The first Church, St Paul’s, was of slab construction and was opened in 1893. It held about 30 people. This Church was later sold to Paddy Hogan and moved to be used as a house.
Prior to the second Church being built, mass was held in private homes by Fathers Foley and O’Regan. Mass was held every three months at first and later on the second Sunday of the month at 10 am, the following Monday at 7.30 am and every fourth Wednesday at 9.30 am.
The second church was built by voluntary labour in about 1911. Seats for the church were of cedar selected by Hugh Doyle from the forests of Upper Lansdowne and made by Mr Fitzgerald of Taree.
These seats were nail-less and after the church closed down the seats were moved to the churches at Old Bar and Cundletown. The seats were rented at 10/- a year in those times. All materials for the church were donated.
The priests used to stay firstly at Granny Crittenden’s (Mrs Robert Crittenden), then Granny Unger’s (Mrs Fred Unger) then Mrs Sam Unger’s. The priests would stay on the Saturday evenings after Confession and Benediction. Father Coady was the first priest who used to sleep in the Church. Apparently the former priests did not like the solitude of the Church.
Granny Cicolini was a leading church worker, she donated the Organ, was the choir mistress, and looked after the altar linen and had it immaculately starched and ironed.
Communion in those days meant out of town people had to fast until 10 o’clock Sunday morning from midnight. Confession was once a month, and a Mission was held every three years. People from Killabakh and Comboyne used to attend mass at Upper Lansdowne.
Upper Lansdowne people were active in raising funds for the Taree Convent and the Rosary Church. They held annual balls in the Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall, house parties and popular girl competitions. Mother Cletus (Doris Doyle) was the first popular girl winner. However numbers fell off and eventually collections replaced the balls.
The first marriage in the second Church was that of Paddy Hogan and the first baptism was Leo Doyle.
In December 1913 a gift of the fourteen Stations of the Cross was presented by Mrs James Crittenden and blessed by Rev. Father O’Reilly.
Another moving ceremony was in January 1920 when a tablet was unveiled to the memory of Private Raymond Cicolini who met his death whilst on active service in WW1. This plaque now hangs in the Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall.
Mr George Crittenden (grandfather of Bob Crittenden) was one of the guarantors for the Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Taree.
Eventually numbers declined at Upper Lansdowne, and the church closed with people then attending Mass at Lansdowne. The church eventually sold in 1978 and is now used as a private home.
(Text taken from book released by Taree Catholic Church of churches in local parish)
A number of local girls followed God’s calling and joined the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar. They were:
Isobel Doris Doyle (Sister Mary Cletus of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, later known as Mother Cletus) who entered the novitiate in September 1922. She was the third child of Hugh Doyle and Catherine Fitzgerald and was born at Oxley Island but spent her childhood at Upper Lansdowne. Sister Mary Cletus died on 2 October 1989 and is buried in Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Veronica Maude Unger, (Sister Mary Bede) who entered the novitiate in December 1929. She was the fifth child of Samuel Unger and Mary Royan of Upper Lansdowne. Sister Mary Bede died on 1 July 1998 and is buried in Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Anne Mary Crittenden, (Sister Mary Joachim), who entered the novitiate on 1 January 1937 at the age of 30. She was the fourth child of George Crittenden and Anne Unger of Central Lansdowne. Sister Mary Joachim died on the 11 November 1997 and is buried in Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Lillian Anne Crittenden, (Sister Mary Paula) who entered the novitiate on 23 January 1929 at the age of 16. She was the sixth child of Thomas Crittenden and Annie Royan of Central Lansdowne. Sister Mary Paula died on 28 May 1993 and is buried in the Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Catherine Jean Richards, (Sister Mary Frances) who entered the novitiate on 28 December 1942 at the age of 17. She was the daughter of James Thomas Richards and Mary Clarice Baker of Central Lansdowne. Sister Mary Frances died on 17 March 2014 and is buried in the Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Pauline McDonell, (Sister Louise Marie) who entered the novitiate on 1 January 1942 at the age of 16. She was the fifth child of John Joseph McDonell and Johanna Treacy of Central Lansdowne. Sister Louise Marie died on 11 October 1924 aged 96 and is buried in the Lochinvar Catholic Cemetery.
Sister Mary Joachim Crittenden, Sister Mary Paula Crittenden and Sister Louise Marie McDonell were cousins.
One local man joined the priesthood after leaving school. He was:
Leo Cicolini, Father Leo Cicolini was born in 1922. He was the eldest child of 5 children of Horace and Elizabeth Cicolini and grandson of Mary Cicolini. He was ordained in St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney in July 1946. His parents home and farm were on Koppin Yarratt Road and the homestead is still standing and is now known as Flame Tree Cottage. Leo died on 24 June 1973 aged 51.
Compiled by Gloria Crittenden – January 2021