There has been a Catholic Church on the present Waterloo Rd site since land was first donated by the Kenny and Walls families in 1889. Generations of families have worshipped here, and sacrificed to provide for a church building.  The first timber structures needed extensions in 1903, and after serious fund raising, were opened in 1906. The Catholic Parish of Trafalgar, covering Moe, Yarragon , Thorpdale and Willow Grove was declared in 1907.  When the first Josephite nuns came in 1930, these buildings also served the Parish as a school. At the height of the Great Depression, Catholics  and the Community raised sufficient money to build a brick building to house the nuns.

Time moved on and needs changed, so a larger brick church was built as a War Memorial Church which opened in  Feb. 1955. Always the provision of the church buildings relied on the financial generosity of the parishioners and the wider community.  The church has served the community well since then. It  has been the place for many joyful  celebrations of weddings, baptisms, and gatherings for worship, and a place of support for the sadder occasions of funerals. The local branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society operates from here, and many of the district’s needy, as well as passers- through have sought and found friendly assistance here.

In recent years the building was attacked by very unwelcome visitors. White ants left a trail of destruction behind which now requires urgent,  extensive repair. The building has to be brought back to current safety codes. It is a costly exercise, and once again, the Catholic and wider Community are asked to help to restore  this landmark Trafalgar building .

To make a donation please contact the Parish Secretary, Julianne, for details at 56 331166. 

Article by J. Huffer on behalf of St. John’s Parish Council.