St Joseph’s, Rathdowney

 Third Sunday of the Month

For Mass times for movable feasts please check the newsletter.

Before the construction of St Joseph’s Church, the Rathdowney Memorial Hall or Rathdowney School of Arts were used as Mass Centres for the spiritual needs of the people in the Rathdowney area. The land on which the church was built was purchased from Mr. Bob Salisbury by 4 Priests, James Duhig, Timothy Moloney, William Lee and Michael Baldwin on the 25^th of October 1924 and in 1928 it was decided to build a Church on this land. The Architect drew up the plans and construction began on the 11^th of July 1929 and just 12 weeks later the building was completed.

In its report, the Beaudesert Times described the building thusly: “The church is constructed of Queensland hardwood timbers in the walls and floors, with Queensland pine in the roof. The building comprises an entrance porch 11ft by 8ft, church 40ft by 23ft, sanctuary 15ft by 16ft, sacristy 9ft by 16ft. The walls are sheeted externally with hardwood chamfer boards and internally with pine lining boards. The ceiling of the sanctuary is lined with fibro-cement sheeting and cover battens and that of the church by pine lining boards. The sanctuary is divided from the church by an elliptical arch and the windows of the sanctuary are glazed with lead-light containing designs symbolic of the Crucifixion, the Holy Eucharist and St Joseph. The glazing of the church windows is in light rose-tinted glass. Externally, the walls are painted cream white with brown facings and the sashes of the windows and barge boards of the gables in light stone tints. Internally, the walls are painted with a dado in brown tints and walls in French grey and the ceilings in cream white. The roofs are finished with gables and half timbering and ventilator dormers. The altar is a very handsome one of silky oak and the two pedestals for statues are also of silky oak.” (Beaudesert Times, September 29, 1929)

St Joseph’s Church was blessed and opened on the 29^th of September 1929, by Archbishop Duhig, ably assisted by the Parish Priest, Father Hennessy and by his curate Father Tom O’Callaghan.

The first Mass was said by Father O’Callaghan, during which Archbishop Duhig addressed the congregation, after Mass a luncheon and reception for Archbishop Duhig was held in the Rathdowney Memorial Hall.