ST MATTHEWS CATHOLIC CHURCH, JAMBEROO, 125TH ANNIVERSARY
Page: 12763
Mr MATT BROWN (Kiama) [4.27 p.m.]: Recently I attended a fantastic celebration in the valley of Jamberoo. The 125th anniversary of St Matthews Catholic Church, Jamberoo, was celebrated on 19 September. On the morning I took my son, Isaac, to the church, where we were greeted by a congregation of proud parishioners. It was a terrific day. I pay tribute to the many people who took part in the celebration. Mr Guy Lee was chair of the St Matthews Community Team, which co-ordinated the day's activities, assisted by Peter and Joan McPherson, Ann Lee, Maggie Phelan, Kevin Tarlinton, Peter McGlinchey, Jenny Judd, Helen Hunter and Denise Adams. All in all, about 260 people attended the celebrations that day, including the mayor of Kiama.
St Matthews Catholic Church has a long history. In the 1800s a couple of acres of land were given to Bishop Polding by the O'Mara family, and a church-school was built there in 1839. But a more sturdy church needed to be built, and work on that got under way later in that century. In 1875 collectors were appointed to receive donations for the new church, and on 18 November 1875 the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Vaughan, auxiliary to Bishop Polding. The church was finally blessed and opened on 7 September 1879 by Archbishop Roger Vaughan. Back then the building cost £1,648. The old church-school was in use for many years, and today a new hall is a hive of activity for the community and the Catholics of Jamberoo.
That day's celebrations included an anniversary hymn, which was set to music by Gustav Holst, with lyrics by parishioners Guy Lee, Cathy Hewitt, Chris Wade and Peter McPherson. The prayers of the faithful were written by Ann Lee after extensive interviewing of parishioners of longstanding, along with newer arrivals and the youth congregation. On that day the prayers contained the feelings and hopes for St Matthews. The mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Wollongong, the Most Reverend Peter Ingham, DD, assisted by retired bishop William Murray, a past parish administrator now at Wagga Wagga. Father Peter Thompson and Father Paul Gurr, O.Carm., Chaplain of the Jamberoo Benedictine Abbey, were also there, as were the local nuns.
A fantastic quilt was made to celebrate the day. It measured 2.5 metres wide by 1.8 metres in height. It took six months to design and 14 months to stitch. Seventeen stitchers were involved, and a number of others participated in the design, historical research, artwork, communication, administration and fundraising. Most of the people live around Jamberoo but a few from Kiama and elsewhere also put a lot of hard work into the event. When Bishop Ingham was to display the quilt, the curtain covering it would not fall at the right moment. We were all looking forward to seeing this fantastic quilt but after a lot of moving around with ropes, it was found that the best way to remove the curtain covering the quilt was to use the bishop's crook. The fantastic quilt was then displayed to the whole parish and to those who were there to celebrate. There was then a fellowship with morning tea. I make special mention of Beth Downes, who made an anniversary cake that was cut by Margaret Brennan, the most senior parishioner. Bishop Ingram planted an Illawarra flame tree to mark the occasion. It was a great day and I was pleased to be a part of that event. [Time expired.]