ABOUT US
We are a Christian community in communion with the Pope and the Archbishop of Perth.
We are the Catholic Church in Clarkson, WA.
Under the leadership of the Archbishop of Perth and his co-worker, our Parish Priest, we gather as followers of Christ to be inspired, nourished, strengthened and sent to share the love of God.
WHO WE ARE
Followers of Jesus Christ, who live within the parish boundaries that stretch from the suburb of Kinross to Eglinton along the northern corridor of Perth.
WHAT WE DO
Assemble as a community of faith to worship God, tend to the poor and to share the love of God with others.
OUR VISION
To reflect something of heaven, here on earth – a living community characterized by peace, justice, fraternity and faithfulness to God.
OUR CATHOLIC LIFE!
A community of faith called to love God
and one another.
OUR PATRON SAINT
St Andrew was one of the first people to be invited, or called, to follow Jesus.
The name “Andrew” means manhood or valour.
His brother, Simon Peter, was also called by Jesus to follow him, and he eventually became the first Pope.
Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen.
St Andrew would eventually be martyred for his faith by way of crucifixion on an x shaped cross.
Feast Day: November 30
Patron Saint of: Fisherman and Singers
Forward (by Father Philip)
“The Clarkson Parish of St Andrew’s was founded in June 1994. Fr Patrick Lim was our first parish priest. For many years before that, the area of Quinns Rocks was serviced by Servite Priests – Fathers Paddy Boyle and Carlo Marchetti – from the Wanneroo Parish. I came to the parish in January 1999.
A lot has happened in the 12 years of our parish history. St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School was opened in 1997, Irene McCormack Catholic College was opened in 2001 and Brighton Catholic Primary School was opened in 2004.
There was also many different locations where our Sunday Masses were celebrated in the course of time. In June 1994, the first parish Mass was celebrated by Fr Patrick Lim, with just over 30 parishioners at a small hall on the Quinns beachfront which has now been redeveloped into the Quinns Beach Life Saving Club. We then moved to Gumblossom Community Hall (Quinns); Jenolan Way Community Hall (Merriwa); then to a series of classrooms as they became available during construction stages of St Andrew’s School. Yanchep-Two Rocks was also part of the initial parish but became a new pastoral area in early 2001.
That we have been able to build our Church is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of the parishioners, overcoming many hurdles. The whole process is a reminder to me of what is most important in our parish: Christ present in each one of us. I feel privileged to be part of the St Andrew’s story, sharing in the lives of so many wonderful and faith filled people, trying to be focused on Christ and trying to live in his love.
I hope and pray that the Church will be a sign of love and peace that God offers to everyone and the reality of God’s desire to be part of our often hectic and troubled lives (John 14:27). May it be a sacred space for everyone to come and spend time with God and find peace.”
St Andrew’s Catholic Church, Clarkson
A testimony to perseverance and a determination to provide a welcoming and beautiful space to worship God and serve the community.
The church building is located on the site of the existing St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School in Clarkson so that it is available to the school as well as the local community and so that efficient use can be made of the existing school parking on the site which is not used on Saturday nights and Sundays.
The design solution utilizes a fan shaped plan which brings the congregation as close as possible to the sanctuary and which provides a soft and intimate space. The desire to have light coming into the building around the sanctuary without having direct glare or silhouetting resulted in the layered shell walls by the sanctuary and the locating of roof lights above it. The parish was keen that the building look welcoming and open, that it be a beacon of hope in the community and that it fit into it’s West Australian environment. This resulted in the use of the light coloured render and local limestone walls, the location of the steeple and cross near the road intersection where it is prominent and in the opening out of the church to the north facing terrace which is sheltered from the roads and which takes advantage of the sun and the view over the St Andrew’s Primary School below.
The design was started in 2002 with a brief derived from a number of community workshops and the sketch designs were ready in early 2003. The large increases in building costs in Perth started to impact the design and the design had to be reduced a number of times before going to tender in early 2004. The tenders came in well over the budget and the design had to be again completely redesigned & simplified, but this time in negotiation with the lowest tenderer. This process, which required, amongst other things, the complete redesign of the steel structure & roof, removal of the air-conditioning, together with the need to re-apply for planning approval for the new design, took an additional year. During this process approximately 35% of the building cost was shaved from the original design despite further large building cost increases in WA. In June 2005, a contract was signed with well know local builder, Derwent Constructions, to build the new church building. Construction started in August 2005 and the building was due for completion at the end of August 2006.
The church building is a testimony to the results that can be achieved when a solid basis of trust and respect is set up in the relationships between client, architect and builder who then all work together toward a common goal while respecting each others talents and roles and overcoming the many obstacles that confront all of us in creating any good work.
Architect – Parry & Rosenthal Architects –