History
An Excerpt from St Pius X Church Silver Jubilee Booklet.
(Copies available to read only, at the Archives, Pompellier Diocesan Centre)
The Parish was formally established in February 1956 and Father Patrick O’Reilly was appointed Parish Priest. The site purchased by the Diocese was 5 acres of hill, covered in gorse and scrub. Not to be put off by such trivial matters, Father soon arranged for 200,000 cubic yards of soil to be removed and re-located.
The completed church was blessed and opened by the Vicar General, Right Reverend Monsignor Cahill, on Easter Sunday, April 21st, 1957.
The great thing about this period was that everyone knew everybody else; and if anyone needed assistance for any reason, help was not long in coming. Working bees, which were well attended, became great social events for the parish family.
The Cenacle Convent was the first Catholic institution to be established in the district, that was in Sept 1953. Sacred Heart College was opened in 1955, and for a period, before our church was built, a room in the College was set up as a temporary Chapel and Sunday Mass was celebrated there.
( R.Piaggi and M. O’Flaherty) 1982
Pope St Pius X: A short history
Pope St. Pius X was born at Riese, a small village in Venetia, Italy, on June 2, 1835. His name, prior to his election as pope, was Joseph Sarto. He lived in a poor family – one of eight children. He was baptized on June 3, 1835, and confirmed on September 1, 1848. He was ordained a priest at the age of 33 and worked for seventeen years as a parish priest before becoming Bishop of Mantua. In 1892, Joseph Sarto advanced to the metropolitan see of Venice with the honorary title of patriarch. On August 4, 1903, he was elected Pope of the Holy Catholic Church. Personally, he is one of my favorite popes in history.
Pope St. Pius X announced in his first encyclical that his papacy would seek to “to renew all things in Christ.” He is primarily remembered for allowing children to receive First Holy Communion at a much younger age – the age of 7 instead of 12 or 14. He said, “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.” Consequently, he encouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion. He is also remembered for bringing Gregorian Chant back, encouraging daily Bible reading and establishing various Biblical institutes, reorganizing the Roman Curia, taking a stand against Modernism, which he called the “synthesis of all heresies.” His Holiness issued the Oath Against Modernism from his Motu Proprio Sacrorum Antistitum on 1 September 1910. He also worked on the codification of Canon Law.
It was nearly on the 11th anniversary of his election as pope when World War I broke out. Bronchitis soon developed for Pope St. Pius X. He died on August 20, 1914, to what he called “the last affliction that the Lord will visit on me” due to worrying over World War I. He is buried under the altar of the chapel of the Presentation in Saint Peter’s basilica.
In his will, Pope St. Pius X said, “I was born poor, I have lived poor, I wish to die poor.” He was canonized on May 29, 1954, by Pope Pius XII – the first Pope canonized since St. Pius V in 1672.
For any further information click on this Link:http://acatholiclife.blogspot.co.nz/2006/08/pope-st-pius-x.html