Ballarat East - Diocese of Ballarat

St Alipius Parish - Communities of Ballarat East, Buninyong

Mass Times

St Alipius’ Church, Ballarat East

Weekday Masses
Please refer to the Parish Bulletin for Week day Mass times

Weekend Masses
Vigil Mass Saturday at 6.00pm

Sunday morning Mass
1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays at 9.00am
2nd & 4th Sundays at 10.30am

Ss Peter & Paul’s Church, Buninyong

Weekend Masses
Sunday morning Mass
1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays at 10.30am
2nd & 4th Sundays at 9.00am

Baptisms:

By appointment

Weddings:

By appointment

Parish Information

CHURCHES

Churches

St Alipius

82 Victoria Street, Ballarat East
Ss Peter & Paul's

701 Fisken Street, Buninyong

PARISH BULLETINS

PERSONNEL

Co-Pastor & Moderator

Fr Justin Driscoll

Co-Pastor

Fr Shajui Mathew MST

Parish Coordinator

Cathy Prunty

Administrative Assistant

Natalie Gleeson

Finance Officer

Jackie Wrigglesworth (Phone: 5337 7128)

Child Safeguarding Officer

Emily Clarke

Catholic Schools

St. Alipius’ Parish School
St. Francis Xavier Primary School
Emmaus Catholic Primary School
Damascus College

PARISH OFFICE INFORMATION

Street Address: 86 Victoria Street Ballarat East VIC 3350	Phone: 0437 505 517	Email: ballarateast@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Office Hours: Tuesday: 9.00am – 12.00 noon Wednesday: 9.00am – 12.00 noon Thursday: 9.00am – 12.00 noon Friday: 9.00am – 12.00 noon

OUR PARISH

Ministry District: Ballarat East, Bungaree and Gordon Parishes

Fr. Shaiju Mathew and I work as co-pastors in the parishes of Ballarat East, Bungaree and Gordon, forming a Ministry District across our three parishes and the eight local Church and School communities of Ballan, Ballarat East, Bungaree, Buninyong, Clarke’s Hill, Dunnstown, Gordon and Springbank. We will work with Cathy Prunty, Natalie Gleeson and Jackie Wrigglesworth in the Ballarat East Office and Aileen Toohey in the Bungaree and Gordon Parish Offices as well as the Principals of our Catholic Schools – Troy Strybosch (St Joseph’s Bakery Hill), Jayne Bosworth (St Brigid’s Ballan), Emily Clarke (St Alipius’ Ballarat East), Mark Hogbin (St Francis Xavier Ballarat East), Clare Scanlon (St Mary’s Clarke’s Hill), Paul McDowell (St Patrick’s Gordon), Ethan Corfee (Emmaus Mt Clear) and Steven Mifsud (Damascus Mt Clear and Dunnstown). In the Diocese of Ballarat, a Ministry district is the term used in our pastoral planning document Looking Forward, to describe the sharing of resources between parishes, with the aim of working in collaboration to further the mission of Christ that has been entrusted to the Church. Our emphasis and focus is on mission, looking forward, outward, with the joy of the Gospel.

In this next chapter, our new Ministry district provides us all with an opportunity to exercise genuine synodality, that is, walking together in faith, building a culture of encounter and accompaniment, discerning the way forward by genuine dialogue, listening to each other with prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit.

I look forward to walking with you as a pilgrim in faith, together as servants of the Gospel, joyful missionary disciples.

Fr Justin Driscoll

Parish Planned Giving

Be a part of the Planned Giving Program to ensure the financial survival and future growth of your parish.

The Planned Giving Program is the major source of income for the parish. Your financial contribution will ensure we continue to manage the ongoing and increasing expenses in our parish, including, pastoral programs, insurance, wages, utility rates and church maintenance.

To ensure a regular and reliable income for the parish, we request you to make a periodic pledge either, weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Your considered financial gift will make an enormous difference to continuing the work the parish.

For Parish Planned Giving or to donate click the logo below.

SACRAMENTS IN OUR PARISH

‘The initiation of children into the sacramental life of the Church is family based, co-ordinated by the parish and supported by the Catholic School’. Taken from Sacraments of Initiation for Children – Policy Statement – Catholic Diocese of Ballarat.

We welcome inquiries for all sacraments in St. Alipius Parish.

BAPTISM

Baptism is the first of the three sacraments of initiation, the journey to full membership of the Catholic faith. The first step in the process to having your child baptised to is attend a preparation session at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Hall. These sessions are held on the first Thursday of each month and you can choose between 10am or 5.30pm. At this session you will be given a link to the enrolment form which you are invited to submit to our parish office. You can book a date for baptism by contacting the parish office. Baptisms are held at 10.30am masses at St. Alipius and Ss. Peter and Paul in Buninyong. The link for enrolments can also be accessed here.

OUR HISTORY

St Alipius – A History

Our story is a story of people, rather than buildings and dates, although it is important that we acknowledge these. It is the story of a people who have been brought together in faith and love.

St Alipius Parish has its beginnings in the Ballarat “Gold Rush” that started in August 1851. As thousands of people made their way to the diggings and a town quickly took shape, Father Patrick Dunne celebrated the first Mass for the Catholic miners in October 1851.

In late 1852 a second priest Father Matthew Downing arrived and named his Parish after St. Alipius and the Bishop of the time, James Alipius Goold.

In February 1853 Father Downing moved to the present St. Alipius site and erected a church made of slabs with a canvas roof. A school was also built and classes began on April 1st.

(Text from : www.sovereignhillschool.vic.edu.au)

RESOURCES