Our History

The Adelaide Latin Mass Community forms a part of the wider Adelaide Cathedral Parish of St Francis Xavier. With a rich history stretching back to the 1980s, our Community had its first home at St Patrick’s Church in Grote Street when the then Archbishop of Adelaide, Leonard Faulkner, granted us permission for the Sunday celebration of the Tridentine Mass (according to the 1962 Roman Missal) effective from May 1985under the care of Fr Joe Grealy.

By the mid-1990s, our regular weekly attendance had grown to over two hundred parishioners. In March 2000 we moved to the Church of the Holy Name in Stepney, under the care of Fr Gavin Small. In 2006, Fr David Thoroughgood was appointed our chaplain, until 2008, when the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) was invited by Archbishop Philip Wilson to assume responsibility of the Community. Since that time Fr Michael McCaffrey FSSP has been our chaplain.

By God’s infinite grace and mercy, our community continues to grow and flourish. We now have 350 people attending each Sunday with half of our parishioners under the age of 30. The increasing number of families and young people is a source of inspiration and joy to us, and each week we see even more new visitors coming to experience the beauty of the Traditional Mass.

In addition to the liturgy, many other catechetical or social groups seek to invite all attendees to a stronger relationship with Christ and inspire them with a desire for holiness in whatever vocation or state in life to which they have been called. More information about these groups and other community activities can be found on this website.