St Francis' Church

Designed by Samuel Jackson (1807-1876) and built between 1841 and 1845, St Francis’ is the oldest Catholic church in Victoria and the first cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. When the Irish Franciscan Fr Patrick Geoghegan (1805-1864) laid the foundation stone on 4 October 1841, he named the church in honour of St Francis of Assisi, the founder of his order. A small timber chapel (1839) was located on the site while the present church was being built. The nave was ready for the first Mass to be celebrated on 22 May 1842, and the completed church was blessed and opened on 23 October 1845.

326 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 - Australia.