-
First priests arrive in Australia
The first Catholic priests arrived in Australia as convicts in 1800 James Harold, James Dixon and Peter O'Neill, who had been convicted for "complicity" in the Irish 1798 Rebellion. Fr Dixon was conditionally emancipated and permitted to celebrate Mass. On 15 May 1803, in vestments made from curtains and with a chalice made of tin, he conducted the first Catholic Mass in New South Wales -
Edmund Rice Opens First School
In 1802, Edmund Rice was able to open his first school. The boys who attended this first school were unruly and unaccustomed to discipline. As word of the school spread, the number of boys who attended grew rapidly.
Edmund employed two assistants to help with the teaching, but, despite Edmund's offer to double their pay, both men left as they felt the boys were impossible to teach! -
Father John Therry arrives in Australia
After the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, it was over 30 years before a Catholic priest was assigned to the colony. The first "official" Catholic priest was Father John Therry, who arrived in May of 1820 -
Marry Mackillop's Catholic Education
On 21 November 1866, the feast day of the Presentation of Mary, several other women joined MacKillop and her sisters. MacKillop adopted the religious name of Sister Mary of the Cross and she and Lexie began wearing simple religious habits. Dedicated to the education of the children of the poor, it was the first religious institute to be founded by an Australian. -
St Mary's Cathedral College is Built
St Mary's has the greatest length of any church in Australia (although it is neither the tallest nor the largest overall). It is located on College Street in the heart of the City of Sydney where, despite the high rise development of the Sydney central business district (CBD), its imposing structure and twin spires make it a landmark from every direction. -
First Papal visit to Australia
Pope Paul VI was the first pontiff to make a pastoral visit Australia during his reign. The visit occurred in 1970 with His Holiness arriving in Sydney on 30th November in that year. -
World Youth Day 2008
The 23rd World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival that started on 15 July and continued until 20 July 2008 in Sydney, Australia. It was the first World Youth Day held in Australia and the first World Youth Day in Oceania. This meeting was decided by Pope Benedict XVI, during the Cologne World Youth Day of 2005. The theme was "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (from Acts 1:8). -
Marry Mackillop becomes saint
Marry Mackillop becomes the first Patron Saint of Australia.
