St Joseph`s Catholic Church Memorial TowerPrint Page

The tower of the church commemorates those who died in service or were killed in action during World War One and World War Two, and the men who were killed lives in the mines in the Cessnock area. 

The Bishop of Maitland (Most Rev. E. E. Gleeson, C.SS.R.) blessed and laid the foundation stone of a Roman Catholic church at Cessnock yesterday. Rev. Father P. Davoren (Cessnock) was Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Father J. Hughes, Deacon, and Rev. Father H.Fenton, Sub-deacon. The church, estimated to cost £40,000, is to be of brick, and will seat more than 1000. It is 131 feet by 65, 44 feet high, with a tower 12 feet by 12 and 70 feet high.

In the procession were Rt. Rev. Mons. V. F. Peters, the Superior of Redemptorist Fathers (Rev. T. Dunphy), Rev. Fathers N. Withnell (Administrator at Maitland), J. Carroll C.SS.R., J. McGrath, C.SS.R., P. Youll (East Maitland), P. Ryan (Administrator at Newcastle), P. Purcell, P. Hallinan (Cessnock), T. Hayes (Adamstown), D. M. Heffernan (Mayfield), J. Brennan (Kurri Kurri), W. Cantwell (Kurri Kurri), W. Peters (Singleton), J. Walsh (Lambton), J. Lavery (Greta), J. Burke, J Carson (Merewether). The tower bears a tablet in stone with this inscription: "This tower is erected to the honour and glory of God, and to the memory of the men who lost their lives in the mines of Cessnock area, and in World Wars 1 and 2." Donations to mark the laying of the foundation stone totalled £3000.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW ),
12 May 1952.

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