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THE PRIEST:
- Fr. William Shinnick
- Fr. Eugene O’Connell
- Fr. Timothy O’Callaghan
- Fr. William O’Brien
- Fr. James MacGillicuddy
- Fr. Andrew Ryan
- Fr. Daniel Horan
- Fr. M. Ryan
- Fr. P. Gleeson
- Fr. J. Ellis
- Fr. L. Hartnett
- Fr. G. Gavan Duffy
- Fr. H. Steele
1972 Fr. William Donegan, who to this time had been serving as a curate at Bacchus Marsh was appointed to be the first Parish Priest.
Educated at De La Salle, Malvern, Melbourne University and All Hallows College, Dublin, (Fr. Horan, the last of the pioneering Priests also attended the Seminary at All Hallows). He has, in five short years, built a Presbytery and a school and is planning a Church Hall to be erected in 1978.
Three young Priests have served as currates:
Fr. Russel Vears (Christmas 1975/76),
Fr, Damien West (1976) and Fr. Graeme Redfern, the present curate (Christmas 1974/75, 1977 and continuing).
THE 100 YEARS IN BETWEEN:
Looking around what was the old Bacchus Marsh Parish. St. Malachys at Blackwood and St. Michaels at Blackwood East are no more. Churches at Comaida and on the Kororoit Creek have so long disappeared it is difficult to establish they existed. Our Lady Help of Christians built in 1903 at Korobeit continues its lonely vigil over mountains and valley. St. Bernards at Bacchus Marsh has gracefully grown and prospered over the years.
And until the 1970’s the world seemed, in a material sense, to be passing St. Dominics by. But the 100 years in between, if not marked by lavish building works, was noticeable for able pastors, devoted catechists and happy contented parishioners living out sturdy Catholic lives.
THE FAMILY TREE:
1839 – 1848 Part of Port Phillip Mission ( Victoria)
1848 – 1854 Part of Keilor Mission
1854 – 1871 Part of Bacchus Marsh Mission
1871 – 1878 Part of Gisborne Mission
1878 – 1972 Part of Bacchus Marsh Parish
- Parish of Melton