St Simons broke away from St. Jude's Parish and was formed
on the 20th January 1988.

What is now the Parish Centre was built on another site on the property in the 1950's and transferred to the present site when the church was built. It served as the first residence for the priest, Fr Noel Mackay, parish priest of St Jude's Scoresby when the church bought it in 1973 when the area of Rowville was part of St Jude's parish.

St Simon's school was opened in 1982 with just over 100 children. The children first attended at St Jude's while the school was built that year and opened by Archbishop Little on 2 July. The second stage of the school was built in 1984.

A chapel / Community Centre was built and opened on 12 September 1985, and now serves as the Parish Hall.

St Simon's was established as a parish in its own right in January 1988 with Fr Les Tomlinson as the first parish priest.  Five years later a church was built and blessed and opened by Archbishop Little on 13^th November 1993. Sr Aileen was appointed as a Pastoral Associate.

With the retirement of Fr. Kevin as Parish Priest of St. Simon’s in 2022, the parishes of St. Simon’s Rowville and St. Jude’s, Scoresby both came together under the leadership of Fr. Mark Reynolds, with Assistant Priest Fr. Samuel Pearson.

We welcomed Fr. Jerald Mariadas on the 19th of July 2023. As a community, we trust in his leadership together with Fr. Joel Peart to find the right way for our two parishes to continue to grow together.

"Let us learn to rest in the tenderness of the arms of the Father amid our creative and generous commitment. Let us keep marching forward: let us give him everything, allowing him to make our efforts bear fruit in his good time."

p.30 Australian Catholic Council for Lay Pastoral Ministry. (2018). Faithful Stewards of God's Grace. Parramatta: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.