Parish History
Early Beginnings
The parish had its beginnings in 1927 with the building of Loreto College. Shortly after its official opening Father Jules Bucas became Chaplain. The Sisters’ Chapel quickly became too small for people from this end of St James’ Parish who attended Loreto for Sunday Mass. Fr Bucas converted half of his house (next door to Loreto) into a chapel.
Father Bucas died suddenly in 1928. Two priests came as Chaplain for short periods of time before a permanent priest arrived and the parish was officially separated from St James in 1930.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish began in 1930. Before that it was part of St James parish which was established in 1913.
At the beginning of 1928 the Loreto Sisters opened Loreto College in Cavendish Road. Archbishop Duhig appointed a chaplain, Father Jules Bucas, who was a Frenchman, to celebrate Mass for the Sisters and the girls. A condition of Father Bucas’ appointment was that the Sisters would allow local people to join them for Mass.
A few months later, the Archdiocese bought a cottage next to the school. It was adapted to serve as a chapel and a presbytery. The Archbishop blessed and opened it in July 1928. He named it Our Lady of Loreto.
In 1930 Father Bucas died. Archbishop Duhig decided to make Cavendish Road Coorparoo a parish in its own right. The priests who followed Father Bucas were Fathers John Healy, Henry Ryan and Thomas Dowling. Two other priests served briefly, Fathers Patrick Coleman and Reg Copley.
The Arrival of the Carmelites
In January 1937 the first two Carmelites arrived at Cavendish Road and settled into the residence/Chapel on Cavendish Road.
Archbishop Duhig appointed the Carmelites to take care of the parish which then became known as our lady of Mount Carmel. The first two Carmelites were father James O’sullivan, who was parish priest, and father James Meehan.
The Carmelites and the parishioners saw the need for a proper church and a parish school. They bought a property of four and a half acres on the corner of Cavendish Road and Norfolk Street which was owned by the Evans family. The Carmelites moved into the family home, which became the Priory.
In 1939 Archbishop Duhig laid the foundation stone for a two story church-school. The top floor had three classrooms, which were the beginning of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. The first teachers were Maureen Kingston and Noni Bliss. On the ground floor was the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The number of adult parishioners and children grew rapidly. There was soon need for a bigger church and a larger school. In May 1963 the foundation stone was laid for this present church. The priory was demolished to make room for it and a new priory was built facing Norfolk Street. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church at Easter 1964 amid much rejoicing.
In 1939 a large property on the corner of Cavendish Road and Norfolk Street was purchased and the Carmelites moved into the homestead.
A two-storey church/school was built in 1940 staffed initially by lay teachers and later by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception from Kedron. A building relocated from Marriot Street was placed on the Norfolk Street side of the property to serve as a Convent for the Sisters. Unfortunately, this block of land was later sold presumably to meet the costs of a permanent Convent built in 1958 on land adjoining the internal boundary of parish property given to the parish by the Josephson family.
The Convent which had room for 12 sisters housed the Franciscans until their withdrawal in the mid-1970s. Loreto Sisters provided principals for Mt Carmel School until 1988.
In 1954 a new parish was created from part of Camp Hill and Cavendish Road parishes - Regina Caeli parish Coorparoo Heights.
New Church & Priory
In 1960 planning began for a new church on Cavendish Road. The first mass was celebrated in the new church on March 8 1963. Work on a new Priory for the Carmelites was begun, and both buildings blessed and officially opened in June 1965.
School Developments
The 1960s and 70s saw a new block of classrooms and a new library & undercroft area built for the school and the refurbishment of the original two storey church/school building.
The scale of expansion of school buildings was largely due to enrolments from Regina Caeli parish. For reasons which are not clear, no Parish School was ever built at Regina Caeli and no financial contribution was received from Regina Caeli Parish towards either capital or running costs of Mt Carmel School between 1954 and 1990.
During this time up to 90% of Planned Giving contributions from Mount Carmel was used to fund school capital and recurrent needs. In practical terms, little maintenance or development of church and priory buildings was possible. In 1990 a new two-storey classroom block and new administration areas were added, together with further refurbishment of the old church/school block. A building levy was instituted and Regina Caeli parish agreed to pay $200,000 (or 20%) of the cost of this project over the 10 year life of the loan. Mount Carmel Parish continued to contribute $30,000+ each year to the repayment of this loan.
A State Government Interest Assistance Grant was given in respect of this loan. The understanding of the Parish Priest of the time was that these monies belonged to Mount Carmel parish and could be used either for school or parish needs. This was seen as a kind of recompense for the large past parish contributions to the school.
However, subsequent advice indicated that this was not so. This money has now been ear-marked for future capital needs of Mt Carmel school. The School has developed a capital expenditure plan for the next five years attending to workplace health & safety issues, ongoing maintenance of school buildings and improvement of school facilities. No further contributions from Mt Carmel Parish are necessary.
Future large capital projects will be met from parent building levies and the balance of the Interest Assistance account. Expenditure of this money is supervised by the Parish Finance Council.
Church Development
The original two storey block (containing a chapel, sacristies, confessionals upstairs, and a large meeting room and toilets downstairs) planned for the Church in 1960 was never built due to a lack of finance at the time. Up until 1970 part of the original Queensland homestead which served as the Priory was attached to the side of the Church.
In 1970 a two storey block was added to the Church. Again, because of the financial pressure in respect of the new school block and Library, this addition was much smaller than the 1960 plan. Unfortunately, the result is an architectural eyesore, badly planned and poorly built.
Pastoral Developments
In 1989 a part-time Parish Secretary and part-time Pastoral Associate was employed. As the number of Carmelites serving in the Parish diminished from five in 1985 to one in 1991 the development of lay ministries in the parish was fostered. A Pastoral Council was established in 1984 but ceased operations in 1989. A School Pastoral Board was established in 1991 and continues today. A large number of various groups developed in the areas of Liturgical and Caring Ministry, Social Clubs and Groups, Family Groups, Adult Education, Sacramental Program and RCIA. At present there are some 31 ministries and groups functioning at Mount Carmel. Each of these has its own coordinator and team.
In 1995, following extensive consultation as part of the Pastoral Planning Process a Parish Pastoral Council was once again established and continues today. The Parish Finance Council was also formally established at the same time and also continues its operations.
In 1993 and 1995 loans from ADF for the Convent and Church were fully repaid.
Payment of staff wages and on costs for our present full-time Secretary and part-time Pastoral Associate are new and significant costs for the parish. The growth in lay ministry and parish office support for various groups has also absorbed significant finances.
In August 1997 the parish held its first Planned Giving Renewal in over ten years. The results so far have been most encouraging and the Finance Council is optimistic that the parish can now support loans to do urgent maintenance work and, if the increase is sustained, further development of parish support for pastoral programs and our buildings.
According to our recent parish census there are 1,540 registered parishioners in 544 families.
There are just over 500 children in our School - just on 350 of these belong to registered parish families.
The parish had its beginnings in 1927 with the building of Loreto College. Shortly after its official opening Father Jules Bucas became Chaplain. The Sisters’ Chapel quickly became too small for people from this end of St James’ Parish who attended Loreto for Sunday Mass. Fr Bucas converted half of his house (next door to Loreto) into a chapel.
Father Bucas died suddenly in 1928. Two priests came as Chaplain for short periods of time before a permanent priest arrived and the parish was officially separated from St James in 1930.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish began in 1930. Before that it was part of St James parish which was established in 1913.
At the beginning of 1928 the Loreto Sisters opened Loreto College in Cavendish Road. Archbishop Duhig appointed a chaplain, Father Jules Bucas, who was a Frenchman, to celebrate Mass for the Sisters and the girls. A condition of Father Bucas’ appointment was that the Sisters would allow local people to join them for Mass.
A few months later, the Archdiocese bought a cottage next to the school. It was adapted to serve as a chapel and a presbytery. The Archbishop blessed and opened it in July 1928. He named it Our Lady of Loreto.
In 1930 Father Bucas died. Archbishop Duhig decided to make Cavendish Road Coorparoo a parish in its own right. The priests who followed Father Bucas were Fathers John Healy, Henry Ryan and Thomas Dowling. Two other priests served briefly, Fathers Patrick Coleman and Reg Copley.
The Arrival of the Carmelites
In January 1937 the first two Carmelites arrived at Cavendish Road and settled into the residence/Chapel on Cavendish Road.
Archbishop Duhig appointed the Carmelites to take care of the parish which then became known as our lady of Mount Carmel. The first two Carmelites were father James O’sullivan, who was parish priest, and father James Meehan.
The Carmelites and the parishioners saw the need for a proper church and a parish school. They bought a property of four and a half acres on the corner of Cavendish Road and Norfolk Street which was owned by the Evans family. The Carmelites moved into the family home, which became the Priory.
In 1939 Archbishop Duhig laid the foundation stone for a two story church-school. The top floor had three classrooms, which were the beginning of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. The first teachers were Maureen Kingston and Noni Bliss. On the ground floor was the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The number of adult parishioners and children grew rapidly. There was soon need for a bigger church and a larger school. In May 1963 the foundation stone was laid for this present church. The priory was demolished to make room for it and a new priory was built facing Norfolk Street. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church at Easter 1964 amid much rejoicing.
In 1939 a large property on the corner of Cavendish Road and Norfolk Street was purchased and the Carmelites moved into the homestead.
A two-storey church/school was built in 1940 staffed initially by lay teachers and later by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception from Kedron. A building relocated from Marriot Street was placed on the Norfolk Street side of the property to serve as a Convent for the Sisters. Unfortunately, this block of land was later sold presumably to meet the costs of a permanent Convent built in 1958 on land adjoining the internal boundary of parish property given to the parish by the Josephson family.
The Convent which had room for 12 sisters housed the Franciscans until their withdrawal in the mid-1970s. Loreto Sisters provided principals for Mt Carmel School until 1988.
In 1954 a new parish was created from part of Camp Hill and Cavendish Road parishes - Regina Caeli parish Coorparoo Heights.
New Church & Priory
In 1960 planning began for a new church on Cavendish Road. The first mass was celebrated in the new church on March 8 1963. Work on a new Priory for the Carmelites was begun, and both buildings blessed and officially opened in June 1965.
School Developments
The 1960s and 70s saw a new block of classrooms and a new library & undercroft area built for the school and the refurbishment of the original two storey church/school building.
The scale of expansion of school buildings was largely due to enrolments from Regina Caeli parish. For reasons which are not clear, no Parish School was ever built at Regina Caeli and no financial contribution was received from Regina Caeli Parish towards either capital or running costs of Mt Carmel School between 1954 and 1990.
During this time up to 90% of Planned Giving contributions from Mount Carmel was used to fund school capital and recurrent needs. In practical terms, little maintenance or development of church and priory buildings was possible. In 1990 a new two-storey classroom block and new administration areas were added, together with further refurbishment of the old church/school block. A building levy was instituted and Regina Caeli parish agreed to pay $200,000 (or 20%) of the cost of this project over the 10 year life of the loan. Mount Carmel Parish continued to contribute $30,000+ each year to the repayment of this loan.
A State Government Interest Assistance Grant was given in respect of this loan. The understanding of the Parish Priest of the time was that these monies belonged to Mount Carmel parish and could be used either for school or parish needs. This was seen as a kind of recompense for the large past parish contributions to the school.
However, subsequent advice indicated that this was not so. This money has now been ear-marked for future capital needs of Mt Carmel school. The School has developed a capital expenditure plan for the next five years attending to workplace health & safety issues, ongoing maintenance of school buildings and improvement of school facilities. No further contributions from Mt Carmel Parish are necessary.
Future large capital projects will be met from parent building levies and the balance of the Interest Assistance account. Expenditure of this money is supervised by the Parish Finance Council.
Church Development
The original two storey block (containing a chapel, sacristies, confessionals upstairs, and a large meeting room and toilets downstairs) planned for the Church in 1960 was never built due to a lack of finance at the time. Up until 1970 part of the original Queensland homestead which served as the Priory was attached to the side of the Church.
In 1970 a two storey block was added to the Church. Again, because of the financial pressure in respect of the new school block and Library, this addition was much smaller than the 1960 plan. Unfortunately, the result is an architectural eyesore, badly planned and poorly built.
Pastoral Developments
In 1989 a part-time Parish Secretary and part-time Pastoral Associate was employed. As the number of Carmelites serving in the Parish diminished from five in 1985 to one in 1991 the development of lay ministries in the parish was fostered. A Pastoral Council was established in 1984 but ceased operations in 1989. A School Pastoral Board was established in 1991 and continues today. A large number of various groups developed in the areas of Liturgical and Caring Ministry, Social Clubs and Groups, Family Groups, Adult Education, Sacramental Program and RCIA. At present there are some 31 ministries and groups functioning at Mount Carmel. Each of these has its own coordinator and team.
In 1995, following extensive consultation as part of the Pastoral Planning Process a Parish Pastoral Council was once again established and continues today. The Parish Finance Council was also formally established at the same time and also continues its operations.
In 1993 and 1995 loans from ADF for the Convent and Church were fully repaid.
Payment of staff wages and on costs for our present full-time Secretary and part-time Pastoral Associate are new and significant costs for the parish. The growth in lay ministry and parish office support for various groups has also absorbed significant finances.
In August 1997 the parish held its first Planned Giving Renewal in over ten years. The results so far have been most encouraging and the Finance Council is optimistic that the parish can now support loans to do urgent maintenance work and, if the increase is sustained, further development of parish support for pastoral programs and our buildings.
According to our recent parish census there are 1,540 registered parishioners in 544 families.
There are just over 500 children in our School - just on 350 of these belong to registered parish families.