growth of modern church in australia
THE GROWTH OF THE MODERN CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA ORIGINS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA. The first Catholics in Australia were mostly of Irish descent. Most of them were of relation to convicts who had been deported to Australia because of their disagreement to the British Rule in Ireland. Political prisoners were also part of the first Catholics in Australia back in 1872. From 1950 to the year 2000, the composition of the Australian Catholic Church changed dramatically. Reason-being the ethnics, who were migrating to Australia from countries all around the world. ... Initially certain migrants were restricted from entering Australia. ... Differences that these people experienced in the way Catholicism was practiced in Australia was that in Greece, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Hungary people enjoyed praying to Saints of their own country. ... CATHOLIC PRACTICES PRIOR TO 1962 The typical parish buildings were more often than not composed of a church, presbytery, school, convent and hall. ... ’ The most significant part of Parish life, revolved around Sunday mass, which would always fill up the church with Catholics attending the mass which was said regularly every Sunday morning. ... Many of the church goers opted to read the appropriate prayers relating to the suitable part of mass, out of prayer books throughout the liturgy. ... Founded in 1921 in Ireland and brought to Australia in the early thirties, its purpose was to foster the spiritual life of members and guide them through a strong and dynamic community which provided home visitations especially to the sick and house-bound, distribution of Catholic literature and express the faith to anyone who would listen. ... CATHOLIC EDUCATION (SCHOOLS) The first Catholic schools established were in: 1820 by Father John Therry in Parramatta, 1866 by Mary MacKillop and Julian Tennison Woods who founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph and had opened schools throughout South Australia and in 1843 by The Christian Brothers who opened two schools in Sydney. ... The bishops bought to Australia many overseas congregations that they appealed to. ... The book consisted of questions and answers that dealt with all matters of belief, moral, life and church law. ... RELATIONSHIP OF CATHOLICS TO NON-CATHOLICS Because most of the Catholics, being of Irish background, were descendants of the convicts who had been deported to Australia for their opposition to British Rule in Ireland, they were seen as ‘dangerous radicals’ and interlopers by many in protestant churches. Catholics saw Protestants as non-catholic and incapable because they only went to church sometimes. ... CHURCH COUNCILS A church council is any official church assembly. Church councils in the history of the Catholic Church are part of the revelatory process in which God makes his will known to the Catholic Church.