Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Shrine

The first church building was a brick school church, designed by Mr Aston Watkins and able to hold 300 people. At this time the Franciscans at Waverley came on Sundays to celebrate Mass and Benediction but in 1885 Cardinal Moran transferred the Randwick parish to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and on 15th November Fr Tierney celebrated Mass in the school church.

It soon became apparent that the school church was too small and plans were made to build a church and presbytery. The church was designed by the architects Sheerin and Hennessy and built by Eaton of North Sydney. In May 1888 the new church was opened with the name of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

This building now forms the Nave of the present church, including the baptistry and the steeple. It was considered the most handsome church in Sydney after the Cathedral, being built in a neo Gothic style of brick with stone facings. A feature of the building is the stained glass windows, depicting the life of Jesus. These were all donated and were made in Tours, France in 1899. There is a particularly beautiful pair of windows on the south side, given as memorials in 1918.

By the end of the First World War it became obvious that the church needed to be enlarged and Mr Hennessy was asked to complete the original design and include a new school building. The church was blessed and opened on October 2nd 1921.

The final major addition to the church was the Shrine to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the north-east corner. The Shrine was opened on October 17th, 1937.