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Our Parish Story

For more than a century, the Catholic communities of St Kieran’s, Manly Vale, and St Cecilia’s, Balgowlah have been places of worship, welcome, and service on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

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Each community has been shaped by the faith of local families, the dedication of clergy, and the contribution of religious orders—especially the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and the Augustinians.

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Today, these communities are united as one parish family: The Catholic Community of North Harbour.

    • The first Catholic parish on Sydney’s Northern Beaches was Manly, founded in 1876, serving the entire peninsula.

    • From this original parish, St Cecilia’s, Balgowlah (1929), and St Kieran’s, Manly Vale (1952), were later established.

    • The original boundaries of Manly Vale parish extended as far as the present Roseville Bridge, with the expectation that new communities would eventually form their own parishes.

    • Forestville became a separate parish in 1959, having been served in its early years by Augustinian priests from Manly Vale at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church.

    • St Cecilia’s Parish was established in 1929, with early Masses celebrated in a local theatre.

    • The first Parish Priest was Fr Edmund Bond.

    • The original church building also served as a school, where the Sisters of the Good Samaritan were the first teachers and made a significant contribution to parish life.

    • The Augustinians later became involved in the pastoral care of the parish.

    • The present church was built and opened in 1955 by Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy.

    • St Kieran’s Parish was established on 12 October 1952, initially under the care of Monsignor McDonald of Manly, with the Augustinian Fathers assuming responsibility shortly after and celebrating their first Masses on 19 October 1952.

    • Fr Daniel Ormonde, OSA, became the first Parish Priest, marking the beginning of a strong and enduring Augustinian presence.

    • The parish began with a simple church–school building, and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan played a key role in founding and teaching in the parish school.

    • The parish originally extended across a wide area, including Brookvale, where a church opened in November 1955 to serve a growing community, including many post-war migrants from Calabria, Italy, and remained active until 2004.

    • Close cooperation developed between the parish and St Augustine’s College, with the Brookvale church used for early classes in 1956 and continuing to host school liturgies and sacramental celebrations in the years that followed.

    • The present church of St Kieran's was built and blessed on 9 June 1968 by Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy.

    • The Augustinians have played a central role in parish life, with St Kieran’s becoming an important centre of their ministry in Australia.

    • A new priory was built in 1978–79, followed by the opening of a parish centre in 1998.

    • In the early 2000s, growing collaboration and shared mission led to a vision of unity between St Kieran’s and St Cecilia’s.

    • Around 2001, Fr Tony Banks, OSA, was appointed Parish Priest of both parishes. During his time in this shared role, he helped guide the communities towards closer cooperation and laid important foundations for their eventual union.

    • In 2004, the parishes of St Kieran’s and St Cecilia’s were officially amalgamated to form The Catholic Community of North Harbour, with Fr Peter Wieneke, OSA serving as Parish Priest at the time of the formal merger.

    • The Augustinians were entrusted with the pastoral care of the unified parish.

    • Since 2004, the parish has continued to grow as one community, developing shared ministries, sacramental life, and pastoral initiatives across both churches and schools.

    • In 2024, a single parish logo was introduced, reflecting unity, synodality, and shared mission.

    • Today, the parish continues to grow as a community of faith, friendship, and service, grounded in both its rich history and its ongoing mission.

    • St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School, Balgowlah was established in 1929, with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan playing a foundational role in education and parish life, and in 2026 transitioned to become St Paul’s College Junior Campus, continuing Catholic education in a new form.

    • St Kieran’s Catholic Primary School, Manly Vale was established in 1953, with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan as its first teachers, and continues to form generations of students in faith, learning, and community, maintaining strong ties to parish life and the Augustinian tradition.

    • Together, our schools and parish remain united in faith, mission, and the shared legacy of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and the Augustinian spirit of community.

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