No. 336 - East Devonport - St Joseph the Worker

In 1870 Devonport’s first Catholic church was established at Torquay (East Devonport). Known as “Star of the Sea” [see No. 242 here], it served the Catholics of Torquay until 1899 when it was literally ferried across the Mersey River to a new site in West Devonport. It was reconstructed near to the ‘Star of the Sea’ convent that had opened in 1893. The Torquay church was built on land east of Wright Street and north of Drew Street.

Sixty years after the Star of the Sea was removed, East Devonport acquired its second Catholic church; St Joseph the Worker. The establishment of a separate parish of East Devonport in 1960 provided the impetus to once again build a church to serve the eastern part of the city. By the 1970’s, East Devonport parish had reverted back to the Devonport parish and it was only a matter of time before St Joseph’s was closed.

Very little is known about the history of the church and this article will be updated when further information becomes available.

A note on St Joseph the Worker
There is very little about the life of Joseph in Scripture but still, we know that he was the chaste husband of Mary, the foster father of Jesus, a carpenter and a man who was not wealthy. We also know that he came from the royal lineage of King David. Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph had probably died before Jesus entered public ministry. Joseph is the patron of many things, including the universal Church, fathers, the dying and social justice (catholicnewsagency.com)

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019

A grainy photograph of St Joseph's from "Planting a Faith"

Sources:

Southerwood, W. T Planting a faith in Tasmania : the country parishes. [W. T. Southerwood], [Hobart], 1977.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-st-joseph-the-worker-471

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