Parish History

The Ottoway Parish was founded in May 1957, when a formal contract was signed between the Franciscan Conventual Fathers and the Archdiocese. The Parish was established on 14th July 1957, and a house for use as a Presbytery was purchased in October 1958 – until then, a caravan had been used for this purpose.

The Franciscan Conventual Fathers concluded their work in the Parish on 25th June 1978. On 30th November Fathers Marian Szablewski, Wlodzimierz Sobolewski and Franciszek Trzupek arrived from Poland and on the very next day, 1st December, they officially took over the Parish duties.

The Parish celebrated twenty-five years of its existence on 18th April 1982. The focal point of the celebrations was a Mass concelebrated by diocesan and religious priests, presided by Bishop Philip Kennedy.

The Parish Jubilee celebrations brought together a great number of faithful from all over Adelaide with representatives of various ethnic and social groups. During the Mass everyone felt part of one Christian family.

On the night of 26th April 1983, at about 3 a.m., a fire broke out in the Parish Church of St. Joseph the Worker.

As the building was mainly of wooden construction (except for its metal framework and asbestos sheeting), within half an hour, the interior was completely gutted. Only the vestibule with its marble holy water font was left undamaged. Nothing could be salvaged from the ruins except bricks from an interior wall that divided the sanctuary and sacristy.
There was, however, one thing saved from the ashes – something that made everyone wonder and which later became a source of inspiration during the building of the new church. It was a large, black and white, photograph of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe which had remained intact among the pages of a charred book and had fallen out onto the ground. It became a precious memento of the burnt-out church.

Soon after the fire, and a year before work in rebuilding the church began, it was decided that in these present circumstances, it would be most appropriate to replace the burnt church with a new one under the patronage of St. Maximilian Kolbe. This following facts confirmed this decision.

Foremost was the fact that during the last war, many of our parishioners had been placed in forced labour camps in Germany and many of the Poles now living in Adelaide had survived various prisoner-of-war camps and even concentration (extermination) camps. It seemed, therefore, appropriate that they could have their own intercessor and patron in the person of St Maximilian M. Kolbe, all the more since the re-building of the church would take place soon after his canonisation.

The Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe

After fire destroyed the St. Joseph the Worker Church, parishioners put all their energies into discussing ways and means of building a new church. The great enthusiasm of Poles and Italians, together with promises of support by various polish businesses, prompted an early start towards the realisation of these discussions.

From a choice of five submitted designs for the new church, the one from artist Bogdan Krzywon was selected. His design somewhat resembled the style of Polish churches in the Middle Ages and encompassed the characteristics of contemporary church architecture in Poland. The church was divided into three sections with the roof gradually sloping from the entrance down towards the apse. Triangular stained glass windows were envisaged above the main entrance and along the middle section. Overall, the building was beautiful but rather fragmented which was escalating the cost of the project. The architect, Stephen Rohoziński, a lecturer at the Adelaide Institute of Technology, readily and generously offered his services.

Based on the elevation drawings of architect, Bohdan Dorniak, he finalised the plans, greatly simplifying the whole project and bringing the whole structure under one architectonic form.

Despite the alterations, the roofline of the church maintained its typically Polish (Podhale) style. The whole building was based on a trapezium shape widening towards the front wall and altar. The sloping roof (from 14m to 7m over the shape) resulted in an unusual architectural effect presenting the optical illusion on both the exterior and interior, that the roof was concave. In reality, however, all the horizontal and vertical lines are straight.

When Archbishop Gleeson finally ratified the project in April 1984, the realisation of the project began. Preparation of the site for the foundations began on 16 April 1984. Thirty-five men volunteered – mostly Poles, with some Italians and Australians. At this stage, the greatest assistance came from Tadeusz K¹cki and his firm. His generosity and the voluntary labour of parishioners enabled the cost of the laying of the foundations to be halved. Andrew Szychowski undertook the responsibility of foreman on the project. His building skills and initiative, as well as his untiring physical exertion, inspired others to intensive efforts.

In September 1984, the steel framework of the church was erected at greatly reduced cost by Bolnar Constructions (situated within the parish boundaries). Of great and willing assistance were the Polish building firms of Stanis³aw Mozdeń (erected the walls) and Zenon Pawlak, tiling contractor (paved the rooms adjacent to the church).

On Sunday, 25 November 1984, the foundation stone was officially laid on the exterior wall. A piece of marble from St. Peter’s tomb in the Vatican was laid inside as the cornerstone. This relic, issued by the Vatican Institute, Fabrica di San Pietro, was accompanied by authenticating documentation, was blessed by Pope John Paul II on 3 October 1984. The documentation states that the despatched piece of marble is designated as the cornerstone for the church of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe.

At the same time, we received from Auschwitz the ashes of prisoners who were murdered and cremated at the camp during World War II and as such, symbolise for us the ashes of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Archbishop Leonard Faulkner, newly appointed to the See of Adelaide, conducted the ceremony of laying the foundation stone and cornerstone.

When the walls were completed in January 1985, Leadlight Constructions began installing the stained glass windows. These were designed by Ewa Kempen and created by her husband, Paul.

The windows cover an area of 80 square metres – the largest expanse of stained glass windows in South Australia. Due to the generosity of the Kempen’s, the Parish was obliged to pay only two-thirds of the actual cost.

The Stations of the Cross – modern illustrations and full of symbolism -were executed by Henryk Rutkiewicz and his sister Zdzisława Kopias in the Polish mountaineer style of burnt wood etching and were donated entirely free of charge.

On 14 August 1985, before a large congregation of parishioners, Fr. Marian Szablewski CR blessed the church and followed it by celebrating the first Holy Mass. During this ceremony, Assistant Parish Priest, St. Patrick’s Church, Mansfield Park, blessed the Tabernacle; Fr. George Arlaski OFM Conv., a former Parish Priest of Ottoway, blessed the Stations of the Cross; Fr. W³odzimierz Sobolewski CR; then Administrator of the Bordertown parish; blessed the stained glass windows. The statue of St. Maximilian was blessed by Fr. Gratian Ko³odziejczyk OFM Conv. Having personally known Maximilian Kolbe, Fr. Gratian gave a short talk on this occasion, emphasising his unassuming everyday holiness.

The Eucharist was celebrated in Polish, English, and Italian. Three Polish choirs, the children’s choir from St. Joseph’s School, Ottoway, and the Italian choir highlighted the ceremony. A homily marking the occasion was delivered by Fr. Marian Szablewski, in which he spoke of the Christian and social implication of the new sanctuary in Ottoway.

The whole design of the church was motivated by the theme of Fr. Kolbe’s martyrdom.

The main stained glass window (37 square metres) symbolises the sacrifice of a priest who offered his life for a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz. The lamp stand, decorated with the pattern of clothing issued at the concentration camp, is a sign of the disgrace, hatred and tragedy of the Second World War. A flame blazing from this lamp stand practically covers the rest of the stained glass window. It stands for love, sacrifice, and forgiveness – the Christian sentiments that flowed from the priestly heart of St. Maximilian in that place of extermination. The window has a further metaphorical significance: the lamp stand of Auschwitz is also the world of today – a world filled with hatred and terror. Only Christian forgiveness – the flame of love – can overcome that which is leading the world to destruction.

The side windows depict in modern styles scenes from the forty days Christ spent on earth after His Resurrection such as: The Resurrection, the Appearance to Mary Magdalene, Supper with the disciples at Emmaus, the Ascension, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

The theme of the glorious mysteries in the life of Christ builds joy, rebirth, and hope for a better life. It constitutes in the church building a perfect psychological counter balance to the depressing threat of the barbed wire on the main window and the overbearing presence of the Cross on the front wall.

The mosaic on the front wall depicts Christ carrying His Cross and people representing the five human races suffering with the difficulties and sufferings of life, symbolised by the crosses they are bearing. The figures are moving towards cleansing water, signifying Baptism – an immersion into the death of Christ. The skeletal remains depicted at the bottom of the mosaic depict death in the life of Man – a reality since the very beginning of the human race. As an exact copy of the excavations in Pompeii, they present the reality even more dramatically.

This is also probably a reflection of twentieth century times marred by the ghastliness of wars and extermination camps. Ultimately, however, this suffering only has meaning in the Cross of Christ who gives it the value of redemption for humanity and reparation for the sins of the world.

The motto expressed in the scriptural quotation encloses the whole picture as if in a semicircular brace and the key of the theological concept of the whole mosaic: “if anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mat. 16:24).

J. S. Ostoja-Kotkowski designed the mosaic based on the figure of Christ and five couples representing the earth’s races. The artist based his design mainly on the works of Durer, Bellini, and Dore. Zbigniew and Maria Mazurczak executed the mosaic. The materials for the mosaic were imported from the noted firm ‘Angelo Orsoni’ of Venice.
The bronze bas-reliefs on the altar, lectern, and on the cover of the baptismal font were created by Henryk Cyza and Bogdan Krzywoñ according to the project prepared by Z. Mazurczak.

The depictions on the altar are theologically linked with the Mystery of the Eucharist. They represent the Last Supper, the Sacrifice of the High Priest
Melchizedek, and the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. The lectern contains the symbols of the four Evangelists separated by the horizontal and vertical lines of a cross. The cover of the baptismal font shows scenes from the life of John the Baptist.

On the wall to the left of the altar hangs a picture of Our Lady of Częstochowa painted by Bogdan Krzywoń. Nearby is a statue of St. Maximilian, imported from the Roman firm of Domus Dei. It is elevated by a mausoleum containing ashes from Auschwitz and relics of St. Maximilian given to the Church of Ottoway by the General Headquarters of the Franciscan Fathers in Rome. Also acquired from Domus Dei were the Tabernacle, Sanctuary Lamp, Processional Crucifix, Candlesticks, and Lectern.

On the side walls there hang, on one side, a portrait of Pope John Paul II, and on the other, that of the Founder of the Resurrectionists, Bogdan Jański. Both portraits are very faithful representations carried out by two artists from Sydney: G. Turner and B. Strauss.
In January 2001, Archbishop L. Faulkner blessed a statue of the Infant Jesus “Santo Nino” which is venerated by members of our Philippine community. The statue is encased in glass and stands on a marble pedestal on the sidewall to the left of the altar.

The Italian Firm Three A Joinery, according to specifications by the architect, made the pews and other furniture with great reduction in the cost Stephen Rohoziñski.

Sunday 26 January 1986 saw the crowning touch to all the parishioners’ efforts in building the church. The new church was dedicated and consecrated on this day.