PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF
OUR LADY OF THE NATIVITY, WEST ESSENDON & ST THERESE’S, ESSENDON
TO FORM THE PARISH OF ESSENDON
Executive Summary
In view of the shortage of priests to service parish communities in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and elsewhere, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (CAM) has for some years been moving forward with a program to consolidate parish communities across the Archdiocese. This program is aimed at providing parishes with ongoing access to spiritual support and services by consolidating existing resources and streamlining parish administration activities.
The parishes of Essendon and West Essendon have been working co-operatively as ‘Essendon Parishes’ with a combined Parish Leadership Team, combined Finance Team, and a single parish office since February 2023, but have been operating administratively and financially as two separate entities.
It is now considered appropriate to move forward together as a single, unified body, while respecting the unique identity and history of each of the two parishes. As one amalgamated parish, we can better plan and deliver the services, and facilities, required by our parish community in the coming years. An amalgamated parish will eliminate inefficiencies which arise in duplicated administration and finance operations and provide access to a broader range of shared services across both church communities.
What will change with amalgamation?
The process of amalgamation will involve the formal recognition of both parish communities as a single entity for management, administrative and financial purposes. There will be little or no change externally, but it will simplify the process of running the broader parish, which in turn will ensure parishioners have effective access to ongoing administrative and support services.
The parish will be known singularly as ‘Essendon Parish’, given the shared postcode and the geographical location of each church and primary school, while each church community will continue to retain their individual names.
A simpler level of financial management and reporting will be established, with a single set of Presbytery and Church accounts for the new Essendon Parish. Income, assets, and property belonging to St Therese’s and Our Lady of the Nativity, will be consolidated, and managed at the single ‘Essendon Parish’ level.
What will stay the same after amalgamation?
Our Lady of the Nativity and St Therese’s will retain their names and continue to serve their local communities.
Mass times will remain the same at the two churches while attendance numbers remain at current levels, and we continue to have access to two priests.
All other services, including weekday Masses, Baptisms, and Sacramental programs will continue as they are now.
Parish groups and activities remain open to all parishioners of Essendon Parish, including the Senior Friendship Group, Men’s Coffee Group, Gardening Group, Journey Through Sadness and Gospel Reflections Groups. The St Vincent de Paul Society conferences from Essendon and West Essendon have already amalgamated, and will continue their pastoral visitation and support activities
Parish boundaries will remain the same for the purposes of enrolments at our parish primary schools.
The Parish Office will remain at 48a Lincoln Road and will continue to be staffed Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm serving both church communities.
Parishioner responses after the announcement of the proposed amalgamation have been collated to form these FAQs