OUR CHURCHES

The Catholic story at Wallsend took visible form in 1875, when a small stone church was built on the hill in Macquarie Street. This modest church became the spiritual home of the local Catholic community and provided a place where families could gather for Mass, prayer and the celebration of the Sacraments.

As Wallsend expanded through the growth of coal mining and settlement, the Catholic community grew with it, creating the need for both pastoral and educational development.

A significant new chapter began in January 1883, with the arrival of two Sisters of Mercy, led by Sister M. Patrick Gates.

The Sisters began teaching local children within the stone church itself. Their arrival established a close relationship between parish life and Catholic education that would continue for generations. Faith, education and service became deeply interconnected within the Wallsend Catholic community.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the growing population required expanded facilities. During the time of Father Flynn, land was acquired across the road from the church from Mr Linsley, and a substantial brick school building was constructed.

The new building was officially blessed and opened by Bishop Murray in 1902. It served the educational needs of Catholic children and also became an important centre for parish and community activities.

The original stone church, which had served the Catholic community since 1875, was demolished in 1930 as the parish site continued to develop and adapt to changing needs.

The following decades brought further changes to the buildings and organisation of the parish precinct, reflecting the continuing growth of Catholic life in Wallsend.

The ministry of the Sisters of Mercy remained an important part of parish life. On 17 March 1963—St Patrick’s Day—a new convent was blessed by Bishop Toohey.

Significantly, the convent stood on the site of the original stone church, linking a new chapter of ministry and education with the very place where the early Catholic community had first gathered for worship.

The parish faced a major setback on 11 February 1978, when a fierce wind and rain storm struck Wallsend.

The historic 1902 brick building, by then serving as a school and parish hall, was completely destroyed. The loss required further redevelopment and reshaping of the school and parish facilities.

Yet, as throughout its history, the community responded by rebuilding and moving forward.

An important development in the more recent spiritual history of St Patrick’s began in 1998 under the leadership of Fr Tony Brady.

Small faith communities, known as Cell Groups, were established to encourage parishioners to grow in faith, prayer and fellowship. Members met regularly to read and reflect upon the Gospel and support one another in Christian discipleship.

A particularly important element of these groups was a commitment by members to spend one hour each week in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Over time, this devotion helped nurture a strong culture of Eucharistic prayer within the parish. What began with organised periods of Adoration developed into an Adoration Chapel operating for extended hours six days a week.

Fr Tony Brady continued to encourage the parish towards an even greater vision: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. With the commitment of parishioners, organised prayer rosters and assistance in establishing a sustainable structure, this vision eventually became a reality.

In November 2016, the Pope John Paul II Perpetual Adoration Chapel was officially blessed and opened.

The chapel represented the fruit of many years of prayer, commitment and Eucharistic devotion. For the community, it was not simply another parish building but a visible expression of the desire to place Jesus in the Eucharist at the heart of parish life.

The story of Eucharistic Adoration at Wallsend remains an important part of the parish’s spiritual heritage and continues to inspire prayer and devotion today.

Across its long history, many priests have ministered to the Catholic people of Wallsend. While a complete chronological record of every priest who served the community is still being developed, several names are particularly associated with significant periods of parish history.

Fr Flynn served around the beginning of the twentieth century and was associated with the expansion of parish facilities, including the construction of the 1902 brick school and hall.

Fr Jensen ministered at St Patrick’s during the mid-1940s as part of his wider priestly service within the region.

Fr Pickin served as parish priest during the late 1960s and 1970s. His period of ministry later became associated with serious historical safeguarding and institutional accountability matters.

Fr Tony Brady provided significant leadership over many years and was particularly influential in developing small faith communities and fostering Eucharistic Adoration. The opening of the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in 2016 represented the fulfilment of a vision cultivated over many years.

Today, Fr Paul Chackanikunnel serves as Parish Administrator of Divine Mercy Parish Wallsend–Shortland, with pastoral responsibility for the communities worshipping at St Patrick’s Church, Wallsend, and Our Lady of Victories Church, Shortland.

A major milestone came in 1957, when Parish Priest Fr Roland “Roley” Smyth established the local Catholic school, originally known as St Joseph’s School.

The school began with approximately 81 students from Kindergarten to Year 4. Three pioneering Sisters of St Joseph—Sr Mary Cecily, Sr Matthew and Sr Marguerite—were entrusted with its early leadership and teaching.

The school grew rapidly alongside the surrounding community, with enrolments exceeding 300 students during the 1960s. The Sisters of St Joseph became an integral part of the Catholic story of Shortland, contributing not only to education but also to the faith and pastoral life of local families. Their presence continued until 2005.

Among the most significant figures in the early development of Catholic life at Shortland was Fr Roley Smyth.

When he began his ministry in the area, the Catholic community had limited facilities. Through determined fundraising, the generosity of local families and an extraordinary community effort, the foundations of a permanent Catholic presence were gradually established.

Under his leadership, the site developed to include a school, convent, presbytery and eventually a permanent church. His ministry was remembered not simply for constructing buildings, but for bringing people together and encouraging them to take responsibility for building their Catholic community.

Despite the considerable financial and pastoral demands involved in establishing these facilities, Fr Roley became known for his energy, enthusiasm and ability to inspire people to participate.

A crowning achievement of this period came on Sunday, 1 November 1964, with the opening of the permanent Our Lady of Victories Church.

Fr Roley, assisted during this period by Fr W. Cantwell, witnessed the fulfilment of years of planning, fundraising and community effort. The new church provided the growing Catholic population with a permanent spiritual home for the celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments.

Fr Roley continued his priestly service within the Diocese for many years and died on 21 July 1997. His legacy remains visible in the Catholic community and facilities that continue to serve Shortland today.

As the decades passed, both the parish and school continued to develop. Fr A. Hart, appointed in 1967, was among the priests who assisted the rapidly growing community during this period.

The year 2007 marked 50 years of Catholic education at Shortland and was followed by significant improvements to the school facilities. These developments included a new administration and library complex, a community hall completed during the Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution program, and later refurbishment and modernisation of classroom facilities.

The continuing presence of Our Lady of Victories Primary School alongside the church remains an important expression of the close relationship between parish, family and Catholic education. The school continues to be officially associated with the Wallsend–Shortland parish community.

In later years, the Catholic communities of Shortland and Wallsend came to share parish administration. Fr Tony Brady, who served for many years, played an important role in the pastoral life of both communities during this period.

Today, the two communities form Divine Mercy Parish Wallsend–Shortland, with St Patrick’s Church at Wallsend and Our Lady of Victories Church at Shortland maintaining their distinctive histories while sharing one parish mission.

Fr Paul Chackanikunnel currently serves as Parish Administrator, with pastoral responsibility for both communities. The Diocese also records a range of contemporary parish activities, including children’s liturgy, spiritual retreats and a Young People’s Mass.

One of the beautiful characteristics of Our Lady of Victories today is its growing cultural and liturgical diversity.

Alongside the parish’s Roman Rite celebrations, the church provides a spiritual home for the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community. The Diocese currently lists regular Syro-Malabar Rite celebrations at Our Lady of Victories, reflecting the increasingly multicultural character of Catholic life in the Hunter region.

This sharing of the same sacred space by Catholics belonging to different traditions within the universal Church offers an opportunity to build friendship, mutual understanding and a deeper sense of Catholic unity.

A particularly memorable chapter was added to the history of Our Lady of Victories on 12–13 September 2026, when the church and school hosted the major Relic of St Carlo Acutis as part of its journey through the Diocese of Maitland–Newcastle.

The two-day Mission included Masses, talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, the Rosary and Divine Mercy prayers, an exhibition, community fellowship and opportunities for individual veneration.

The Diocese reported that Our Lady of Victories was one of the final stops of the Relic’s diocesan journey and that parishioners and members of the wider community gathered there for prayer and veneration. Across the wider diocesan pilgrimage, thousands encountered the witness of St Carlo through prayer, worship and reflection.

The Mission was also a powerful experience of collaboration. Parishioners, young people, volunteers, the Syro-Malabar community and many others worked side by side in liturgy, music, hospitality, veneration, catering, traffic management, safety and numerous practical ministries.

It demonstrated what can happen when a community prays together, works together and places Christ at the centre.

Many priests have contributed to the spiritual and pastoral life of Our Lady of Victories over the decades. Among those particularly associated with important chapters of its history are Fr Roland “Roley” Smyth, founding priest during the formative years; Fr W. Cantwell, who assisted during the period of major development in the 1960s; Fr A. Hart, appointed in 1967; and Fr Tony Brady, who later served the combined Wallsend–Shortland community.

Today, Fr Paul Chackanikunnel serves as Parish Administrator of Divine Mercy Parish Wallsend–Shortland. His current appointment is also recorded on the Diocese’s parish directory.

This list represents some of the priests associated with significant periods in the community’s history and is not intended to be a complete chronological record of every priest who has ministered at Shortland.