St Kilian’s Church first opened its doors in 1888 as a temporary replacement for a stone building that had become unstable and was considered “hazardous”.
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Now more than a century later, the once temporary weatherboard church still stands and celebrated its 130th anniversary on July 1.
Designed by renowned Bendigo architect William Charles Vahland, the brief required that the church be styled with “Gothic” features and be constructed using timber.
The opening was held on July 1,1888 and was attended by Archbishop Carr of Melbourne who arrived in Bendigo with an entourage that was greeted at the station by a group of people who formed a procession to the church.
The church’s first Sunday mass was a large ceremony which included a full orchestra, choir and required a ticket for admission.
At the time the church was known as the Pro Cathedral of St Kilian until the opening of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1901, when it reverted back to a parish church.
Father Rom Hayes has been the parish administrator for 16 years, and despite his tenure only lasting just short of two decades, he has become a part of the church’s history.
“This is very much the church of the people,” Fr Hayes said.
Over the years the church has undergone various changes including the addition of stained-glass windows in 1892 and the landmark steel bell tower in 1894, in memory of Dean Hayes who had served the district from 1863-1866.
A wrought iron fence was also built around the church in the early 1900s.
One of the original features of the church, which is highly favoured by Fr Hayes, is a marble baptismal font made by stonemason Peter Finn.
The interior of the church features original wooden beams, stained glass windows and a large organ at the rear of the hall which was installed in the early 20th century.
However, preserving a building that is over a century old doesn’t come without challenges and changes.
“The constant maintenance of an old church such as this is pretty steep,” Fr Hayes said.
Fr Hayes noted the demographic of the church is changing as the population continues to age which sees the need for modern conveniences such as heating, cooling and a PA system.
