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ONE of the oldest Catholic congregations on the Downs came together yesterday to celebrate the building of the first Catholic Church in Warwick exactly 150 years ago.

The original church was opened by the first bishop of the new diocese, James Quinn on Tuesday, August 15, 1865.

The opening coincided with the Feast of the Assumption, and hence the church was officially named St Mary of the Assumption.

Built from stone by local builder Charles Doran, it served the parishioners for 15 years.

When a nephew of Bishop Quinn, Father James Horan, was appointed to Warwick in 1876 he saw the need to extend the building to accommodate the growing congregation.

He added a chancel and sacristy, which allowed the entire body of the church to be devoted to seating the congregation.

The extensions were completed in 1880 and Father Horan, who was a very popular priest, remained with the church until his death in 1905.

Another influential priest in St Mary's history, Father Michael Potter came to Warwick in 1891 as assistant to Fr Horan and became parish priest after the senior priest's death.

Fr Potter began an appeal for funds for a new church in 1917 with the foundation stone of the new Catholic Church being laid in early 1920 and completed in 1929.

Warwick's first sandstone church is middle pointed gothic in design and features stone from the Yangan quarries and grey granite from Greymare for the internal columns.

This magnificent building has been in use for over 80 years and has been home to hundreds of priests and parishioners.

For the 150th celebrations Father Franco Filipetto felt privileged to be involved in this important historic event.

Father Franco was appointed to the Warwick parish in May 2011 and yesterday described his time with the church to be very enjoyable but quite challenging.

With around 500 parishioners, Father Franco said that this congregation was one of the most traditional he had seen, and the church was one of the grandest yet intimate churches he has had the pleasure to be assigned to.

"I am dedicated to making improvements and have instigated a new pastoral plan, which has been based on a survey of our parishioners," he said.

"I am also faced with the challenge of maintaining our beautiful heritage-listed church and have applied for a grant to the National Trust Restoration Fund, which I am hoping we will hear good news from by the end of the year."

Father Franco was pleased with the number of parishioners who shared in the 150th anniversary celebrations yesterday.

After Mass they enjoyed light refreshments and browsed through the original church which has been converted into a museum.

The Father McKey St Mary's Parish Museum is rich with Catholic history, containing vestments and altar furnishings from the past 150 years, statues and paintings that have been donated by small country churches, which have since closed, and numerous pictures of church events giving glimpses into the past.

Museum curator Georgena Fielding said she was grateful to the community for all the items that had been donated, allowing the Warwick parish history to be preserved.

The museum has been operational for 10 years and is open by request.