St Francis of Assisi Chapel in Lochinvar Place celebrated its 30^th Anniversary on 5 May.  This beautiful chapel is now part of the fabric of our parish. The story below recalls a little of the day it was dedicated and how it came to be built:

St Francis of Assisi Chapel was ‘filled to overflowing’ 30 years ago on Sunday 5 May, 1991 for the official opening and blessing by the Bishop of Lismore, Bishop John Satterthwaite.  More than 150 people attended the opening of the 84 seat chapel which was built at a cost of around $400,000.

Parish Priest, Fr Leo Donnelly told the congregation that the chapel would be ‘an oasis of peace’ for the residents of St Agnes’ Hostel, people in the area of Ocean Drive and students in the surrounding schools.

Fr Donnelly paid tribute to parishioner Nell Sweeney who ‘got construction of the chapel started’, and donated so generously to the chapel including providing funds for the beautiful statue of St Francis that was purchased from Rome and the tabernacle.  Fr Donnelly said Nell had used her contacts to “spring” the statue of St Francis of Assisi out of Customs in time to be placed in the Chapel for the opening. Bishop John told the congregation the chapel was a vital tool to ‘advertise the church and with so many material things in people’s lives the church and its work needed to be advertised’.  Bishop John said the chapel provided the best form of advertising given that it was purpose built to worship God.

The carousel of photos below takes us back to the day it was dedicated in 1991.  Photos include a clipping from the Port News (6 May 1991), an exterior shot of the chapel, the Tabernacle and statue of St Francis of Assisi donated by the late Nell Sweeney, and the dedication ceremony at Mass with Bishop John Satterthwaite (Bishop of Lismore), Fr Leo Donnelly (PP), Fr Paul Gooley, and Fr Maurie Rowe.

With thanks to Julia Tierney for supplying the photos and story.