The Benalla Experiment
If your parish is considering “renovation” or you can’t believe that renovations can cause a parish to implode, you need to read this book called “Death of a Catholic Parish” 
This is the first-hand account of a renovation project in Australia that transformed a jewel of architecture near Melbourne into an over-sized parish hall.
In 1989 a team of “progressive” clerics was assigned to St. Joseph’s Catholic church Benalla and quickly decided that it needed “updating”. They also abolished devotions and encouraged all kinds of liturgical abuse.
During the controversy the church was gutted by an unexplained fire. The renovation carried out afterwards finished off what the fire couldn’t.
This site has been created partly as a tribute to a once magnificent Church where we will provide as many before and after images as we can find to display to you just how beautiful it once was, and to take up the cause of seeing it restored to it’s former glory.
It has been 22 years since the “experiment” began. We intend to look at some of the results of the actions of the “progressive” clerics and see just how this Parish has progressed?
To see a before and after photo click here
PLEASE NOTE: this site is completely independent of the author of the book Death of a Catholic Parish. It is the independent work of someone who was not even a parishioner of this church at the time, someone who did not witness the storm that hit this small town and the resulting destruction, but is someone who since reading this book is outraged at what has been allowed to happen to such a beautiful and holy place and even though it happened so long ago believes that there is still hope that it can be restored once more. With God all things are possible.
It’s not all about the building
jim said:
The book ‘THE DEATH OF A CATHOLIC PARISH’ is an accurate record of what Modernism does to ones Catholic Faith. When the Laity support this culture, they have in a sense lost their beautiful gift of Catholic Faith.
Michael said:
How true! It’s all about the Faith. Tragically, like many bishops worldwide, these priests, and pretty clearly those who’ve followed, preached and practiced the textbook Modernism condemned (ferociously) by St Pius X in 1907. The book captures and explains the shocking fallout of that Protestantisation at the grassroots. The title of the second section sums it all up: “Reformation Revisited”.
Mary said:
Where can I get a copy of the book
Frank said:
Where can I get the second book?