Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton is a beautiful and welcoming place of worship which acts as both the Cathedral Church for the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and a church within St Benedict's Parish, Inner Newcastle.
Sacred Heart Cathedral holds a special place in the affection of Newcastle Catholics. Both its size and status make the Cathedral a popular choice for weddings and large funerals. Many parents who were married in the Cathedral like to bring their children to be baptised in the church in which they were married.
Sacred Heart Cathedral also plays a major role in Diocesan events such as the annual Chrism Mass in Holy Week, the ordination of clergy, and other important Diocesan celebrations throughout the year. The Cathedral also plays host to a range of concerts, civic events, and other special occasions as part of its role within the broader community.
The Sacred Heart community works to accommodate the different roles of the Cathedral, as Diocesan Cathedral, as a focus for civic events, and its role within St Benedict's Parish, Inner Newcastle, along with maintaining the local community for whom the Sacred Heart is their 'parish' church.
The patroness of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Each Saturday morning, at 10am, a Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is prayed in Sacred Heart Cathedral. This Novena began in the Diocese in 1948 at the Redemptorist Monastery at Mayfield. The closing of the Monastery in 2003 saw the Novena transferred to the Cathedral, where a special shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour has been established in a transept that was formerly used as the Nun's Chapel. The Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour that was formerly housed at the Redemptorist Monastery is now housed in the shrine, which is also available for private prayer.
The Sacred Heart Columbarium stands behind Sacred Heart Cathedral. This columbarium was redeveloped in 2014-15 into its current form, providing niches for the placement of ashes of deceased parishioners or others with a strong connection to the Cathedral.
