THE PARISH OF Ballarat North
Churches
- St Columba's
Corner of Lydiard & Gregory Street, Ballarat North
Presbytery
Postal & Street Address:
306 Gregory Street
Ballarat North VIC 3350
Phone: 53311012
Email: ballaratnorth@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Baptism or Sacramental enquires: ballaratnorthpastoral@ballarat.catholic.org.au
School Link: http://www.scballarat.catholic.edu.au/
Parish Office
Parish Phone: The number for the Parish office is 53311012
All pastoral, Baptism and Sacramental enquiries can be sent to Judith at: ballaratnorthpastoral@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Mass Times
Saturday Vigil 6.00pm |
Sunday Mass 10.00am |
Wednesday Mass 9.30am |
Our Parish
Welcome to St Columba's Parish. Our church is located on the corner of Lydiard & Gregory Street, Ballarat North.
Office
Street Address: 306 Gregory Street, Ballarat North (behind the Church follow the yellow footprints)
Phone:53311012
Email: ballaratnorth@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Office Hours
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am - 1pm
School
St Columba’s Primary School
History
- On 31st January, 1911, St. Columba’s School was opened for students and was staffed by Sisters of Mercy who travelled each day from Ballarat East. Because the Bishop was away at the time, the official blessing and opening took place later that year.
- Ballarat North community had its own church in 1919 when a wooden church, which had been built about 1892 as the original chapel of the Redemptorist Monastery in Wendouree, was moved to the site on Gregory Street, alongside the existing primary school.
- The present church was built in its original form in 1940, and the former wooden church became part of the primary school, originally used as classrooms and later as an assembly hall. There it stayed until 2007 when the school’s needs demanded not only the space but a more up-to-date area for school assemblies and other functions.
- The 1940 church underwent extensive refurbishment in the years after Vatican II, allowing a more open and simple arrangement while respecting the intrinsic beauty of the original building.
- Later still, an entrance foyer was added, not only to serve as a gathering (and de-briefing!) space, but also to allow for the various parish meetings.
- The stained glass windows in the church are neither spectacular nor lavish, but they are rich in symbols from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.
- Although the parish community had a distinct identity of its own from 1911, Ballarat North did not officially become a parish until 1971. The presbytery at the rear of the church was actually built before then (1958), and served as a residence for a number of priests who were engaged in various ministries in Ballarat and beyond.
- Many of the parishioners who have lived in the area for many years have fond memories of the pastors who served as their parish priests: Fathers Boylan, Martin, van de Camp and Brophy. In 2002 when Fr. Brophy was moved to Mildura, the parish lost the ministry of a resident priest, was then administered from St. Patrick’s Cathedral until it came under the care of Father Gerard Prunty, Administrator of both OLHC Wendouree and St Columba's. The community has retained a strong identity of its own.
- Mass is celebrated at 6pm on Saturday evenings, and 10am on Sunday mornings. A regular group of parishioners warmly welcomes you on Wednesday mornings at 9.30am for Mass in the Church foyer.
Personnel
Parish Priest Fr Marcello Colasante
Email: ballaratnorth@ballarat.catholic.org.au |
Pastoral Associate Judith O'Sullivan ballaratnorthpastoral@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Visiting Priests: Fr Gary Jones Fr Anthony Nagothu Fr Sajan Mathew
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Parish Leadership Team Kate Lawry Judy Brown Georgina Hinchey Diane Cowie Shaun Mohr (School Principal) Judith O'Sullivan (Pastoral Associate) Torie Waight (School RE co-ordinator) |
Resources
Ministry Roster to Easter 2019.pdf
Readings Holy Family to 8th Sunday in Ordinary time.pdf
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION:
Safeguarding: Risk Management checklist
Parish Pastoral Council Guidelines 2017
O H & S POLICIES:

Ballarat North Stewardship Program 2019
13 February 2019
Ballarat North Stewardship Program Faith Weekend
