Our Lady of the Nativity - Lawson, NSW, Australia
S 33° 43.190 E 150° 26.407
56H E 262796 N 6265965
This is right beside the Great Western Highway, on the southern side, and best accessed when heading west.
Waymark Code: WMXX7K
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 03/11/2018
Views: 0
At the northern end of the Church is the grey-brown granite Dedication Stone, which reads, as fallows:
[CROSS]
A.M.D.C
This stone was solemnly blessed
in Honour of Our Lady of the Nativity
on October 21st 1928
by
His Eminence
BOmt Aventure Cardinal Gerret
Papal Legate
To the Eucharistic Congress Sydney
From the Church website:
"The Catholics of Lawson commenced working towards having their own church in the 1890’s and in 1903, Cardinal Moran blessed and opened the result of their efforts; a small but adequate wooden building dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians. For all of this time, the area was part of Katoomba Parish.
"Mass was celebrated at Lawson on one Sunday per month by priests from Katoomba. Early in 1928, Mr Richard Meagher offered his Lawson property ‘Durham Lodge’ as the site for a new church. The church Our Lady of the Nativity is in fact a memorial to his wife Alice Meagher, who died in 1923. It was her idea to use the property for religious purposes, including a church.
"The local Catholics, led by Mr Wilfred Lillis, were enthusiastic about the proposal and expressed their desire to have a school established as well as a church. Rev St Clair Bridge was eventually won over to support the project after initial objections, and Archbishop Kelly gave his approval.
"The Sisters of the Good Samaritan, who have been continuously associated with Lawson for more than 60 years, undertook to staff the proposed school. Money was donated by Mr Meagher and the Archbishop; plans were prepared by Mr Austin McKay and Mr B. G. Lambert was awarded the contract. The Foundation Stone of the new church was blessed and laid by His Eminence Cardinal Ceretti, on October 21, 1928. The completed church was blessed by Archbishop Kelly on April 7, 1929. Lawson became a separate parish with Rev Patrick Conway as the first parish priest."
Lawson Church Website - History.
"Following a fire on May 15 2015, the church was damaged and mass took place at Our Lady of Nativity Primary School until rebuilt with great skill and beautiful quality. The first service in the renewed church took place on Christmas Day, 2015." [So, a year and a half before I stopped to take my photos.]
Mass Times:
* Sunday: 8.30 am
* Saturday Vigil: 5pm
* Tuesday & Wednesday: 5pm
* Thursday: 9am
Phone: (02) 4759 1034
Visited: 1420, Sunday, 16 July, 2017