St Anthony’s Parish celebrated their Golden Jubilee in 2011 and produced a book on the history of the Parish.
St Anthony's Parish Golden Jubilee 2011 (docx, 4.3 MiB)
Parish life in Pottsville
The early history of the Church in the Pottsville area is interesting. Pottsville was part of the Parish of the Sacred Heart, Murwillumbah until 1955 when it was joined to the newly formed Parish of St Joseph, South Murwillumbah. In 1977 the Pottsville area was transferred to the Parish of St Anthony, Kingscliff.
Mass was first celebrated in Cudgera in 1919 at the home of Mary and Louis Murnane, later the home of Mary and Ambrose Brown. Mass was celebrated in that same home for 30 years. Worthy of note is that Bishop John Carrol, Bishop of Lismore at the time, was one of those many who celebrated Mass at the home in Cudgera. Father Leo Hayes, a very well known Priest in Queensland and all over Australia, visited the home for Mass many times. He was the brother of Mary Brown.
The area was growing and the use of the “shed’ was obtained for the celebration of Mass. The “shed” is the shelter shed in the public picnic park (now known as Ambrose Brown Park) at Pottsville Beach. In the 1940s Mary and Ambrose Brown could see that a Church was needed and donated an area of land for that purpose.
The Catholic Church was built in 1983 and named Sts Mary and Ambrose in honour of its benefactors. The Solemn Blessing of the Church occurred on Sunday 20 March 1983 with a Concelebrated Mass by the Bishop of Lismore, the Most Reverend John Satterthwaite together with the Parish Priest, Fr Tom McEvoy and other priests of the Diocese.
In 1996 the Franciscan Sisters took up residence at the units in Pottsville that were constructed during Fr Chapman’s time. They undertook a program of home visits and distribution of the Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass. Unfortunately the Congregation no longer has a presence in Pottsville.
The Parish is deeply indebted to the late Mary and Ambrose Brown, to Jean and Eddie Brown, to the Murnane family, and to “Pottsville Waters” for the excellent site on which the Church stands today,
The Parish also acknowledges the contribution of Mary and Ambrose Brown to the growth of the Parish as the adjoining land to the Church is currently being developed for the first Catholic primary school for Pottsville.
Adapted from Mass of the Solemn Blessing of the Church of Sts Mary and Ambrose service booklet and St Anthony’s Parish Kingscliff Golden Jubilee (2011) History Book written by Carmel Atkinson.