OUR ENTITIES
Abbey Church and Multi-Faith and Cultural Dialogue Centre, Caboolture
The Abbey Church, Caboolture, has served our Moreton Bay community since the church’s consecration in 1967, offering worship and stained glass heritage. Our interfaith centre in Moreton Bay was established in 2018.
The Abbey Church, Caboolture: Built by the Community in 1967
For the Community members, one of the earliest priorities on arriving in Queensland was to build a church to become the centre of our daily worship.
In 1966 an area of bushland was cleared and preparations for building the church began. To say that in this event Fr Francis (Rev. Donald J Ball) was entrepreneurial would be an understatement. He worked hard negotiating and bartering to source timber and all other resources needed to construct the church.
Building the church was truly a group effort with all our Community members using their specific skills and abilities where best needed to bring the project to fruition. Fr Francis, who had previous building experience, took the lead. Many hours were spent by Community members removing nails from pre-used timber from a demolished fish and chip shop that was recycled and used to build the church. At that early stage it was just a single chapel seating around 40 people.
The church was consecrated on Saturday 9th September 1967 and has been the centre of our Community’s spiritual worship ever since.
With a growing congregation and the popularity of the new Abbey Church for weddings, baptisms and funerals, the church was extended eleven years later to include two side chapels. Once again the Community members were actively involved with the construction and the extended church was completed in 1978.
Further changes to the church occurred in the early 90’s when the outside of the building was bricked-in to look as it does today. The surrounding gardens were designed by Michael and established by the Community members. They offer visitors a place of beauty and an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
Here, all who gather are invited into a place of divine blessing and quiet inspiration. Community and church members, and visitors drawn by worship or the beauty of the medieval stained glass windows, are equally welcome.
Worship, Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals at Abbey Church Caboolture
Sunday
Worship
Weddings
Baptisms
Funerals
Over those years Community members undertook minor orders within the Church progressing through the various levels to the rank of Deacon, Priest or Bishop. They take a lead role in administering the sacraments of the church and undertaking pastoral work. In recent years the Sisters of the Community have become active in the church, joining the clergy and being ordained as Deaconesses.
Community members use the church for daily spiritual observances and practice. The Church also holds a Holy Communion service each Sunday morning and an Evening Service including a Meditation to which all are welcome. The Church performs Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals by appointment. While the Church’s heritage comes from both eastern Orthodox and western Catholic traditions, the Abbey Church also reflects the mystical understandings and revelations of our founder, Rev John Ward. The Community seeks to be a lighthouse in the world sharing God’s light, peace and love to all.
Multi-Faith Dialogue and Interfaith Gatherings in Moreton Bay
Many faiths, one community.
Embracing diversity, celebrating unity.
Inspired by the belief of the Community’s founders, that within all faiths and spiritual traditions are universal truths and exploring these provide us with opportunities to deepen our personal spiritual understandings, we were excited to launch our Multi-Faith and Cultural Dialogue Centre in August 2018. Our Centre is the interfaith centre in Moreton Bay that faith communities, civic groups and educators turn to for cross-cultural dialogue and exchange.
The Abbey Community is grateful for the assistance and ongoing support of Dr Peter Hoppe, Church congregation member, who saw the alignment with our long-held beliefs in accepting peoples of all religions, creeds and cultures and encouraged the Community to establish a centre to bring people of all culture and faith traditions together in common humanity. Aligning with the Community’s vision, Embracing diversity and celebrating Unity became the foundation stone of our Multi-Faith Centre.
A committee was formed with Fr George, Sr Veronica, Sr Maria, Peter Hoppe, and representatives from other groups to drive the activities and programs of the Centre. Over the years we have hosted a number of symposiums, workshops and presentations. Each event is designed to deepen an understanding of different faith traditions through sharing their beliefs and practices. In this work the Community interacts not only with various Faith Communities, but also educational bodies, community groups and civic authorities.
Our Multi-Faith and Cultural Dialogue Centre has established a Charter which directs our endeavours to increase understanding and acceptance between all people as we work together to create a world of peace and harmony. As an interfaith centre in Moreton Bay and the broader region all our efforts are towards increasing acceptance between people of every faith and culture.
Continue Exploring
The Abbey Church
An Orthodox Catholic church offering Sunday Holy Communion, evening meditation, and sacramental care.
Abbey Museum
The Abbey Community brought collections from England and established a museum in 1986, home to the Abbey Medieval Festival.
St Michael’s College
An independent co-educational P-6 school and Early Learning Centre, grounded in the ethos of the Abbey Community.
Abbey Farm
A working dairy farm, orchard, and organic garden that has sustained the Community for 60 years.
Retreats
Nine quiet rooms, a refectory, library, chapel, and courtyard garden for personal retreat and group programs.
Want to know more about services, weddings, baptisms or funerals?
Visit the Abbey Church website for service times, enquiries and bookings.