After 150 years at St Patrick’s Church Hill in Sydney, Marist priests are planning to leave.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher has publicly thanked the Marist Fathers for their decades of service at the church.
St Patrick’s is the oldest church still in continuous use in New South Wales.
The Marist Fathers were entrusted with the Church Hill parish in 1868. They will be leaving the parish in 2025 and will continue their ministry in new and expanding areas of Sydney.
St Patrick’s church has served Catholics in The Rocks and Millers Point communities for even longer than the Marists.
Many residents have relocated to other parts of Sydney however as their former homes have been upgraded to luxury apartments.
St Patrick’s has evolved into a secondary parish for 80 per cent of the congregation.
The church has also become popular amongst those on holiday, staying at nearby hotels. Part of its popularity to date is attributable to the generosity of the Marist Fathers who offer the Sacraments at various times throughout the day.
St Patrick’s is one of the busiest parishes in Australia.
Four Masses are celebrated each weekday and eleven Masses on weekends.
There is also Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament each day and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available for 30 hours each week.
Archbishop Fisher will be inviting St Patrick’s Church Hill’s new custodians to continue with the generous sacramental ministry the Marists have been offering at what is considered one of Australia’s most revered places of worship.
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