Stella Maris Celebrates a New Home

Maroochydore’s Stella Maris Parish community came together on Friday to celebrate its first mass in the parish’s new church.

Deicke Richards designed the church as part of an innovative redevelopment of the Stella Maris site, which also delivers a 120-bed aged care facility for St Vincents Health Care Services.

Director John Deicke said the practice worked initially with Stella Maris looking at options to develop a ‘care community.’ “That led to further master planning with St Vincent’s and finally to this plan which brings together the new church, aged care and wellness facilities.”

Shaded open ‘verandahs’ wrap the church on three sides, transitioning to an interior with an inky, midnight-coloured ceiling.

Interior designer Magda Myszkowski said the interior used a natural palette of polished concrete, ply and timber, with the sanctuary items designed and crafted in marble and softly polished brass. “The darkened areas intentionally focus attention on the lightness of the sanctuary,” she said.

“We worked with a lot of artisans to create the interior — the hand painted icons and refurbished stations of the cross, locally designed and made pews and the cross, carved from a mango tree on the site. The beautifully finished sanctuary items were cut and designed from one specially selected block of Italian marble, and finished by locally based stonemasons.”

Project team members, below, from left: Michael Wright, Badge, interior designer Magda Myszkowski, project architect Tim Zieth, Fr Joe Duffy, Stella Maris parish priest, Greg O’connor, Stella Maris, Kent Belcher, Badge, Ed Hoey, Stella Maris, Paul Blair, KHA Project Management.