Whether it is in reference to Our Lady as the Mystical Rose or the roses sent down from heaven by St Thérèse of Lisieux, in the faith history of the Catholic church, roses have a special meaning.   And as you stand at the front of our church and presbytery, it is obvious that our parish gardens were well planned and well looked after by those who thought it was important!

In the 1990’s, during the time of Fr Byrne, the presbytery garden was planted with 2 varieties of the most beautiful, scented roses: Mr Lincoln, which is a deep red rose with a strong old fashioned scent, and Whisky, with a deep apricot bloom.  George Howard, from India, was a very keen parishioner so he helped plant the roses and was also the first pruner of  the presbytery roses. 

The iceberg roses in front of the church were planted during a working bee, also in the time of Fr Byrne, under the expert guidance of Trish Beale and Trish Keenan.

As George aged, during the time of Fr O’Loughlin, Angelo Ferro took over the pruning of the roses.

Well, it takes a certain skill to keep roses healthy and in full bloom, and both George and Angelo had that skill.  They could propagate roses from a stem cutting.  They knew the best time of year to prune them (Winter) and how to shape and feed them.  The roses flourished.

Again, in the fullness of time, Angelo needed to step down, but the beautiful rose garden at the presbytery and in front of the church now welcomes parishioners, school children and visitors. It’s a perfect example of how quiet hands working in the background can transform the look of a parish.

See here for more information on Rosa Mystica.

https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2025/07/rosa-mystica-our-lady-mystical-rose-who.html