Timeline for St.Roch’s Parish Glen Iris
1890-1920’s: Under the Vincentian Fathers, mass was celebrated in the Sacre Coeur Chapel and the home (St Hilary) of the Lloyd Family
1923: A church-school-hall was built by the Religious of the Sacred Heart in the grounds of Sacre Coeur
1923: A house known as Valency, present day presbytery site, was leased by the Vincentian Fathers
1924: March 16th, the school was blessed and opened by Archbishop Mannix
1927: Fr Patrick Roch Loughnan welcomed as the first Parish Priest
1928: St.Vincent’s Monthly Magazine, later St.Roch’s Monthly Magazine, published for the first time in its 40 year lifespan
1928: April 29th the new Presbytery opened and the name of St.Roch was adopted. The only Parish in Australia to bear his name
1929: Catholic Young Men’s Society, St Vincent de Paul Society and a branch of the Australian Catholic Federation, were all established
1930: March 30th the new school hall was opened
1930: April 27th the first tennis courts were opened
1930: Miss Olive O’Neal and Mr George Nolan celebrated the first nuptial mass
1931: June 14th, First Confirmation ceremony of 47 children
1935: The first midnight mass held
1937: The Religious of the Sacred Heart notified Archbishop Mannix of their need for the land on which the Church stood
1937: It was decided that the church would be moved brick by brick up Burke Rd
1938: February 13th, a Spanish mission style church was completed on the corner of Glenvale and Burke road. Blessing and opening of the new Church
1945: A junior tennis club was formed
1948: The basketball court was opened
1950: The Sisters of St.Joseph left to undertake teaching in rural areas and the Presentation Sisters would guide the education of students for the next decade
1952: Jubilee celebrations
1958: Fr Patrick Roch Loughnan died
1959: Fr James Murtagh appointed Parish Priest
1960: April 8th, the church and altar were consecrated and rerecorded in memory to Fr Loughnan
1963: February 13th the Silver Jubilee celebrations
1963: December 1st, the new presbytery was blessed
1969: The parish bought the property in Glenvale Rd for an extension to the school
1971: Fr Murtagh died at St.Roch’s presbytery
1971: Fr Edward Anthony Fennessy appointed Parish Priest
1973: Presentation Sisters withdrew administration of the school
1974: Fr John Francis Bracken appointed Parish Priest. Miss Maureen Donovan appointed first lay principal
1977: Golden Jubilee celebrated
1982: Fr Bracken died. Fr James Atkins appointed Parish Priest
1984: Monsignor Francis Lyons appointed Parish Priest
1986: Parents and Friends Association formed
1987: Diamond Jubilee celebrations. New marble altar installed
1994: (V.Rev.Prof.) Ian Waters appointed Parish Priest
1997: Narthex blessed and opened by Fr Ian Waters
2011: Opening of New School Building
2017: Fr Ian Waters retired Parish Priest
2017: Fr Michael Gallacher appointed Parish Priest
