St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Pakenham Reopens After Extensive Renovations
Pakenham—After a year-long closure for extensive renovations, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Pakenham has joyfully reopened its doors to parishioners. The new altar and church were consecrated by Bishop Greg Bennet of the Sale Diocese during a Mass celebrated on Sunday, 25th August 2024, attended by approximately 700 parishioners.
"Our beautiful sacred space invites people for prayer and worship and to celebrate weekend and daily Masses, baptisms, weddings, and other sacraments," said Parish Priest Fr. Janeesh Jose.
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church has a rich history, with the first church on this site dating back to 1872, making it the first Catholic Church in Gippsland. This small rendered Tudor Gothic church served the community for over a century until a larger church was constructed in 1975 to accommodate the growing parish. The design of St. Patrick’s Church was intended to complement the surrounding countryside, with a focus on natural lighting and a harmonious colour scheme.
"With considerable daily use over the last 50 years, a renovation and modernization were required," said Herbie O’Flynn, secretary of the Parish Building Committee.
Planning for the renovation began in 2018 but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. Under the guidance of Nick Russo, architect of Branch Studio, modified plans were finalized, and tenders were called in August 2023. The $3.8 million renovation project was undertaken by local builders MDC Building, who commenced work in September 2023.
The renovation was truly a labour of love, brought to life by the dedication and unity of our parish community. Parishioners came together with a shared vision of raising the necessary funds through a series of creative and joyful events.
From the elegance of the St. Patrick’s formal dinner to the vibrant flavours of our international food festivals, and the fun of Karaoke night, Dosa and dance, and the Disco Pasta festa, each event was not just a fundraiser but a celebration of our community spirit.
We also enjoyed gatherings, such as Devonshire teas, Market days, Pots and Plants sales, carols at Christmas, and our ever-popular sausage sizzles after weekend Masses.
These events brought the community closer together, strengthening bonds while working towards a common goal.
Parishioners were also invited to make personal contributions by ‘buying a brick,’ sponsoring the Stations of the Cross, or sponsoring a church pew.
Through these combined efforts and with the support of a loan from the Catholic Development Fund, we successfully completed the renovation project. Our church now stands not only as a beautiful place of worship but as a symbol of what we can achieve when we come together with faith and determination.
