The story begins in the Parish of Wentworth, N.S.W. in 1865 when a Priest from the Bathurst Diocese visited the area. History tells us that the first Mass was celebrated in the old Wentworth Hotel. The names of the Priests who came during that period were Fathers Duggan, McAuliffe and Chastignon.

In 1871, Fr Matthew Ryan was appointed the first Parish Priest of Wentworth. In June of that same year, Bishop Quinn travelled from Bathurst to lay the foundation stone for Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wentworth. This was the first Catholic Church in the Sunraysia area.

Mildura thrived and developed quickly with the arrival of George Chaffey in 1886. His brother William (WB) followed soon afterwards. From 1889 onwards, Mildura was visited by Priests from Charlton, Ballarat, Wentworth and Wilcannia during which time Mass was celebrated in private homes.

The first public Mildura Mass was held in the Langtree Hall and celebrated by Fr Timothy O’Connell , on 20 August 1892. The Mildura Parish was not yet established, but a religious ceremony had been performed and the soil of Mildura was made Holy by this important act, which was to be the first of many.

Regular church services were then held in the Anglican church building, a lean to shanty on the block of land near the railway station end of Langtree Ave. In 1922 this land was occupied by Hudson’s Bakery.

Early in 1894, Fr Paul Zundolovich succeeded Fr O’Connell as Parish Priest at Wentworth. Fr Zundolovich was a Lithuaniun Jew having arrived in Australia in 1892. He was known to be quite a colourful character in the area. Father's attitude to Mildura’s future was the opposite to that of some of his predecessors and though, at the time local conditions were not at their best, he pictured a greater Mildura in which the Catholic Church must also be greater.

This man urged the people of Mildura to build their own Church on land on the corner of Pine Ave and 10th St which had been granted by the Chaffey Brothers.

A committee was formed and Mildura’s first Catholic Church was opened in 1896. It was of wooden structure and cost £300. The wooden altar was made by Frank Currow, who worked for Geo. Wittmer & Co. of Langtree Ave. It cost £20. Mr Currow also made the kauri pews each costing 30/-.

Money was raised to help pay for the Church, and one such event was a bazaar which was held during a race meeting on 16th & 17th January 1896. This effort raised £100 which, along with other money raised, wiped off the debt.

The Diocesan magazine 'Light', was first published in February, 1948 was a means of communicating parish news for over 25 years, building the spirit of solidarity in families, and within the parishes.
An extract from 'Light', September 1973 reflected a bygone era of life in 1948. It is even further from the common practice thirty-three years later, in 2006.

Mildura had become a university city, with 540 students in medicine, engineering, architecture and dentistry doing their Freshers course there. Father J. L. Green was Chaplain, and was impressed with the quality of the 112 Catholic students. Attendance at Sunday Mass averaged 104. 70 percent attended a weekday Mass, and a fair number assembled in a tutorial room for nightly Rosary! There was a lively interest in the Church’s philosophical, moral and social teachings. Among visiting lecturers were Archbishop Simonds, Fr. H. A. Johnston, S. J., and Mr. J. X. O’Driscoll.
Extract from 'Light', September 1973.