A Brief History of the Parish

On 3rd of  February 1962 Father John Brennan was appointed Administrator of Our Lady of the Way Parish Kingsbury. Fr Brennan started with 3 and half acres of land and an old army hut and within a year transformed the parish, comprising 175 Catholic families, by erecting a Church-Hall and School.

The foundations of the parish were laid with the vision, passion, love and humility of a man willing to nurture and support a young and growing community in a new parish.

Fr Brennan noted the young mothers wheeling their babies in prams around the area and he named the Parish of Our Lady Of The Way Kingsbury in honour of them.

The new church was blessed in November 1962.

Parish Priest Story
 

In January 1968 the Servite Community came to reside in the parish of Kingsbury. Appointed as Parish Priest was Fr Patrick (Paddy) Boyle. Two priests were appointed as chaplains to the newly opened Latrobe University. They were Fr Patrick McNamara and Fr Vincent Harkins. Next Tuesday, 30 August, marks the 30th annivesary of the death of Fr Harkins. Many will remember him with great fondness while others may not know of him at all. Fr Harkins was Scottish born and educated in England, hence his English accent. During his chaplaincy at Latrobe University he dealt with numberous students especially around exam time when many suddently realized they had not applied themselves enough during the year and turned to divine tintervention for help.

Fr Harkins was a smoker who always gave up the smokes for lent then as soon as lent was over he continued on smoking. It was in 1981 while on sabbatical in the United States that he became aware he had lung cancer. Becasue his love for Kingsbury (and his beloved Richmond Football Club) he returned to spend his final days among us. Despite his weakened condition he offered Mass for the parish on a number of occasions. He taught us all a lesson in patience by his uncomplaining acceptance of his illness.