Parish and became that of Our Lady of the Rosary, Waitara.
1934/35 - extensions and alterations to the Church were completed.
During Fr Farrell's ministry, the main altar, altar rails, pulpit and floor of the Sanctuary was replaced with marble.
During Fr Foley's ministry, the altar rails were removed so that priest and people might worship as one body.
The stained glass windows over the altar and front wall from the proceeds of a bequest from the estate of James and Bertha Quinn who had no family, but worked tirelessly during the periods that Fathers Nulty and Hawe were in charge of Our Lady of the Rosary Church.
1991 - The Church moved away from Pacific Highway, down Yardley Avenue, and on 25 August 1991, the foundation stone was laid by the Most Rev. Patrick Murphy.
The main attraction of the new Church is the large basalt stone wall with the stained glass window set in it. This gives the Church a traditional feel whilst having a modern design. The symbolism of the stone wall is that the stones represent the members of the parish as living stones fitting together neatly but in an irregular pattern, just as the parish members come from diverse backgrounds. We are all different but fit together as a cohesive community.
2001 - the establishment of a monthly Filipino mass in Tagalog.
December 2002 - the establishment of a Diocesan Korean Chaplaincy centred in the Parish with Fr Philip Chung as Chaplain.
10 February 2008 - Inauguration of OLOR as the Cathedral Parish of the Diocese of Broken Bay.
Hornsby Cathedral Parish
1 July 2009 - Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Waitara and Queen of Peace Parish Normanhurst were suppressed, and Hornsby Cathedral Parish was created.
Clergy in our Parish
Bishops of Diocese of Broken Bay
- Most Rev. Patrick L Murphy: 28 May 1986 - retired 9 July 1996 (died 18 April 2007)
- Most Rev. David L Walker: 10 February 2008 - retired November 2013
- Most Rev. Peter A Comensoli: 12 December 2014 - 1 August 2018
- Most Rev. Anthony Randazzo: 4 November 2019 - present
Parish Priests
- Rev. Briody (PP of Pymble): built the Church in 1909 (died 10 July 1926)
- Rev. Patrick Nulty (first PP, Waitara): 1916 - 13 March 1931 (died 13 March 1931)
- Rev. William Hawe (Waitara): March 1931 - 3 June 1943 (died 9 June 1943)
- Rev. Michael Farrell (Waitara): June 1943 - 13 June 1967
- Rev. Michael Baulman (Waitara): 17 August 1967 - 30 June 1978
- Rev. Francis Vaughan (Normanhurst): May 1971 - June 2009 (died 23 July 2014)
- Rev. Paul Foley (Waitara): 11 July 1978 - 1 June 1987
- Rev. Colin Blayney (Waitara): 5 June 1987 - January 2000
- Rev. Paul Finucane (Waitara): January 2000 - December 2007
- Rev. John Hodgson CSsR (Administrator, Waitara): 2007 - 2008
- Most Rev. David L Walker (Waitara & Hornsby): 10 February 2008 - 13 November 2013
- Most Rev. Peter A Comensoli (Hornsby): 12 December 2014 - August 2018
- Most Rev. Anthony Randazzo: 4 November 2019 - present
Deans of the Cathedral
- Rev. David Taylor: April 2008 - June 2008
- Rev Jim McKeon: October 2008 - November 2011
- Very Rev Robert Borg: November 2011 - July 2018
- Very Rev Peter deSouza: July 2018 - January 2022
Moderator
Rev Brendan Lee: January 2022 - present
Parish Priest Emeritus
- Rev. Francis Vaughan (Hornsby): July 2009 - died 23 July 2014
Assistant Clergy
- Rev. Thomas Carrick (Waitara): 1916 - 1919
- Rev. Patrick Conway (Waitara): 1919 - 1927
- Rev. Michael Sheehy (Waitara): 1927 - 1932
- Rev. Arthur Bambridge (Waitara): 1932 - 1934
- Rev. Charles Williams (Waitara):1934 - 1936
- Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivan (Waitara): 1937 - 1939
- Rev. George Solomon (Waitara): 1939 - 1940
- Rev. Patrick O'Rourke (Waitara): 1941 - 1943
- Rev. Thomas Leonard (Waitara): 1943 - 1946
- Rev. Gerald Smyth (Waitara): 1946 - 1948
- Rev. Denis Ryan (Waitara): 1948 - 1950
- Rev. James Byrne (Waitara): 1950 - 1951
- Rev. Robert Nolan (Waitara): 1951 - 1956
- Rev. John Noonan (Waitara): 1956 - 1958
- Rev. James Boberg (Waitara): 1956
- Rev. Laurie Cruikshank (Waitara): 1957 - 1960
- Rev. George Connolly (Waitara): 1958 - 1961
- Rev. Paul Cahalan (Waitara): 1960 - 1964
- Rev. John Heaps (Waitara): 1961 - 1964
- Rev. Patrick McMaugh (Waitara): 1964 - 1967
- Rev. John Taylor (Waitara): 1965
- Rev. William Meacham (Waitara): 1965 - 1968, 1977 - 1978
- Rev. Frank Higgins (Waitara): 1968
- Rev. John Spora (Waitara): 1970 - 1971
- Rev. Daniel Lyons (Waitara): 1971
- Rev. Paul Hanna (Waitara): 1972 - 1974
- Rev. Garry Lane (Waitara): 1974
- Rev. Gordon South (Waitara): 1974 - 1975
- Rev. Lex Johnson (Waitara): 1975 - 1978
- Rev. Phillip Wicks (Waitara): 1978 - 1981
- Rev. Paul Smith (Waitara): 1981 - 1984
- Rev. Colin Blayney (Waitara): 1984 - 1987
- Rev. Pamfilo Vergara (Waitara): 1989 - 1991
- Rev. Chris Williams (Waitara): 1991 - 1995
- Rev. Robert Crawford (Waitara): 2000
- Rev. Philip (Seaung Jin) Chun (Waitara): 2003 - 2004
- Rev. John Wakeling (Waitara): 2004 - 2007
- Rev. Joseph Chung (Waitara): 2004 - 2009
- Rev. John Hodgson CSsR (Administrator, Waitara): 2007 - 2008
- Rev. Mathew Chennath (Waitara): 2007 - 2008
- Rev. Geoff Bugden (Waitara): 2008
- Rev. Gregory Butelo (Waitara): 2008
- Rev. Joseph Pattakandam (Waitara): 2008 - 2009
- Rev. Sung Jae (Michael) Hwang (Hornsby): 2010
- Rev. Vince Casey (Hornsby): 2010-2012
- Rev. Sungman (Patrick) Kim (Hornsby): 2010 - 2013
- Rev. Anselam Lakra (Hornsby): 2010 - 2016
- Rev. Jinto Pallathukuzhiyil (Hornsby): 2011 - 2014
- Rev. Quang Van Nguyen (Hornsby): 2011 - 2012
- Rev. Peter Dowd (acting Administrator Hornsby): 2012
- Rev. Joy Kunnassery (Hornsby): 2012-2013
- Rev. Nathan Lourdunathan (Hornsby): 2012 - 2016
- Rev. Hyecjoun (Pius) Cha (Hornsby): 2013 - 2014
- Rev. Han Buyl (Joseph) Choi (Hornsby): 2014 - 2015
- Rev. Kyung IL (Thomas) Lee (Hornsby): 2015 - 2019
- Rev. Peter deSouza (Hornsby): 2016 - July 2018
- Rev. Vincent Trung Nguyen (Hornsby): 2016 - April 2020
- Rev. Vincent Varghese (Hornsby): March 2017 - March 2018
- Rev. Anselam Lakra: July 2018 - September 2018
- Rev. Baby Thomas: September 2018 - June 2019
- Rev. Seong Kyeong (Simon) Park: 2019 - present
- Rev. Biju Mathew: April 2020 -January 2021
- Rev. Manoj Manuel: February 2021-December 2021 (RIP 17.1.2022)
- Rev Roger Delmonte: 18 October 2021 -February 2024
- Rev Anselam Lakra: December 2021 -February 2024
- Deacon Hien Vu - January 2024 - present
- Rev Shiju Simon - February 2024 - present
- Rev Thomas Alackakunnel February 2024 - present
Deacons
- Deacon Denis Hunter (Waitara): 1973 - 1974
- Deacon Kevin Hale (Waitara & Hornsby): 2008 - 2011
- Deacon Roberto Corpuz (Hornsby): 2011 - May 2019
- Deacon Roger Delmonte: 2020 - 17 October 2021 (Ordained priest 18 Oct 2021)
- Deacon Peter McCulloch: January 2022 - present