We began as a parochial district affiliated with St Nicholas of Myra Parish at Penrith, NSW, in the early 1990s.
We are one of many parishes that have evolved from Penrith Parish since it was created in 1839.
A Redemptorist brother, Br Vin Dale CSsR, knocked on the doors of new homebuilders in the Glenmore Park area in the late 1980s, introducing himself and inviting the Catholics to form a worship community.
Br Dale’s efforts were supported by Fr Neville Byrne, a Marist priest who continued the ‘hands on’ ministry and spiritual leadership of Br Dale, advising the people that Mass was being celebrated in the area, and so the expression ‘the Church below the rooftops’ came to be.
Most Rev Bede Heather DD, the first Bishop of Parramatta, later appointed the Loreto Sisters to the pastoral care of the fledgling community, and their ministry led to the development of many ministries that support our Eucharistic community.
The community was in the pastoral care of Sr Margaret Finlay IBVM, Sr Margaret O'Sullivan IBVM and Sr Denise Braddon IBVM, and under the canonical supervision of the Parish Priest of Penrith.
Bethany Catholic Primary was built for the Glenmore Park area to educate all who wanted a Catholic education for their children. Caroline Chisholm College occupies the same site and was the forerunner of this tradition, being established many years earlier to educate young ladies of the area.
The Glenmore Park Catholic community began the canonical process of becoming a separate parish financially and was deemed to be in a position to build a parish church, presbytery and offices in 2004.
That same year, Most Rev Kevin Manning DD, the second Bishop of Parramatta, appointed Rev Kevin Lee as Administrator and entrusted him with the sacramental and pastoral care of the community and building up the body of Christ expressed in the Glenmore Park area.
On 1 July 2005, the Parochial District of Glenmore Park was canonically approved by Bishop Manning to be a parish known as Padre Pio Parish
On 1 July 2005, the Parochial District of Glenmore Park was canonically approved by Bishop Manning to be a parish known as Padre Pio Parish. On 14 August 2005, Bishop Manning appointed Rev Lee as Parish Priest.
After many years of fundraising, Mass was celebrated in the new church of Padre Pio just before Christmas 2009. This church was officially dedicated to our patron saint, Padre Pio, by Bishop Manning on 14 February 2010.
Fr Lee departed the parish in April 2012.
On 1 May 2012, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, the third Bishop of Parramatta, appointed Right Rev Monsignor Robert McGuckin VG EV Administrator of the parish.
On 23 May 2012, Bishop Anthony Fisher OP appointed Fr Robert Riedling Parish Priest of Padre Pio Parish.