The Roman Catholic Church Group, Toodyay is a site on Stirling Terrace in Toodyay, Western Australia, owned by the Catholic Church. This site was registered as Roman Catholic land in November 1861 in the newly proclaimed Avon District town of Newcastle (now known as Toodyay). These buildings were erected here between the early 1860s and 1963: The original St John the Baptist Church, built in 1863, closed 1963. (The original church was later sold and is now privately owned.) Dr Growse's House, built early 1860s St Aloysius Convent of Mercy, built in 1903 St Aloysius Convent of Mercy School Classrooms and Boys Boarding House, built in 1920 Catholic Presbytery, built in 1923 St Aloysius Convent of Mercy School Classrooms and Girls Boarding House, built in 1929 The current St John the Baptist Church, built in 1963 History In 1855 Bishop Rosendo Salvado visited the Toodyay district to establish a Catholic parish in the area, appointing Canon Raphael Martelli as the parish priest. Construction of a church in Old Toodyay commenced using voluntary labour in 1856. The foundation stone was laid in 1857 and the building was completed in 1858, with the Church of Sancta Maria being blessed in January 1859. In 1860 the town of Newcastle was proclaimed, to relocate Old Toodyay from its flood prone area. Father Francis Salvado called for tenders to build a new church in Newcastle in 1862; the original St John the Baptist Church was blessed in time for Christmas 1864. By 1874 an unofficial Catholic school for 30 or more children was also being conducted in a room at the rear of the church. In 1884 three Sisters of Mercy came from Perth to take on the responsibility of educating the local Catholic children. They established a temporary convent in the upper section of Mr. & Mrs. Hassell's home in Folewood Road. Three months later, with only limited funds and equipment, they opened a school in Leeder's House, previously owned by William Leeder. In 1889 the former residence of Dr Growse was sold to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth for use by the sisters as a seminary. (Growse's house was on the opposite side of the road to St John the Baptist Church.) The Sisters were able to purchase the building in their own right in 1902, at which time they vacated the Leeder property. The Sisters of Mercy were assisted by substantial