The Church of the Apostles is a

Catholic church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

, belonging to the

Archdiocese of Hobart The Archdiocese of Hobart is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Hobart and covering Tasmania, Australia. Immediately exempt to the Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta S ...

History

Earlier churches

In 1838 a temporary chapel had been erected in Cameron Street for the local Catholic community, which up to that moment had no fixed place of worship in the city. In the same year the government granted the Catholics a site in Margaret Street, "at the foot of the Cataract Hill", for the construction of a permanent building, a chapel dedicated to

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

. The foundation stone for the St Joseph's church was laid on 19 March 1839 by Rev. Gentleman, and the church was inaugurated in October 1842. Two decades later, St. Joseph's Church began to show signs of decay, and it was decided to replace it with a larger church.

Church of the Apostles

The plans for the new church were drawn by the Tasmanian architect Henry Hunter, and the foundation stone was laid on 15 September 1864 by Bishop Willson. By October 1866 the nave and two aisles had already been built, and on 7 November the church was solemnly opened for religious purposes by Rev. Murphy, Bishop of Hobart. The church was dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Apostles. Construction of the North section, encompassing the transept, sanctuary and sacristies, began several years later. Bishop Murphy laid the foundation stone on 17 June 1888. By then, Hunter was living in Brisbane and the task was entrusted to architect Alexander North. A foundation stone for the tower was laid in May 1889, but it wasn't finished until a century later. Designed by Melbourne architect Peter Staunton, the bell tower and spire were installed in 1989. The church conserves its original stone high altar. The pulpit, made from blackwood and huon pine, was the work of Timothy Earley. The church's pipe organ, in two flanking columns, was dedicated in 1933.

Gallery

Church of the Apostles, Launceston - exterior 01.jpg, Front view Church of the Apostles, Launceston - exterior 02.jpg, Lateral view Church of the Apostles, Launceston - interior 01.jpg, Stained glass windows flanked by the organ pipes Church of the Apostles, Launceston - interior 02.jpg, Interior Church of the Apostles, Launceston - altar.jpg, Detail of the high altar

References

External links

{{Launceston landmarks Churches in Launceston, Tasmania Buildings and structures in Launceston, Tasmania Roman Catholic churches in Tasmania Tasmanian Heritage Register