Tarragindi church denies claims ancient Catholic sect plans high school, Latin Masses

A southside church says it has no plans to launch a new high school on a busy, parked-out street and denies claims it will be run by an ancient, ultraconservative Catholic movement.

A southside church site linked to Catholic group Brisbane Oratory In Formation has been flagged for a new primary school. (Top right) a flyer protesting at the plans.

A southside church says it has no plans to launch a new high school on a busy, parked-out street and denies claims it will be run by an ancient, ultraconservative Catholic movement.

Anonymous flyers have been letterboxed in Tarragindi and posted on a community Facebook page in recent weeks claiming Brisbane Oratory In Formation planned a new Prep-Year 12 school, with a primary campus on the St John Fisher church site.

They also claimed up to 600 extra followers each weekend were expected at four weekend Latin Masses once the Messines Ridge Rd site was upgraded.

Oratory was founded in the 16th century by St Philip Neri.

It expanded to Brisbane in 2015 after Brisbane Catholic Archbishop Mark Coleridge ceded care of several Church parishes to the movement, including Tarragindi and Annerley.

The new school would be called St John Henry Newman College and would follow traditional teachings.

The St John Fisher site in Tarragindi.

It has been accredited and the site was zoned for a school many years ago.

Annerley Ekibin parish, which is “under the care’’ of Oratory, said in a recent newsletter that the Messines Ridge Rd property would house only a primary school.

Expected to open in 2026, it would initially be for Prep to Year 3.

“We hope to have news soon on our request to the Archbishop to sell the St John Fisher land to the St John Henry Newman College for the purpose of establishing a primary school on the site,’’ the newsletter said.

“The College will eventually have a high school which will be located on another site,

hopefully not too far away from Tarragindi.

“The parish and the College have agreed that the parish will continue to offer the present three English Masses each week on the site, even after the land is sold to the College.

“When the school eventually opens, there may be additional school Masses for the benefit of the students and staff.

“An anonymous flyer that has been seen makes the assertion that there will be four weekend Latin Masses on the site.

“Please note that this is a false claim. It should also be noted that the St John Henry Newman College is a private company, run by a board of lay people.

“Any claim that the Oratory is purchasing the St John Fisher land is also false.’’

A Facebook post from opponents of the new school.

Tarragindi locals who commented on the post said Messines Ridge Rd and surrounding streets were already at capacity and street parks were scarce because of competition from commuters.

Some were also concerned about building height in the lowrise area and potential loss of vegetation on the site, while others said the education zoning was from many years ago and now outdated.

The flyer claimed there would be an expected total enrolment of 300 students from all over Brisbane for the primary school, with two classes per year level.

“The bordering and surrounding streets are not designed for the anticipated traffic and for use as a pick-up/drop-off zone or for carparking,’’ it said.

“The pressure from traffic will continue over the weekend (with Sunday Mass).’’

Opponents were concerned the College would seek a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation, an increasingly common project approvals method which bypassed Council.

Development applications (DAs) lodged with Council have to include detailed reports on traffic, noise, landscaping and other issues.

The new school would be code assessable, limiting rights to public notification and appeals in the planning court.

Some Tarragindi residents are concerned about traffic generated by the new school.

Local state MP Mark Bailey posted that he was not aware of any DA.

However, he would have “real reservations if there was an attempt to overdevelop this land for something that was inappropriate for the surrounding residential land use’’.

“I will be watching this issue very closely,’’ he said.

A representative of Archdiocese of Brisbane said St John Henry Newman College was an independent education initiative catering to families who preferred the “classical education model’’.

“It (will be) open to Catholics and non-Catholics from 2026.

Mary Immaculate Church in Annerley is one of several Catholic parishes in Brisbane under the care of Brisbane Oratory In Formation.

“It’s not a school operated by Brisbane Archdiocese, the Brisbane Oratory in Formation, or Brisbane Catholic Education. As such we cannot comment further.’’

Brisbane Oratory in Formation is the first congregation of its kind in Australia.

The congregation gives priests more independence than a religious order, while also offering a structured communal lifestyle not typically experienced by diocesan priests.

Oratory priests committed themselves to one parish for their lives.

The first priest was ordained in 2021 by Archbishop Coleridge.