History

• Our Parish exists today largely due to our locality to Ryde Hospital and the need to have a priest nearby.
• 1938: The original land purchase of 448 Blaxland Rd at a cost of £1800. This is where our school now resides.
• From 1938 to 1948 the area was an outpost for the Eastwood Parish; as a priest would come each Sunday to say Mass, especially Fr Kennedy and Fr Baldwin.
• Fr O’Donovan was appointed Parish Priest in 1948 and held his First Parish Mass on 18 December 1948, to a very small congregation, in the study of the old presbytery.
• The total Catholic population of the Denistone Parish was only 460.
• First Parish Council was formed in Feb 1949. Presbytery was also used as the Church, meeting hall & school.As the numbers attending Mass grew it was agreed that more land should be bought so the Parish purchased the parcel of land on the opposite corner for £1500. This is where our Church stands today.
• By the end of 1950 the Catholic population had grown to 639 parishioners.On Tuesday 31January 1951 our Kindergarten and Junior School opened with 40 children under the teaching of the Sisters of Mercy at Parramatta.
• In 1951 our population was near 700 so the building of the school and Church became the focusOctober 1951 the foundation Stone for the Church – School was laid.School cost £11,260 to build & included a block of toilets, a garage & two paths. It was purchased by the Parish.November 1957 the land where the Presbytery now stands was purchased for £1000.30 April 1961 Bishop Muldoon laid the foundation stone for our Church here on the corner of Blaxland and Terry Roads, Denistone.
• Church architects were K. Curtin & Partners Builders W. O’Grady & Son. Cost was £34,926 and work began on 6 Jan 1961 & completed in Nov 1961.  Cardinal Gilroy blessed it on 10 December 1961
• School was extended in 1966-67 and then again in 1972 at a cost of $66,000.
• 1975 saw the appointment of the first lay principal to the School, Mr Peter Bradshaw.1989 Father David Nies was appointed as Parish Priest of Denistone.
• 1991 the old presbytery was demolished and Fr O’Donovan passed away aged 82 years.
• 1992 an amphitheatre was built.
• 1996 the school underwent a major renovation of all classes and the new amphitheatre was demolished. Some new buildings were added which included a new library, more classrooms, learning centre, school hall, tuckshop and undercroft.  Whilst this work was carried out the teachers and students were re-located to St Michael’s at Meadowbank for 6 months.
• 1997 new school building were blessed and opened in by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson.
• 1998 the Church grounds were landscaped, all entrances to the Church were extended with ramps added and the Church car park was created.
• 2001 Catholic population was approximately 2500 people.
• 1 September 2001 Father Thu Nguyen appointed as Administrator of the Parish of Denistone.
• 1 November 2002 Father Thu Nguyen appointed as Parish Priest of Denistone.
• In 2002 the Church was renovated due to dry rot. The altar is now closer to the congregation, new carpet, a Shrine for Our Lady was created, the baptismal font was re-located to the sanctuary, an All Saints corner was established at the rear of the Church, confessionals were upgraded and a new organ was purchased.
• School air conditioning units were installed in all classrooms at St Therese School in two stages – upstairs first and then downstairs.
• 2002 Arthur Givney (former parishioner) was ordained to the Priesthood in Wagga Wagga.
• 23 January 2003 Bishop David Cremin re-dedicated the altar and blessed the sanctuary after its renovation in a Sunday Mass in which Fr Thu was installed as the Third Parish Priest.
• 2005 / 2006 the School playground was renovated, new equipment including the trampolines were purchased and the classrooms were all air-conditioned.
• 2006 Sacristy kitchen was renovated with new cupboards and a cabinet was made to house the PA system equipment.
• Sep 2008 Fr Thu Nguyen was appointed as Parish Priest of Regina Coeli Parish Beverly Hills and Fr John Snedahass as Parish Priest of St Therese Parish Denistone. Both will begin from 4 January 2009.
• Oct 2008 Water storage tanks were installed. This initiative was to help maintain the Church gardens in time of drought and water restrictions.
• Jan 2009 – 2010 Fourth parish priest Fr John Snehadass
• July 2009 – January 2010 Fr Glen Walsh (Administrator). Died on 6 November 2017.
• April 2010 – July 2023 Fifth Parish Priest Fr Roberto Castillo.
• July 2023 Fr Simon Apablaza becomes Administrator of the parish