An Invitation

The Personal Parish of St John Henry Newman, with its seat at the Church of St Aloysius' Caulfield North, serves those members of Christ's Faithful who worship in accordance with the traditional Latin Liturgy (or Traditional Latin Mass) of the Catholic Church. TThe Sacred Liturgy is celebrated in accordance with the Roman liturgical books promulgated up to 1962.

Not merely its lawfulness, but the continued importance of the traditional Latin Liturgy for the faith and life of the Church, already affirmed by St John Paul II in 'Ecclesia Dei', was further emphasised and guaranteed by Pope Benedict XVI, in 'Summorum Pontificum'.

Established as a Personal Parish under Canon 518 by decree of His Grace, Archbishop Denis J Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne, the Parish of St John Henry Newman draws its members from throughout Melbourne. These include both those who have always remained faithful to the traditional liturgy, and members of newer generations who have discovered and embraced it. Alongside cradle Catholics, our Parish includes many converts. As well as nurturing Catholic families, the traditional liturgy has been decisive in encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life among a number of community members.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the traditional Latin Liturgy is the sense of the Sacred that it conveys. This is worship "in spirit and in truth", that is clearly centred on God. Holy Mass in this form unequivocally expresses the Sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. The Mass as it has developed through the centuries, under the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit, bears treasures of language, music and ritual that raise our hearts and minds to the presence and action of Almighty God. As well, the unchanging nature of the traditional form of Mass bears witness to the changeless truths of the Catholic Faith, which it is our privilege and obligation to profess, and to proclaim to the nations.

Come and see!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr Glen Tattersall, Parish Priest & Rector

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The community was first placed under the patronage of St John Henry Newman at the time of the Cardinal's beatification by Pope Benedict XVI on 19th September 2010. This patronage was renewed at the time of the community's establishment as a personal Parish, commencing 28th March, 2014. Newman's journey of personal conversion, his witness to the Truth and its claims, his love of Christ and the Church, and the authenticity and relevance of his teaching in our age of confusion, all urged his patronage. St John Henry's spirit is summed up in our motto (taken from Christ's sermon on the Mount): Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei (Seek first the Kingdom of God). The Parish formally adopted a coat of arms on 12th August, 2018. We are grateful for Richard d’Apice AM FSHA aih, President of The Australian Heraldry Society, for designing our arms and to Mr Sandy J Turnbull for the digital rendering. The blazon is as follows: Arms: Per fess dancetty Or and Gules in chief two hearts and in base an ancient crown counterchanged. In plain English: A shield divided horizontally by a division line having a repeated pattern of chevrons the top half being gold and the lower half being red. The top half is charged with two red hearts and the bottom half is charged with a gold ancient crown. Motto: Quaerite primum regnum Dei (Seek ye first the Kingdom of God). The hearts reference the personal coat of arms of our patron, Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman. The ancient crown proclaims the Kingship of Christ, and the fleur-de-lys of the crown honours Mary Immaculate and ever-virgin.

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St Aloysius’ Church was built in 1923-24 at a cost of £13,200 to the designs of Bartholomew Moriarty, also known as the builder who constructed Newman College for the architect Walter Burley Griffin. The foundation stone was laid on 18 August 1923 and the building completed in May 1924. It is constructed in red brick, with terra cotta tiles for the roofs. The style is a simplified version of Early-English Gothic, with the nave and apsidal sanctuary placed under a common roof ridge. The building consists of a nave of seven bays, with aisles and clerestory, sanctuary, side chapels and sacristies, one of which was initially built as a nuns choir. Sadly the impressive 140ft high spire which crowned the tower to the left of the main facade was demolished early in 1990 owing to delamination of the concrete.