About Our Church
St Therese
Parish History
The parish was established on 23 October, 1940.
The first Parish Priest was Fr. J. J. Mulheren. In preparation for the formation of the parish, St. Therese Church had been built and opened in 1939.
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Immediately it had been used as a church-school, thus commenced St Therese Primary School. The first principal was Sr. Juliana Madigan sgs. and the school was staffed by sisters of the Good Samaritan Congregation.
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On November 30 1941 the presbytery was opened and the Parish priest was able to move from Wollongong to live on-site.
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In 1951 the Wollongong Diocese was established and St Therese became a part of the Diocese in the care of Bishop _________.
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1962 bought with it the establishment of a Good Samaritan convent in the parish. Previously the sisters had resided at their Wollongong Convent. The sister's lived on-site while teaching at the school until 1987.
From the 1960s the school became increasingly staffed by lay teachers. The first lay principal was appointed in 1978.
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Our Parish Priest is now Fr. Duane Fernandez and St. Therese Catholic Primary School principal is Mr. Steve Thorne.
Growing in Faith
We are a family focused, friendly parish helping each other understand and live out our faith.
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Our church population consists of all age groups from babies to our 'ageless' seniors, and we are becoming more and more cosmopolitan with families joining us from many countries around the globe and sharing their faith with us.
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Whether you are unsure about God, believe in Jesus Christ, or are looking for something more, our Catholic faith offers an opportunity to search a little deeper. What are you looking for? Please feel free to come and join us at any of our masses or parish events.
Spiritual
Community
Mass is always the focus of our lives as Catholics, and we gather weekly to celebrate and receive the Eucharist.
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We are also a community that strives to embrace, express, and explore how we can pray and live out our faith through numerous avenues including meditation, Messy Church, St Vincent de Paul Society, charismatic prayer and everything in between! For more information have a look at our "Ministries" page.