For more than 200 years, St Mary’s has stood as Australia's Mother Church.
Welcoming more than one million visitors each year, this National landmark and a symbol of faith is now in need of major restorations.
To preserve St Mary's Cathedral and prepare for its future, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney has launched a campaign to raise $50 million to conserve heritage, enhance accessibility and safety and secure long-term sustainability.
We invite you to be part of the once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Restore the missing statues of St Mary's
Work is underway to correct a big problem with this Sydney masterpiece.
Since the Cathedral was substantially completed in 1928, missing statues of Saints are finally being carved and installed in time for Pope Leo XIV's visit in 2028.
The statues will be of the four canonised saints who have visited St Mary’s – Mary MacKillop, John Paul II, Paul VI and Mother Teresa.
Over $2.5 million is needed to make this work possible.
Thank you for supporting this special, historical project.
Mother Church for Australian Catholics
7.5K+ Masses and other occasions annually
Site of the first Catholic Chapel in Australia
Iconic Sydney Landmark
1M+ Parishioners & visitors annually
Host to cultural events, concerts and celebrations
“Just as generations past have built up this marvellous building, so to it is for this generation to do the same.
Our stewardship is to ensure that we leave for the next generation something even more beautiful,
welcoming and available than we currently have.”
– Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP
Accessibility at St Mary’s Cathedral
Lack of proper access means that young families, those in wheelchairs, or the elderly struggle to enter and worship God. Installation of lifts, ramps and step-free facilities will give access to St Mary’s and open up spaces hitherto impossible to reach. An investment of $3 million is required to make this happen.
Major restorations
Hosting over one million Parishioners and Visitors each year, the Mother Church of Australia is in need of major restorations. Our campaign marks an important moment in history. Just as previous generations have contributed to the building and maintenance of this sacred structure, we invite you to contribute today.
St Mary’s Cathedral, the Mother Church of Australia, is a landmark for Australians, a beacon of hope and a symbol of faith for Australian Catholics.
Thank you for supporting this special, historical project.
Fire Suppression
$7M
Sandstone Restoration
$5M
Window Conservation
$3M
Forecourt Statues
$2.5M
Organ Refurbishment
$1M
Lighting and Audio Visual Systems
$1.0M
Precinct Walkway Repairs & Upgrade
$2.5M
Accessibility
$3M
Endowment Fund to Sustain the Boys and Girls Choirs of St Mary’s Cathedral
$5M
Endowment Fund to sustain the Cathedral and serve over 1 million who visit every year
$25M
“In my life of service I have seen what holds Australians together.
St Mary’s stands high among them - a national treasure belonging to all
Australians, not only to Catholics.
For two centuries it has held our joy and our grief, a place of faith and
beauty, welcoming the stranger, and uniting us in our great occasions of state.
Securing St Mary’s for the
generations who come after us is a duty and honour worth answering now.”
- General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove
AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd), Campaign Patron