Our parish

The early history of Macquarie Fields as an outpost of Campbelltown parish, until finally becoming a separate parish in 1977, cannot be told without due acknowledgment of the work of Julius Medvecky. Julius is Hungarian from Slovakia. Julius arrived in Australia with his wife Karen who was from Estonia, in 1949, coming to this area in 1957. He realized that the lack of a local church was a great deprivation. Together with some people Julius learned of the possibility of a church being built in Macquarie Fields, inviting the people to join regularly the Sunday Mass which was at that time celebrated in the Community Hall in Fields Rd.

Sunday Mass would have commenced in 1960. When Julius bought a car in 1961 he committed to drive every Sunday to the Franciscan Friary, “Maryflelds” to bring the priest for Mass. He did this for well over twelve months. Julius built a collapsible altar that could be stored when Mass was over. When the present site of the church became available for a building, it was full of rubbish and Julius single handedly cleared the land. For many years and with different pastors Julius has been a participant in the life of the church. (Source: Julius Medvecky, Resident since 1957).

Fr. Allan Hartcher, OFM was one of the Franciscan priests who celebrated Mass for the Sunday community that gathered in the community hall at Fields Rd. Fr. Allan was ordained priest in 1949 in Melbourne, and came to Maryfields helping in the Campbelltown Parish already in 1961. He celebrated Masses on Sundays at Glenfield, Macquarie Fields, and Minto.

The Churches of Christ the King, Glenfield; Our Lady of Sorrows, Macquarie Fields and Holy Trinity, Minto, were all opened and blessed on the same day, 2 September 1962, by Bishop Thomas McCabe. The three churches were all of the same architecture and belonged to the Campbelltown Parish.

The small church erected along Second Ave, had always been called ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’. In February 1977, it officially became the seat of the Parish of Mary Mother of the Church Catholic Parish of Macquarie Fields. The Minto church was demolished to make way for the Minto Mall and the Glenfield church was demolished and the property sold to raise money to build the present church, which was opened and blessed by Bishop William Murray on 5th June 1990.

Originally Macquarie Fields was part of the Campbelltown Parish, then in 1969 it became part of Ingleburn which became a parish that year. At time Fr O’Hara lived in Macquarie Fields. An Army hut on the site of the present church was erected in 1968 to be used as a Hall for groups such as the Catholic Women’s League, and the Catechists. There was a prayer group associated with the Motor Mission that also used this hall. Money raising activities such as Fetes were held in the grounds of Edgar Street, and Housie was played to help the Catechists and the Motor Mission as no other finance was available.

In 1954 when Helen Crooks and her husband came to Glenfield the only Catholic Churches were at Liverpool and Campbelltown. There was a chapel at Ingleburn Army Camp, (North Ingleburn) later demolished in the second half of the nineties. Occasionally there was a Mass in the old Progress Hall which was situated in Belmont Road. To celebrate Mass in Glenfield a Carmelite Priest was called for at the Monastery by the parishioners of Ingleburn/ Glenfield. He would celebrate Mass at both Glenfield and Macquarie Fields. Also the priest from Campbelltown would come on occasions.

In December 1961 Trudy Meyerink prepared the children from the local school, and first Communion was held in Belmont Road, Glenfield.  When there was no Mass in Glenfield, Catholics would travel by steam train to Liverpool and walk from the station to All Saints. There was an occasional Mass in a Community Hall in Ingleburn, the present site of the Library. A special bus used to pick up any Glenfield or Macquarie Fields people on Sunday. Mass was at 7.00 a.m. Quite often there was only one family on the bus, the Meyerinks.

(Source: Helen Crooks – Resident in the parish since 1954).

We give thanks to God, and to all present and past parishioners, for all that has been achieved and contributed for the welfare of our parish, and we hope and pray that you will join us in our mission to know, love and serve Jesus in Macquarie Fields.