St. Patricks Church, Rothesay at "Riverview" as it is now known as, continues to be a powerful symbol. The little simple wooden Gothic Church is used regularly for Mass by the local Roman Catholic Community. Dates for Masses are set by the St. Joseph's Parish, Benalla. It is also used by the Anglican Community for Masses. Dates for Masses are set by Holy Trinity Parish, Benalla.
The Church is also used for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.
The theme of St. Patrick's Church, Rothesay at "Riverview" is "My building, Our Church."
With the arrival of the railway in Violet Town in 1872 and a subsequent increase of the Catholic population to that area it was decided to erect a Roman Catholic Church for religious purposes. A site was procured and a wooden building was erected, the first Roman Catholic Church in Violet Town. This Church served the Catholic community for a number of years. The erection of this Church preceeded the formation of the Diocese of Sandhurst in 1874 and was initially administered under the sole jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Parishes had not been formed at this stage either. In 1876 Father Scanlon was appointed to the newly formed Parish of St. Joseph in Benalla. In 1899 it was decided, due to the larger congregation in Violet Town at that time, that the original wooden church would be replaced by the present brick building. It was decided by Dean Davey, the Parish Priest of Benalla, to transfer the original church building to a district called Rothesay. This district is situated half way between Tatong and Swanpool. In a somewhat unusual move the original Church was transported in 1900 via horse drawn wagons to Rothesay, the event taking five days to complete.
In 2004, it was decided that St. Patrick's Church, Rothesay would be sold. With only one priest in Benalla, low patronage by parishioners in the district and the fact that Rothesay was only fifteen minutes drive from Benalla via car, the decision was made easier. On May 3rd, 2003, Father Dennis Crameri celebrated Mass at Rothesay for the last time. A large crowd filled the Church and a beautiful farewell Mass was celebrated. The church was beautifully decorated for the occasion. St. Patrick's was on the move again.
The church had been bought by Kevin Smith of "Riverview", Tatong. It was Kevin's dream to buy the church, restore and maintain it for ongoing celebrations of Mass and to retain the community spirit which had always been strong at St. Patrick's. The Church was sold with all its fitments and furniture intact.
On November 23rd, 2003 St Patrick's was again ready for its next chapter. The beautiful Gothic styled building was loaded onto a prime mover, and like a big ship, it moved off into the distance. It was very emotional to see it move and all present were aware that an important historical event was taking place before their eyes. This time, instead of taking 5 days on horse drawn wagons, St Patrick's was relocated after a trip of thirteen kilometres and three hours duration.
On Sunday, 22nd February, 2004 St Patrick's celebrated its third Opening Day. The church was repainted outside in heritage colours. The significance of this important historical building, both to the Catholic community and to the wider community is well recognised. Mass was celebrated by Fathers Crameri, Walsh and Taylor and the large congregation of approximately 140 people spilled out into the garden.
The church was moved onto land donated by Mr M. Maher of Tatong Road. It was situated on the corner of Samaria/Tatong Road because it was considered a central position to all districts. The new church was recreated and furnished for the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds. The cost was covered by many donations. The second Opening of the Church was undertaken by Dr Reville, Coadjutor Bishop of Bendigo, assisted by Dean Davey, who performed the dedication ceremony. The event was attended by a large crowd from many different denominations. Many non-Catholics subscribed liberally towards the cost of the erection of the church building. There were three children baptised at the Second Opening. For the next 103 years, St Patrick's Church, Rothesay was used as a place of worship. Mass was celebrated regularly by the priests from Benalla. Celebrations of Mass, Baptism, Confirmation, Weddings and Funerals were held in St. Patrick's. Even for those not directly involved with the spiritual life of St. Patrick's, it was a well known district land mark.
To complement and further enhance the spiritual ambience surrounding St. Patrick's a themed garden has been planted. A large cross planted with many rose bushes has been laid out in the garden. Plantings of roses consist of The Friar, The Nun, The Prioress, AngelFace, The Kardinal, St. Patrick, Mother Mary McKillop and Mother Catherine McAuley. Lecterns set alongside the gardens display story bulletins about the person and the particular rose bush. Trees and shrubs associated with mediavel monasteries have also been planted.