Morning tea for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church 100th anniversary

The Very Reverend Peter Brannelly; representatives from the Jubilee Parish Community; ladies and gentlemen.

We are very proud to host this gathering on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Earlier this year, on the 16th of June – one day before the church’s official birthday – we attended your Centenary Mass.

A beautiful service it was, and how very glad we were to be part of it.

Sacred Heart has been synonymous with Rosalie since Archbishop James Duhig laid the foundation stone more than a century ago.

On reporting its opening, the newspaper then called The Brisbane Courier noted Sacred Heart to be “an imposing structure, dominating the immediate country around it, and somewhat similar in appearance to the Red Hill church, but more ornate”.

I was deeply honoured early in my term as Governor, with Archbishop Coleridge, to unveil the statue of Sir James Duhig at St Brigid’s Church.

Back to Rosalie . . . designed by Australian architect George Henry Male Addison, Sacred Heart Catholic Church is one of his many creations that are now – deservedly so – heritage listed. A most inspiring edifice.

But, more important than its aesthetic quality is the role Sacred Heart plays in the lives of locals.

For many decades, the church has been a place of worship and faith as well as a centre of education.

Changing demographics forced the closure of the Sacred Heart Primary School in 1995 and the Marist Brothers College in 2008.

However, a process of rejuvenation has seen Rosalie emerge as a vibrant and busy Catholic hub, with existing facilities utilised for the mission of the parish and the archdiocese.

The Lavalla Centre, the Sister Mary de Ricci Atrium, the MacKillop Centre and the Emmaus Centre are just some of the organisations that now call Rosalie home.

As does a certain kookaburra, which throughout my governorship has guarded the clergy house on Fernberg Road next to Lavalla, 24 hours, never moving – and I can vouch for that because my passings-by are regular and unannounced!

In 1942, Sacred Heart was almost completely destroyed by fire, but it rose from the ashes and was reopened the following year.

During a renovation in 2017, the original pews were stripped back to show the scorch marks.

They bear testament to the church’s resilience.

Our city keeps changing, but Rosalie’s most famous red brick building remains a beacon of stability, proudly towering over its surrounds.

Photos were taken from the tower at Government House 100 years ago, and they were replicated a century on.

I am so pleased to acknowledge the link between Fernberg and Sacred Heart.

Ladies and gentlemen, please accept our warmest congratulations on your centenary, and the wishes that Sacred Heart Catholic Church will be here for at least another hundred years.

Thank you.