EARLY DAYS OF ST BRIGID'S MORDIALLOC

Mordialloc was the first to come of age and it was created under the patronage of St. Brigid, in July 1949, with Fr James C. English as parish priest.  

Fr Francis O’Hanlon (Parish Priest from St Patrick’s, Mentone) had purchased a property, “LISSADELL” which is on the corner of Main and High Streets Mordialloc. LISSADELL had been the summer residence of the MONAHAN FAMILY who had previously gifted the land on the opposite corner for a church site. This property became the PRESBYTERY for the brand new parish. 

An announcement was made at Christmas Midnight Mass in 1935 in Mordialloc that the land situated on the corner of Main and High Streets had been secured for £750, which amount had been donated by Mrs. T. Monahan of the Sarah Sands Hotel, Brunswick. The time of the announcement was appropriate as that Mass marked the silver jubilee of St Brigid’s as a Mass centre, where the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1910. Offers of financial assistance were immediately forthcoming and a special meeting to launch a public appeal was held in February. 

It was expected that the sum of £5,000 would be required to build a church worthy of the district and of the high purpose to which it will be dedicated. By August 1937, a Direct Appeal realised approximately £500 which was considered totally inadequate, as the existing debt of £2,000 had to be wiped out before further liabilities could be undertaken. By January 1937 over £1,760 had been contributed.

A Queen Carnival was inaugurated in Mordialloc in February 1938, in the hope of liquidating the debt, three young ladies nominated as candidates – Marie Conroy (Sport), Kathleen Nolan (Charity) and Olive O’Dwyer (Turf). Provided the debt was wiped out, it was Fr. Martin’s intention to have plans prepared for a new church in Main Street which they hoped would be opened for use before the end of the year. 

The closing function of the Carnival was held on 5^th July at a Grand Coronation Ball, when the Mayor of Mordialloc, Cr. Herbert, crowned Miss Marie Conroy. The amount of £805 was raised during the carnival.

The Angelus of December 1939 carried the headline – “Princely Donation to St Brigid’s Mr. H. Bamber’s Generosity”. It reported – “it is with great pleasure we are able to announce that at long last St Brigid’s is out of debt, and with some donations that were very kindly made we can at last build our church so that the people of Mordialloc will be proud of”. 

EARLY DAYS OF ST LOUIS DE MONTFORT'S ASPENDALE

In the late 1950's with no trains running on Sundays because of strikes, the Catholic population of Aspendale had great difficulty getting to St Brigid's Mordialloc for Mass. A deputation of men spoke to the parish priest, Fr Jim English to see if Mass could be celebrated in Aspendale, and so a began a new era. 

Martin's Dance Hall, opposite the Aspendale station, was centrally situated and the faithful gathered in a small room at the front of the hall, to celebrate Mass together. Soon this room was inadequate, and the congregation moved into the main Dance Hall.

Eventually, Martin’s Hall was sold, and Mass was then celebrated in the old Scout Hall at Regent’s Park. Seating was limited, so most of the congregation brought their own camp chairs!

The site in Dolphin Street, 8.5 acres was purchased by the far-sighted Father English in 1961 for £36,000 soon after, in 1964, the building of the original rooms of St Louis School was begun.

Eventually, the congregation made its last change of venue and Mass was celebrated in the corridor of a partly-finished classroom, wherever the least disturbance to the builder, Mr. George Dorian.

With thanks to Mrs Susan Waltho for compiling this history

List of Clergy at Mordialloc and Aspendale

ASPENDALE PARISH             Established 1971

 23.01.1971 – 19.01.1974               Fr Joseph Junior Briglia                  Parish Priest

19.01.1974- 26.01.1980                Fr Anthony Eames                         Parish Priest      

26.01.1980 – 21.01.1991               Fr John Sarvaas Woodcock          Parish Priest

25.03.1990 – 25.09.1990               Fr Patrick Purcell                              Administrator

26.09.1990 – 22.01.1992               Fr Peter Maurice Waters              Administrator

22.01.1992 – 23.01.1996               Fr William Ambrose Gill                Parish Priest

24.01.1996 – 13.01.2000               Fr Francis Michael Martin            Priest Supervisor

13.01.2000 – 10.09.2010               Fr Michael John Quigley               Parish Priest

                            (Died 10.09.2010 whilst appointed Parish Priest)

12.01.2011 – present                    Fr Andrew Stanislaw Jekot          Parish Priest

29.10.2015 – 31.01.2017               Fr Patrick Bradford                         Assistant Priest

08.02.2017 – 29.05.2019               Fr Justel Zedec Paras Callos         Assistant Priest

MORDIALLOC PARISH            Established 1949

 04.07.1949 – 08.12.1986               Fr James Columbus English          Parish Priest

(First Parish Priest of Mordialloc Parish. Died suddenly at Mordialloc Presbytery 08.12.1986)

20.01.1958 – 04.10.1969               Fr Wilford James Baker                 Assistant Priest

28.06.1958 – 31.01.1970               Fr John James Byrne                      Assistant Priest

04.02.1961 – 30.01.1965               Fr William Pearse Smark              Assistant Priest

30.01.1965 – 28.01.1967               Fr Gregory Patrick Handley         Assistant Priest

28.01.1967 – 20.01.1968               Fr Leo Patrick Griffin                      Assistant Priest

04.10.1969 – 18.01.1974               Fr Peter James Rankin                   Assistant Priest

19.01.1974 – 20.01.1978               Fr Michael John Elligate                Assistant Priest

21.01.1978 – 22.01.1982               Fr Laurence Anthony Pearson    Assistant Priest

23.01.1982 – 25.01.1985               Fr Gerard Carl McKernan             Assistant Priest

26.01.1985 - 28.01.1986              Fr Kevin Francis Burke                   Administrator

29.01.1986 – 28.01.1987               Fr Peter Finn                                     Administrator

28.01.1987 – 12.01.2000               Fr Joseph Hugh Browne                Parish Priest

13.01.2000 – 10.09.2010               Fr Michael John Quigley               Parish Priest

(Died whilst appointed Parish Priest)

13.01.2011 – present                    Fr Andrew Stanislaw Jekot          Parish Priest

29.10.2015 – 31.01.2017               Fr Patrick Bradford                         Assistant Priest

08.02.2017 – 29.05.2019               Fr Justel Zedec Paras Callos         Assistant Priest

CATHOLIC PARISH OF ST MARY OF THE CROSS

MORDIALLOC & ASPENDALE Established 23 February 2019          

13.01.2011 – present                    Fr Andrew Stanislaw Jekot          Parish Priest

08.02.2017 – 29.05.2019               Fr Justel Zedec Paras Callos         Assistant Priest

15.12.2021 – 16.08.2022               Fr Hoang Tuan Dinh                        Assistant Priest

17.08.2022 - present                     Fr Ignatius Boon Kim Tan              Assistant Priest