Our Story

Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1965 with Fr Bernard Edghill as Parish Priest.  
In 1957 Bishop F. A Henschke, Bishop of Wagga Wagga, purchased four 5 acre blocks in different areas of the city for the purpose of establishing parish churches and schools.  

In 1957 on the block in Lake Albert Road an army hut made of corrugated iron transferred from Kapooka Barracks became the Mass Centre for that part of the Cathedral Parish, which was then under the administration of Monsignor Des Lane.   

In 1960 a school building was erected on the site and was named Sacred Heart Catholic School Kooringal.  It housed three classrooms and a large room which became the centre for Mass.  The army hut was turned into two classrooms.  

When the present Parish Centre was erected in 1978, the army hut was sold to a farmer at Malebo Hill.  What was the original Mass Centre became the school library until 2008 when it was turned into two classrooms.  

In 1990 it was decided that another Primary School was needed.  This resulted in Mater Dei School being built on property south of Lake Albert owned by the Diocese for many years.   Mater Dei Catholic College was established in 2004.   

Parish Priests: 

• Fr Edghill 1965-1972,

• Fr Tony Loth 1973,

• Fr John McGrath 1974-1975,

• Fr Wilf Plunkett 1976-2009,

• Fr Bernie Thomas 2009– 2016

• Fr John Baptist Pham 2016 -