As the population changed, St Brigid’s Church was moved from Jembaicumbene1Brian McDonald and Jill Clarke. Religious Annals of the Braidwood District. Jill A. Clarke. 2020. p 70 to the Deua River on 7 and 8 November 1949.
An Episcopal Visitation is a bishop’s official pastoral visit to a congregation of the diocese. Episcopal visitation books (circa 1941-1968) 2Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Archdiocesan Administrative Files’ Series CG6. ‘Braidwood Correspondence 1857–1970’ Box 23 file 3. provide details of the parishes, for this visit. St Brigid’s, at Jemaicumbene in 1947, is detailed as a wood church, in bad repair, painted 13 years ago, with a congregation of 10, who go to Braidwood to Mass. Following the move, St Brigid’s in Deua River in 1950 is detailed as a wood church, in very fair repair, with a congregation of 34, of whom 32 attend the monthly Mass, and in 1965 as weatherboard church, in fair condition, with a congregation of 19, of whom 16 attend the Mass held every three months.
A 1966 newspaper article 3Accumulated resources and research notes on parishes and churches of the Archdiocese collected by ‘Father Brian Maher’, Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Series CG1021: Braidwood File 1 / Item 11/1. on the proposed sale of the Deua River and Mongarlowe Churches, quote Father John P. Kelly, noting that the Deua River Church has not had a congregation for 18 months and adding “It’s no point painting them year after year, getting out the bees nests, and paying insurance if they are not being used.”
The Church was sold to private ownership in 1966, and owned by the McFadden family, who began to restore the building, retaining some original features such as the tabernacle. Sadly the building was destroyed in the 2020 Black Summer bushfires.