Westmead Catholic Community History

The first mass for those in the Westmead area had been celebrated in the Progress Hall in Hassall Street, Westmead in 1928.  Around 1930 permission was granted to transfer the Parochial Mass to the chapel of the Marist Fathers seminary at Toongabbie.

On June 13, 1939, His Grace Dr Gilroy celebrated mass at Westmead Boys’ Home (aka St Vincent’s Boys Home).  Westmead Boys’ Home, (now part of the University of Western Sydney) had been established in 1896 with the purchase of 21 acres in Hawkesbury and Darcy Roads, Westmead by the St Vincent de Paul Society.  It was originally run as a joint venture from 1898 with the Marist Brothers, before passing to their sole care from 1968 - 1985.

In the 1940’s Westmead and Toongabbie were part of Wentworthville parish.  The need for a new parish, was largely due to a large Housing Project which had begun immediately after World War II, which saw an influx of new people to Westmead.  Those people banded together to help form a new community.  Fundraising activities of all kinds began, and fired with determination they went from door to door requesting donations.

The parish of Sacred Heart, Westmead was established on February 1, 1951, with the appointment of Rev James Collins as the first parish priest.  It’s only assets were a fast growing Catholic community and several vacant blocks of land.  There was no church and no presbytery.  Mass and the sacramental life of the parish continued to be celebrated nearby in Westmead Boys' Home.  

Due to the efforts of a band of hard-working parishioners, only three years were to elapse before the foundation stone was laid and blessed on March 28, 1954 by His Eminence Cardinal Gilroy and the present church opened.  It was 20 feet by 25 feet and could accommodate 350 people.  It had been painted and decorated every weekend by those of the parish community;  and 500 people gathered at the long-awaited opening ceremony.

At the time, Fr Collins could not envisage the need to build a separate school deeming the number of families in the district to warrant it, insufficient.  So, with the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in 1956 to share in the Christian education of the Westmead children, the building became a church / school;  which meant the interior had to be altered each weekend.  

On Friday evening, parishioners would move all the desks / pews;  and open up the folding doors sectioning off the altar to create a church.   All signs of a classroom were removed, desk flaps on the on the back of the seats folded down and the walls swept clean.  Then, on Sunday evening they returned to close the doors, move back all the desks and transform the church once again to a classroom.  Parishioners attending daily parish mass sat in the small section near the altar.  

By 1957 Fr Collins was finally able to relocate from his temporary accommodation when the parish purchased the house adjacent to the church at 14 Ralph Street from the Housing Commission;  which was to become the presbytery.  

Then, in 1962, additional classrooms were finally added to the school.  These were to be later remodelled in 1980 and equipped with kitchen, store and toilets to become the current parish hall.  

On November 6, 1966 Archbishop Carroll blessed the new secondary schools at Westmead;  Marist Brothers High for boys, and Catherine McAuley College for girls, built within the boundaries of Westmead parish.  These regional schools were to be staffed by the Marist Brothers and Sisters of Mercy respectively.  The Westmead parish community contributed generously to this regional building program.   

From 1974, the laborious weekend church / school conversion finally ceased, with the completion of the new Sacred Heart Primary school.  A Federal Government grant saw the 12 Ralph Street site redeveloped with the construction of six classrooms, a library and administration block.  The Mercy tradition continued at Sacred Heart Primary until 1993, with the appointment of the first lay Principal of the school.   

In response to the anticipated future needs emanating from the proposed redevelopment of the Parramatta Showground site in Darcy Road, for the first time in its history Westmead parish in 1977 received an Assistant Priest.  Fr Peter Harrington, then parish priest was joined by Fr David Vaughan, both requested by Cardinal Freeman to minister to the patients in the soon to be completed Westmead Hospital.

In 1978 the church was renovated.  Those desk flaps were removed and repurposed with the timber to be used in the new altar, lectern, Presidential Chair and baptismal font;  crafted by founding parishioner Charlie Mackey.  The Sanctuary and Reconciliation Room were redesigned in keeping with the recommendations of Vatican II.  The statue of the Sacred Heart in the church forecourt was designed and made by S. Moore, in addition to the Sanctuary Lamp and Tabernacle.  Acolytes and Special Ministers trained and began ministering in the church, new general hospital and homes.  The Westmead Catholic Community was reaching out in new and exciting ecumenical ways.

In 1986, with Fr John Boyle at the helm, The presbytery was enlarged to two storeys and Bishop Bede Heather was in residence for several months.  The parish began negotiations to buy or rent additional Church of England land to expand the school playground.  Changes in ministry for the parish community were discussed.  The Finance and Parish committees were reviewed and a new Liturgy Committee established.  There were plans for an RCIA program and Sunday school to be introduced.  

In the years that followed 1991, a succession of hospital chaplains joined the Westmead parish.  1995 saw the relocation of the Children’s Hospital from Camperdown to Westmead with new facilities alongside the general hospital.  Sacred Heart Primary school was extended and improved by the Catholic Education Office in 1999, increasing the enrolment of the school to over 200 students.

By 2009 the Diocese of Parramatta had determined the need for an additional Primary school in Westmead;  and in 2012 Mother Teresa Primary opened in Darcy Road, sharing the site with Catherine McAuley and Marist High.

Even before its establishment, the Westmead Catholic Community has boasted a continual group of dynamic and dedicated volunteers in its parish ministry.  The St Vincent de Paul Society, has been in the parish since its inception.  An Altar Society, (a group of volunteer ladies to clean the church and presbytery) was also immediately started with the formation of the early parish community.  The Sodalities of Holy Name, Sacred Heart, and Children of Mary also helped to answer the devotional and spiritual needs of their time.  Many parishioners were also active in helping the local Catholic Institutions, such as Westmead Boys Home and Baulkham Hills Orphanage, working tirelessly. 

Round –the –year activities in Westmead parish have included the necessary preparation of the children for their first sacraments, sending catechists into the local State Primary School, holding parish picnics, retreats and prayer days, holiday camps, Marriage Encounter Weekends, WYD, Parish Missions, Annual Fetes, Dinner Dances, Outings for Seniors (with the purchase of a parish bus for transport), regular rosary in the church and Children’s Liturgies.  There were other groups concerned with ongoing repair and maintenance.

In 2001 as the parish Celebrated its 50^th Anniversary, parish priest, Fr Brian Rooney set about compiling an extensive record of the Westmead Catholic Community from its foundation to the then present.  Full of reflections and memories from priests and parishioners throughout its history;  the booklet Sacred Heart Church – From Then ‘till Now! was published by the parish, detailing the many and varied contributions from those who had contributed to its ministry.  

Since 1978, a large part of parish pastoral work of the parish community has been the care of patients in Westmead General and Westmead Children's Hospitals.   Also included more recently is care of patients in Westmead Private Hospital, Cabrini Nursing Home, Mayflower Nursing Home and Westmead Rehabilitation Centre. 

Over the years, a successive team of priests, sisters and lay persons have ministered to the pastoral care work of the parish.  However, in December 2002, the care of both the parish and the hospitals was transferred to the Camillian Fathers (Ministers of the Infirm). 

In January 2015, the Camillians, after dialogue and consideration with the Provincial and the Diocese of Parramatta;  handed back the administration of Sacred Heart Parish Westmead to Parramatta Diocese.  The Camillian Fathers continue to minister to the care of the hospitals in the Westmead area;  while once again the parish priest and Westmead parish ministry team attend to the pastoral care of those in the parish community schools and nursing homes.   

After a short period under the care of a Parish Administrator a new Parish Priest, Fr Walter Fogarty a member of the Diocese, was appointed in April 2015.

The Westmead Catholic Community project was announced in 2019 in response to the needs of the growing local community.  This exciting project will explore the possibility of an expanded parish church and more opportunities for families to access a high-quality Catholic education at Westmead’s four Catholic schools.  The first phase of the project is an expanded primary school to accommodate the relocation of Sacred Heart Primary School, and the creation of a Catholic Early Learning Centre, on the Darcy Road site.  In the second phase, new Sacred Heart Parish facilities will be also located at Darcy Road at the heart of the Westmead Catholic Community.

The Westmead Catholic Community Project will mean more opportunities for the schools and parish to continue to partner with other institutions such as the University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, Westmead Hospital and Westmead Children’s Hospital as part of the NSW government’s redevelopment of the Westmead Hospital Precinct.