MSSP - Paulist Missionaries in Australia


	Missionary Society of Saint Paul - a brief history
PAULISTS IN AUSTRALIA – OUR STORY SO FAR
*The Missionary Society of St Paul in Australia* Significant Dates in our History 2 August, 1948 Fr Augustine Grech is the first Paulist Missionary to arrive in Australia. 24 May, 1951 The MSSP obtains its first residence in Australia. This is Saint Mary's Mission House, in Carlton, Victoria. 13 January, 1952 St Mary's Mission House is blessed and officially opened by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Daniel Mannix. 7 November, 1955 St. Mary's Mission House is shifted to a better place in Parkville, also in Victoria. 27 July, 1956 The Missionary Society of Saint Paul goes to Western Australia, at Saint Mel's Parish, Swanbourne. Fr Honoratus Galea becomes Parish Priest. January, 1964 The MSSP opens its new house in East Sydney, NSW. The main ministry from Mgr DePiro House will be the pastoral care of the Maltese migrants in the area. 25 April, 1964 The Paulist Missionaries take up Saint Bernadette's Parish, North Sunshine, Victoria. This parish's first MSSP Parish Priest is Fr Charles Borg. 18 August, 1965 Our Lady of Victories Parish, Horsley Park, NSW, is put under the pastoral care of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul. Fr Claude Borg is its first Paulist Parish Priest. 24 January, 1971 The Paulist Missionaries open their first Formation House in Australia. Saint Paul's Missionary College, at Wantirna South, Victoria, is blessed and officially opened by Cardinal James Knox, Archbishop of Melbourne. January, 1974 St. Mary's Mission House moves yet again, this time up the road from Parkville to Brunswick. 21 January, 1979 The Paulists leave Swanbourne and move to Saint Joachim's Parish, Victoria Park, also in W.A. 4 August, 1980 Fr George Scerri, Paulist Provincial in Australia, dies after having been brutally attacked by an intruder at the Society's house in Brunswick. 20 November, 1983 The Maltese Community Centre of Victoria is officially opened on the new MSSP premises at Parkville. These new premises are blessed by the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne T.F. Little and officially opened by John Cain, premier of Victoria, in the presence of the Paulist Superior General Fr James Bonello. January, 1984 The Paulist community moves from Brunswick to its new premises in Parkville. 25 January, 1986 The Paulist Missionaries are given the Pastoral Care of St. Joseph's Parish in Rozelle, New South Wales. 18 January, 1989 The new premises of St Paul's Missionary College, Wantirna South, are blessed by the Most Rev T.F. Little, Archbishop of Melbourne, and officially opened by Fr James Bonello, MSSP Superior General. 1 July, 1990 The Paulists are entrusted with the Pastoral Care of the Maltese Community in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, from "La Vallette" Centre, in Blacktown. April, 1997 Wominjeka, the Mission Spirituality Centre is formally established on the old premises of St Paul's Missionary College. This is a joint-venture between the Paulist Missionaries and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. 10 February, 1999 Fr Dominic Cachia leaves Australia to be one of the first MSSP members to minister at St Paul's Parish in Toronto, Canada. 9 April, 1999 Australian-born Fr Ivano Burdian leaves for the Philippines. There he joins Fr Lonnie Borg to be the Founding-members of our new Filipino mission. 30 June, 2000 On the 90th anniversary of the MSSP, the Society begins its General Chapter at St Paul's Missionary College, Wantirna South. This is the first time in our history that a General Chapter has been held outside Malta. 20 November, 2000 Fr Claude Borg, a Paulist Missionary, was awarded the Commonwealth of Australia Seniors' Award, in recognition for his work in the community. 1 March, 2001 After fifteen years of pastoral ministry at St Joseph's Parish, in Rozelle, New South Wales, the Paulist Missionaries had to say farewell to this ministry. Thanks to the Paulists who gave their service here: Fathers Michael Caruana, Dominic Cachia, Alfred Cachia, Claude Borg and Benedict Sant. 22 December, 2001 The Paulist Missionaries in Australia celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Priestly Ordination of Fr Claude Borg. Fr Claude arrived in Australia in 1956 and has been working in Australia since then (except for a thirteen year gap when he was elected Assistant to the Superior General for two consecutive terms). Fr Claude has worked as a Maltese Chaplain and was Parish Priest in our parish of Our Lady of Victories, Horsley Park, New South Wales. 8 December, 2006 The Paulist Missionaries took over the pastoral care of St James the Apostle Parish, Hoppers Crossing North, Victoria. Fr Jude Pirotta became its parish priest.

Paulist Houses in Australia

Provincial House,
477 Royal Parade,
Parkville, VIC 3052

St Paul’s Missionary College, Norton’s Lane,
Wantirna South, VIC 3152

“Wominjeka” -
Mission Spirituality Centre,
Norton’s Lane,
Wantirna South, VIC 3152

St Bernadette’s Parish,
59B Westmoreland Road,
North Sunshine, VIC 3020

St James the Apostle Parish,
330, Derrimut Rd,
Hoppers Crossing North, VIC 3029

DePiro House,
19 Stanley Street,
East Sydney, NSW 2010

Our Lady of Victories Parish,
46-56 Felton Street,
Horsley Park, NSW 2175

Maltese Chaplaincy,
175 Walters Road, Blacktown, NSW 2148