Penrith Parish & City

Penrith was the name given by Governor Macquarie in 1816 to the few shacks that had sprung up along the road near the banks of the Nepean River at the point where bullock drays crossed on their way to Bathurst and beyond.

Today, Penrith is a bustling regional city and home to more than 11,000 residents.

The St Nicholas of Myra church is located near the centre of Penrith, and serves more than 3,000 Catholic families in the area. The Parish is part of the Nepean Deanery within the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta. (To learn more about our Diocese and Deanery, click here).

At the heart of our Parish is a worshiping faith community that has been active for more than 165 years.

The present Parish church was officially opened and blessed by Cardinal Gilroy on 30 th April, 1967. Architect Brian Curtin's and the contemporary design ensured an increased capacity for the growing population of the greater Penrith area.

In the 1980s extension and improvements were made to the presbytery under the direction of then-Parish Priest Fr Geoff Dickinson. A new parish centre was opened in 1986.

Learn more about the history of our Parish

Administration & Structure

St Nicholas of Myra Parish comprises an administration team and a number of primary advisory committees assisting the Parish Priest. Within this structure, numerous Parish groups and their activities are supported.

Administration

Parish Priest

Fr Chris de Souza

Assistant Priests

Fr John Watkins

Secretary/Office Manager

Lyn Olander

Sacramental Coordinator

Anne Tucker

Catechist Coordinator

Fred Keuneman 

Clerical Assistant

Ursula Gomez

Mary Goh

Primary Advisory Committees

Parish Pastoral Council

Responsible for setting and nurturing the pastoral direction of our Parish

Parish Team

Executive to the Parish Pastoral Council.

Finance Committee

Responsible for the financial administration and stewardship of the parish resources.

Parish Ministries & Devotional Groups