The Founding of St Justin's Parish in Father Mike's own words

The Parish of St Justin's was cut-off from Good Shepherd, Mulgrave in 1985 with only a School building on the site.

After three years in a rented flat off-site, we built the present Parish Centre/Presbytery in 1988/9, then the Church in 1995. Both these buildings have been a wonderful expression of the response of the people over the years.

Fr Mick Wheeler , Founding Parish Priest

A Brief History of Fr Mick

Fr Michael (Mick) Wheeler was a former YCW full-time Secretary before entering the seminary. After completing his seminary studies Fr Mick was ordained at St Patrick's Cathedral, East Melbourne on 22nd May 1971.

He then served as Assistant Priest at Belmont (December 1971 - March 1972), Collingwood (1972), Jordanville (1975), Manifold (1978) and Newport (1979). In 1981 he was appointed Chaplain to the Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg.

In 1986 Fr Mick became Parish Priest of the newly established Parish of St Justin, Wheelers Hill. For more than 30 years Fr Mick was a much loved Parish Priest who served his community with humility, commitment and a down to earth manner which endeared him to many.

Fr Mick retired in 2016 due to ill health. He sadly passed away in Melbourne on Tuesday 11 August, 2020. Fr Mick's Requiem Mass was celebrated at his beloved Parish of St Justin.