The Roman Catholic ‘Our Lady of Mercy’ Church in Mount Barker is an imposing structure. There has been a rear addition to the original Church, and the large front foyer was clearly not part of the original plan, but I find the front aspect quite pleasing. INDEX
2. SATELLITE VIEW
The Church has an essentially east - west axis, with its sanctuary to the east, so our liturgical and geographical directions coincide here. From the satellite view we note the added sanctuary and foyer, and also the unusual small transepts at the West end of the nave. The Mt Barker township lies just to the west of the Church.
3. SIGN
The Catholic parish of Mount Barker was established in 1848 with the appointment of Fr. James Watkins as the parish priest. It was a vast area that he was asked to care for, from Victor Harbor and Meningie in the south, to Pinnaroo in the east, to Mount Pleasant in the north and Glen Osmond in the west. The original Mt Barker Church was built in 1851.
4. NORTHWEST ASPECT
This church was built in 1912 under the title of ‘Our Lady of Mercy’. As we explore this Church we shall discover that the sanctuary was added in 1928 and the large foyer in 1982. Nave and foyer are built of matching natural stone with burgundy coloured brick quoins. The old tower is invisible from the inside, with the ground floor tower room inaccessible to the public.
5. NORTH WALL AND TRANSEPT
There are three side windows on each side of the nave, plus a window in each transept. The small transepts are unusual, being located at the very West end of the nave.
6. EAST WALL
Perhaps there was a shortage of funds when the sanctuary was added: it would have been nice if the addition had matched the nave in style. The three Eastern lancets are quite small.
7. SANCTUARY MEMORIAL
The marble memorial stone tells us that the sanctuary was built in 1928 in memory of Rev Philip Landy P.P. who died ten years previously. Newpaper report in 1918: After a long and useful service of 33 years in Mount Barker in the interests of his church and his people, the Rev. Father Landy has passed away, leaving behind him a memory worthy of himself and his great work as a priest and a townsman. [He was] beloved by his own people, and esteemed and honoured by every creed and class in the community.
8. SOUTH VIEW
From the south the Church is viewed across a large carpark. We observe the main features: from left, the large foyer, the South transept, the nave, and the South wall of the sanctuary.
9. SOUTH TRANSEPT
Below the South transept windows is another plaque. The transept has a simple Cross on the gable, and there is another Cross immediately above the windows.
10. PLAQUES
The foundation stone on the wall was laid by R. P. Joannes Roney, Soc. Jes. , and the date given is 12th November, 1911. A closer view reveals another plaque below in the ground. This is fixed to a time capsule commemorating the Centenary of our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, August 1912 – August 2012, to be opened in August 2037.
11. FOYER AND PLAQUE
As we return to near our starting point in our circumnavigation of the Church, we have this view of the South wall of the foyer. Fixed to the end of this wall is a Local Heritage Plaque which gives us a little new information: the land was donated by Mrs Joanna Barr Smith. The previous church, St Francis of [sic] De Sales, was buit in 1851 on Daddow Road.
13. NORTHEAST FOYER
Turning through 180° we see the entry through to the nave. Also around the walls: a banner, an old church photo, a tapestry of the Last Supper, a statue of the Sacred Heart, and various plaques. We investigate these too ... .
14. WINDOW AND IMAGE
The window is a Church centenary window: 1912 – 2012. The ‘tree of life’ seems to be a feature of this Church. The image nearby is presumably that of Francis de Sales by famous sculptor Leopoldine Mimovic. The foyer is named after Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622), who was a Bishop of Geneva and is honoured as a saint in the Anglican and Catholic church.
15. POPE FRANCIS AND CHURCH WATERCOLOUR
Pope Francis is the 266th and current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he holds ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and sovereign of Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. The attractive watercolour shows the completed Church.
16. FOYER WEST WINDOWS
Across the West wall of the foyer is a set of three stained glass windows. The windows were the gift of the children of the Francis de Sales School. Now known as the Francis de Sales College, this is a large Catholic co-educational school in Mount Barker, which teaches students from Reception until Year 12.
17. WINDOWS DETAIL
The windows depict 'the child’s journey of faith’. There is no commentary, but there appear to be three steps of faith depicted: • Reflection by the River of Life; • Receiving the Light of Christ from a mentor; • Living the victorious life.
18. KNIGHTS BANNER
The Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross is a national organisation of Catholic laymen who operate with the support of the Australian Bishops. Autonomous Branches of the Order operate in each Australian State. The Order is guided by the Catholic faith and the cardinal and chivalrous virtues of prudence, faith, justice, fortitude and temperance in all its charitable works. It strives to serve the wider community and support those in need.
19. LAST SUPPER TAPESTRY
The Last Supper is a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. It is one of the world's most famous fresco paintings.
20. LIST OF PRIESTS
The history of the Church is reflected in the list of priests and the lengths of their ministries: good times and hard times, perhaps health and personal issues, times when an administrator was necessary ... .