The Sisters of Mercy purchased the property known to them affectionately as ‘St Brigid’s in the Hills’ in 1929. The only other Catholic presence in the Kalamunda area was Mary’s Mount where from 1929 Father John Wallace resided as Chaplain. Father Wallace ministered to the new school in Lesmurdie where the Sisters had established a convent chapel. In 1943 the two localities of Lesmurdie and Kalamunda were divided into two parishes. Father V. O’Sullivan was responsible for the Lesmurdie Parish and the parishioners attended Mass in the chapel at St Brigid’s. His other role was Chaplain to Barton’s Mill Prison. The Chaplain’s residence was a house on the corner of Glen Rd where the current Primary School is located. He was replaced by Father M. Diviney in 1952.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate had a long association with Western Australia having arrived in 1894 and having taken charge of the Fremantle Parish. However it was not until 1952 that with the blessing of Archbishop Prindiville the Oblates came to Lesmurdie to set up a mission house. On Sunday 7 December 1952 Father Patrick McCarthy said the first Sunday Mass offered by an Oblate in the Lesmurdie Parish. The first priests lived in the Chaplain’s residence, but in 1955 the Oblates bought the former ‘Glen Avon’ guest house where Villa Maria now stands. Father Felix Gavin was the first Superior of the ‘Oblate Religious House’ in Lesmurdie.
Father William Cagney was appointed to Lesmurdie in 1956 and he immediately began planning for the construction of a monastery and Public Oratory. This was a large undertaking and involved numerous fundraising activities with Father Cagney being a real driving force, supported by generous and hard working parishioners. The building known as Lourdes Monastery was opened in 1958. In the early years there were up to five or six Oblates living at Lesmurdie and preaching missions in the Perth metropolitan area and further afield. In addition the priests administered the Lesmurdie Parish. In fact the Parish was not officially recognized as an Oblate Parish until 1964.
In 1975 the current church was built and the Monastery became the parish centre. The new presbytery was built in 1990. The Oblates also purchased land in Lesmurdie to build a boys’ college and Mazenod College was established in 1966.
For nearly 60 years the Oblates of Mary Immaculate served the people of Lesmurdie and surrounding districts.
In 2011 Father Ken Asaba, the first Diocesan priest for more than half a century was appointed by the Archbishop as Parish Priest of Lesmurdie.
LESMURDIE – PARISH PRIESTS
1943 – 1952 Father V. O’Sullivan, 1952 Father M Diviney
Oblate Fathers
1952 – 1953 Father P. McCarthy, 1953 – 1954 Father F. Maguire, 1954 – 1956 Father F. Gavin, 1956 – 1963 Father W. Cagney, 1963 – 1969 Father E. Ryan, 1969 – 1977 Father M Keane, 1977 – 1981 Father M. Clarke, 1981 – 1987 Father J. Dunlea, 1987 – 1993 Father G. Ryan, 1993 – 1995 Father P. O’Reilly, 1995 Father J. Dunlea, 1996 – 2002 Father D. Madigan, 2002 – 2006 Father D. Hughes, 2005 – 2006 Father J. Cranley (Administrator), 2006 – 2008 Father J. McGinnty, 2008 – 2010 Father L. Keelty
Other Oblates based in Lesmurdie were Fathers M. Keohane, R. Cormican, T. McDermott, P. Lowry, J. Ryan (Sen.), J. Sullivan, J. O’Regan, D. Corr, J. O’Shaughnessy, J. McCann, G. Thorley, J. Carroll, D. McCarthy, P. O’Dwyer, J. Ryan (Jun.), J. Archbold, N. Geraghty, S. Douglas, M. Byrne, G. Watson, W. Ousley, L. Anderson, S.Plonka
Diocesan Priests
2011 -2014 Father K. Asaba.
2014- present Father Michael J Separovich