St Ignatius Church Sesquicentenary

The first Jesuits in Australia landed at Port Adelaide in 1848, and in 1869 established St Ignatius Church in Norwood. A hundred and fifty years later the parish celebrated its sesquicentenary, the role of the Jesuits and contribution of the people of the parish. This site includes stories, poems and photographs shared by some of the parishioners at St Ignatius, Norwood.

Parishioner contributions on the sesquicentenary of the founding of St Ignatius church by Fr. Hinterocker

Fr Zerafa and my journey into the Catholic Church

Helen Reilly. My journey into Christianity began at the Alma Congregational Church Sunday School. Five years at an Anglican boarding school followed, with an inspirational, faith filled head mistress who exhorted us to be filled with the fire of God.

Sewing for refugees and at Otherway

Eileen Simmons. My mother, Bridget Welsh was born in Melrose in the Flinders Ranges north of Adelaide. Before marrying she worked as a domestic for farming families, and also exhibited jams and pickles, needlework and crochet at local shows. Mum married my father William Fawcett, who was a butcher, and they had nine children.

Mary O’Leary and her daughters. Early parishioners

Paul Harris. Mary O’Leary was among the early parishioners who attended the first Mass at St Ignatius, Norwood. She passed away a decade later, to the day. Her husband Tom Denny had gone twelve years earlier after a series of strokes. Stroke took Mary too, suddenly at home, a few steps from the Josephite…

In the Footsteps of Ignatius

Anne Slattery. In 2018 I was fortunate enough to go on the Parish Pilgrimage to Spain and Italy. The pilgrimage was entitled “In the Footsteps of Ignatius”. This was a wonderful experience. We pilgrims followed in the footsteps of Ignatius as he attempted to travel from Spain to the Holy Land to fulfil his…

The life of Sr Patricia Sealey rsj

Sr Margaret Kenny. Eileen Patricia Naylon and Ernest Thomas Sealey were married in 1935 by Fr Wilfred Ryan SJ. A mixed marriage, the wedding took place in the front room of Manresa, the Norwood home of the Jesuits.

Parish Youth Groups

Clare Nocka. For many years in the 80s and early 90s the Norwood Parish was fortunate to have two active youth groups. One group was led by a succession of Youth Workers who brought together students from many of the local schools. The group was active in developing young spirituality and active engagement in…

Scollin and Rice Families in the Norwood Parish

Michael Rice. James Hugh Scollin and Florence Dowdy were married in 1905 at St Patrick’s Church, Adelaide. For business reasons they moved to Brisbane where their first two children John (Jack) and Mary (Mollie) were born.

The “Little Flock”. Early parishioners

Denis Flaherty. When in 1993 my brother, Pat Flaherty, completed his “Flaherty Family History” the family became aware of our history from 19 April 1855 when Edward James Flaherty arrived in Adelaide with his wife and children.

Recollections of youth work and refugee support in the 70s

Fr Peter Hosking SJ. My family grew up in the Dulwich parish, but we attended Mass at Norwood. My father would pick up Jesuit priests from the Norwood parish and bring them to the Dulwich Burnside parish to say Mass.

In memory of the donor’s parents

Liz Mazzei (née Keane). These words are inscribed on the two stained glass windows located in the foyer of the church. The images represent the Irish saints, St Patrick and St Bridget. These windows were donated by my great aunts Mary and Bridget Roche. They were gifts to the extensions of St Ignatius Church,…

History of Loreto in the St Ignatius parish

Pam Cramond. In 1905 the first Loreto sisters (IBVM) led by Mother Emilian McGrath arrived in Adelaide, sent by the Provincial, Mother Gonzaga Barry. They began a small school in Sydenham Road, Norwood and so were part of the Norwood parish from the first. The Sydenham Road house was unsuitable, and they moved on…

Growing up in the parish during the 60s

Felicity McInnes. I first came to St Ignatius in 1959, after my family moved to the area so that I could start school at Loreto. In those days my mother only had the car one day a week. My father took it to his office in the city on other days. I had three…

Memories of St Ignatius church

Julie Wells (née Pacholski). My mother, Joan Pacholski (née Murray) lived all but the last 4 years of her long life in Adelaide Street, Maylands; just across Magill Road from Queen Street. So strictly speaking my grandparents Michael John Murray and Maud Drusilla Murray (née Dempsey) lived in the Payneham parish. However, their early…

A great support in my life’s journey

Michele Cochrane. I have been going to Mass at St Ignatius since the late 1950s. My father was in a wheelchair and there was easy access to the church from the car park outside the northern wing of the church. Fr Lalor used to hear my father’s confession in the car in the same…

Sesquicentenary: meditation on a Sunday morning

John Kelly. I wake and bless myself, a sacred hand-down from another time and place that wore proud green and holidayed upon St Patrick’s Day;

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A Hundred and Fifty Years in Norwood, South Australia