St Virgil's - Tasmania's First Catholic Chapel

Father Philip Conolly was Van Diemen's Land first Catholic priest. He arrived in Hobart Town from Port Jackson per the brig Prince Leopold in April 1821.

Father Terry Southwood, in his book Planting A Faith, Hobart's Cathedral Story in Word & Pictures writes:

Within eight months, Conolly opened a small timber chapel for worship. This rough oblong building on a stone foundation adjoined the priest's home "Killard" . The Harrington St. structure was the first Catholic Church in Australia ... From January, 1822, the pioneer priest, who was his own architect, builder and decorator; began offering the Sacrifice of the Mass in the little church dedicated to St Virgil.

The structure was near Patrick Street, the site of the present St Virgil's junior campus.

For many years, St. Virgil's served the community in Hobart faithfully. However, as time passed, the chapel gradually fell into disrepair. Eventually, with the construction of the grand Cathedral, St. Mary's, the decision was made to demolish St. Virgil's due to its dilapidated state.

Only relics of the chapel survive, they are the altar stone and a set of brass candlesticks. The altar stone had been given to Father Conolly by Father J.J. Therry, who had it presented to him in 1819 by Bishop John Murphy of Cork, Ireland.

See attached links for further information and a photograph of Father Conolly's headstone.