Australian Catholic Timeline with 10 people who are instrumental in creating the Australian catholic church
By Illucas.OF
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1788 First Fleet arrives in Australia
10-15% of these were Catholics. Half of these Catholics were Irish. 1792 Catholic settlers petition Governor Phillip for a priest Even though this petition was made early in the colony, it was many years before a priest arrived. -
Fr. Dixon presented the first public mass on Australian soil on May 15th 1803 at Port Jackson followed by Mass at Parramatta on May 22nd and at Hawkesbury on May 29th. This helped the catholics that had newly arrived to Australia celebrate their religion and feel at peace.
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James Dixon, who arrived in Sydney in January 1800. Keen not to stir up anti-British feelings within the Irish population, Governor King agreed to Dixon’s conditional emancipation and permitted him to conduct Mass and to minister to Catholics in the colony. By this time there were a total of 2086 Irish convicts, nearly all Catholics, living in New South Wales.
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Reaction to the affair in Britain led to two further priests being allowed to travel to the colony in 1820 – John Joseph Therry and Philip Conolly. The foundation stone for the first St Mary's Church, was laid on 29 October 1821 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.
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Father Connolly leaves for Hobart leaving Fr John Therry the only priest on mainland Australia
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The foundation stone for the first St Mary's Church, was laid on 29 October 1821 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.
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John Bede Polding became the first Australian catholic bishop
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John Bede Polding became the first Australian catholic bishop
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As the colony grows, some catholics recognised the things the colony needed help with and worked to continue the rules of Jesus.
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In 1848 the Catholic Church in Australia was divided into provinces and dioceses.
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Another Pioneer of the of the catholic church in Australia was Mary Mackillop who brought Catholic education to poor children in country areas by starting Catholic schools
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First Australian Saint
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The Catholic church has continue to grow. We see the holy spirit at work through the many catholic agencies which are active in all parts of Australian life.