Second St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Warwick, Gothic revival Catholic church in Warwick, Australia.
Second St Mary's Roman Catholic Church is a sandstone building on the corner of Palmerin and Wood Streets in Warwick, designed by Dornbusch & Connolly in a Decorated Gothic style. Its cruciform plan remains incomplete: the transepts and chancel were never finished, and the western wall and shallow chancel are of rendered brick. Sandstone came from the Yangan quarry, granite piers from Greymare, and the stained glass was made by R.S. Exton and Co. of Brisbane.
The foundation stone was laid on 29 February 1920 by Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne, assisted by Archbishop James Duhig of Brisbane. Two lawsuits, over land ownership and a contractor breach, halted work, so the church was finished by day labour and opened on 21 March 1926. The rear transepts and chancel were never completed.
The church is also known as St Mary of the Assumption, and its patronal feast is marked each 15 August. A grotto, a small replica of the Lourdes shrine, was built north of the church in 1929 and donated by Mr and Mrs Martin Crane; visitors can still see it beside the building.
The church stands on the corner of Palmerin and Wood Streets, with its entrance facing Palmerin Street; the former first St Mary's church sits on adjoining land beside the Catholic primary school. The building remains incomplete, so the western wall and shallow chancel are rendered brick rather than sandstone. The Lourdes grotto replica donated by Mr and Mrs Martin Crane stands to the north of the church.
The stained glass windows were crafted by RS Exton and Company, showing detailed artistic work and skill. The altars throughout the building incorporate marble imported from Sicily, adding a rare material quality.
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