Help Restore and Preserve St Francis Xavier Cathedral for Future Generations
For generations, St Francis Xavier Cathedral has stood as a landmark of faith, hope and community in the heart of Wollongong.
Its walls have witnessed countless celebrations of the sacraments, moments of prayer, and significant events in the life of the Church. As one of the region's most recognisable heritage buildings, the Cathedral continues to serve as a spiritual home for many.
To ensure this treasured place remains strong and welcoming for future generations, essential exterior restoration and conservation works are now being undertaken
Preserving a Heritage Landmark
Over time, exposure to weather, age and environmental conditions naturally impacts the exterior of historic buildings. These renewal works will help protect the Cathedral's structure, improve its longevity, and preserve its architectural beauty for years to come.
The project includes:
- Exterior painting and restoration
- Repair and conservation of windows and doors
- Renewal of gutters and rainwater drainage systems
- Masonry and façade repairs
- General preservation and maintenance works
A Shared Responsibility
Caring for a cathedral is more than maintaining a building. It is preserving a place of worship, prayer, pilgrimage and community life.
The Cathedral has been entrusted to our generation, and we have the privilege of ensuring it continues to inspire and serve those who will follow after us.
How You Can Help
Contributions to the Exterior Renewal Appeal will directly support the conservation and restoration of St Francis Xavier Cathedral.
Every donation, regardless of size, will assist in preserving this significant place of faith and heritage for future generations.
Together, we can help ensure that St Francis Xavier Cathedral remains a visible sign of faith, hope and welcome in the heart of Wollongong.
"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain."
— Psalm 127:1
General Cathedral Renewal Fund
Support the areas of greatest need
Every contribution helps preserve and protect St Francis Xavier Cathedral. Donations to the General Cathedral Renewal Fund allow restoration works to be carried out where they are needed most, helping to safeguard this important place of faith, heritage and community for future generations.
Goal: $1,000,000
Sponsor a Square Metre of Restoration
Help renew the Cathedral, one section at a time
The Cathedral's exterior requires careful conservation and repair to protect it from weather, ageing and environmental damage. By sponsoring a square metre of restoration, you become part of preserving this historic landmark for future generations.
<strong">Suggested Donation: $150
Exterior Painting & Protective Coatings
Preserving beauty. Protecting the future.
The Cathedral's exterior surfaces require specialist preparation, painting and protective coatings to withstand the elements and preserve the building's appearance. These works will help protect the Cathedral for many years to come.
Project Goal: $170,000
Window & Door Restoration
Restoring the details that welcome generations
The Cathedral's windows and doors are both functional and historically significant. Restoration works will repair damaged timberwork, improve weather protection and preserve important architectural features.
Project Goal: $12,000
Gutter & Rainwater System Renewal
Protecting the Cathedral from water damage
Effective drainage is essential for preserving heritage buildings. Replacing ageing gutters, downpipes and rainwater systems will help prevent water ingress and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Project Goal: $147,000
Preserving the Cathedral's historic character
Over time, weather and age can affect brickwork, stonework and external finishes. Conservation works will repair damaged areas and help ensure the Cathedral remains structurally sound and visually inspiring.
Project Goal: $238,000
Scaffolding & Site Safety
Supporting the restoration behind the scenes
Major restoration works require specialised scaffolding, protective barriers and safety systems. While often unseen, these essential components make it possible for conservation work to be completed safely and effectively.
Project Goal: $193,000
Heritage Preservation Fund
A gift that leaves a lasting legacy
St Francis Xavier Cathedral is more than a building; it is a place where generations have gathered in faith, prayer and community. Major gifts to the Heritage Preservation Fund help ensure this treasured Cathedral continues to serve future generations.
Project Goal: $240,000
Cathedral Legacy Giving
Preserve a place of faith for generations yet to come
Legacy gifts provide long-term support for the care and preservation of St Francis Xavier Cathedral. These contributions help ensure that future generations can continue to worship, celebrate and encounter God's presence within this sacred place.
Thank you for your generosity and support.
Lumen Christi Parish
St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong
“Come, I will send you”
(Exodus 3.10)
The Illawarra Flame Tree as a Symbol for the Cathedral Community and Precinct
The reason for choosing the Illawarra Flame tree as a symbol connected to our Cathedral in Wollongong is based upon the way created things help us approach the mystery of God. As St Paul teaches in Romans 1:20, God’s nature and power is perceived in realities that God has created.
In the Scriptures, as in the Sacraments of the Church, created realities, such as water (Baptism) and oil (Confirmation, Ordination, Anointing of the Sick), serve to help us approach the mystery of God and experience God’s grace. Among these natural elements, fire is a Scriptural symbol of God’s presence, revealing the transcendence of the Divine. An example, as I will explain below, is found in the Burning Bush of Exodus, Chapter 3.
How does the Illawarra Flame Tree help us in approaching God and why choose it as a symbol of our life of faith, worship and mission in the Cathedral?
For thousands of years in Australia, in late spring to early summer, the Illawarra Flame Tree has burst into vibrant fiery red flowers. It is vividly red in full bloom and its radiant colour evokes the burning bush from which God spoke thousands of years ago to Moses about leading the people of Israel from slavery into the freedom of the Promised Land.
The Burning Bush relates to the revelation of some fundamental truths of Divine Revelation. We read about it in the Book of Exodus. The word Exodus refers to a “going out” and the Book of Exodus is an account of the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The slavery takes different forms, from excessive and inhuman conditions of work to the inability to have time for worship of the one true God. The call from God to Moses is to lead the people to rediscover their identity as a people chosen by God to worship and live according to God’s covenant, love and wisdom.
Chapter Three of Exodus tells us that when Moses notices the burning bush and approaches it to see more closely why it is not consumed, God commands Moses to remove his shoes as a sign of reverence before the Divine Mystery. This gets Moses ready to listen to the God who identifies as the God of Moses’ ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At this saying, Moses hides his face in reverential fear before the Divine Presence.
Then God speaks of the suffering of the people of Israel and how God will set them free from this oppression. The liberation of the people is not only achieved by enabling the people to escape from the land of oppression but also to be led by Moses to the land of the promise. It is in this context, an act of salvation, that God gives the missionary command to Moses that we have quoted at the beginning of our explanation and chosen for our Cathedral Flag: “Come, and I will send you”. In response Moses asks God to give a name by which the Lord can be identified by the people of Israel. God refuses such a limited name, rather giving the mysterious name that both defies limited definition and points to the continual saving power of God: “I Am Who I Am.”
God commands Moses to be attentive to the call and presence of God and lead the people of Israel from the land of oppression. Moses’ mission is to be the minister of God’s saving wisdom and power to lead the people to the land of promise, “a land flowing with milk and honey”. Here they will be given a place to be a people and live according to God’s wisdom and love.
What does this mean for us here in the Cathedral Community of St Francis Xavier in Wollongong?
As a people who believe in the God who called Moses and as members of God’s people through the New Moses, Jesus, here in Wollongong, as a part of the Illawarra region, we too hear the word of God: “Come, I will send you.” God has called us to listen to the word of salvation, be set free from the oppression of evil, and fulfill our mission to walk with others into the freedom of God’s tender mercy.
The Illawarra Flame Tree is a beautiful gift of nature to us all in Wollongong and the Illawarra. May its vivid fiery colour in Spring and Summer remind us of the presence of the God who saves us and calls us to the freedom of God’s children, to believe, worship, serve and bear witness to God’s love and reveal the light of Christ’s promise of eternal life for all.
We are called to reveal the Light of Christ to the world.
Mass Times in Our Parish
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prayer and Mass Intentions
Donate and Support Us
The Eternal Peace Grotto is a place to lay to rest the ashes of your loved ones. Located on the northern side of the historic Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, the columbarium provides a prayerful space for our faithful departed. Read more
Please Support Our Parish
Your WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIRST AND SECOND PARISH COLLECTIONS is vital to our parish communities. To make a contribution go to our parish website www.lumenchristi.org.au/Support
Donate via EFT
To make a donation via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), please do so by the following.
Acc Name: Lumen Christi Parish
BSB: 066 711
Acc No. 008056
Payment reference: Full name – “Donation”
