News and Events
ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH ROSEBERY CELEBRATES 80 YEARS
On Sunday, 22 August 2010, St Joseph’s Church in Rosebery celebrated the eightieth anniversary of the first Mass in the church which had been celebrated on Sunday, 20 July 1930, by Fr Joseph Cullen, the Parish Priest of Zeehan and Rosebery.
On 13 November 1893 Tom McDonald had pegged a claim on the western side of Mt Black. This eventually became the mining complex at Rosebery. Before St Joseph’s School* was built the Sisters from Zeehan* used to travel by rail motor to Rosebery each Saturday to prepare the children for the Sacraments. Fr Joseph Cullen also used this mode of transport to celebrate the fortnightly Sunday Mass at Rosebery. He was unable to return to Zeehan and so stayed the night in a makeshift ‘bedroom’ on the right hand side of the sanctuary of the church.
It was his custom on these Rosebery Saturday nights to play cards with Frederick and Zelliah Davey, but on 20 April 1951, he did not turn up. The following morning Mrs Davey went to the church early to set up for Mass and found Fr Cullen dead on the floor in his room. He was lying quite close to a switched on radiator. Luckily, the church of which he was so proud, was not burned down. And it is in this newly renovated church, St Joseph’s Church, that the anniversary Mass was concelebrated by Fr Mike Delaney (PP), Fr Mark Freeman (VG) and Fr Phil McCormack. Singing and participation by the students from St Joseph’s School and the gathered people made this Mass a very joyous occasion.
Three sisters were also present, two former Principals, Sr M Virgil Virtue ssj and Sr Colleen Power ssj, and a former REC, Sr Pam Barlow rsm.
At the conclusion of the Mass a beautiful afternoon tea was enjoyed by all.
* The Sisters of St Joseph opened St Fursaeus’ School Zeehan in 1895. The Sisters left Zeehan in 1976 and the school closed in 1995.
* The Sisters of St Joseph opened St Joseph’s School Rosebery in 1958. At the end of 1999, the Sisters withdrew from Rosebery for the last time.
