St Columba's Parish, Charters Towers
Gill Street, Charters Towers 4820Priests Get in Touch
Sacrament of Penance
Saturday: 5.30pm
In all parishes, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available by appointment.
Most priests will gladly hear confessions before or after weekday Masses (depending on other appointments on any individual occasion).
Parish Information
Parish Sacramental Program
St Columba's offers a sacramental program for people in Year 4 and above.
The program is based around six 1.5 hours sessions for families. These are held after the 9am mass on Sundays (selected dates in May, June & July) with the celebration of the sacraments on Sunday 7th August 2022.
Contact the Parish for more information.
Other Services
- Pentland - Second Sunday of the month, 11.30am
- Ravenswood - First Sunday of the month, 11.30am
- Greenvale - Irregularly
Parish History
Our Parish was founded in 1872 midst the goldrush in these northern goldfields. Whilst most of our parish buildings date back only to early 1970s, we are very proud of our iconic belltower, constructed in 1897. It is a tourist attraction, and visitors are welcome to visit.
Our parish has a vast land-area, and we believe we are the only Parish in Townsville Diocese that borders the Cairns Diocese to the north (just beyond Greenvale), and Rockhampton Diocese to the south (towards Clermont, at Belyando Crossing).
Today, our Parish Office is located just next to the Belltower. You can access the church grounds by coming along Hodgkinson St (parallel to Gill St, the main street of Charters Towers), and turning into the driveway that leads to the church carpark.
We used to have three Catholic schools in our town --- St Columba's Primary, St Mary's (Girls Boarding), and Mt Carmel (Boys Boarding). These three schools amalgamated to form the one college, Columba Catholic College, with the primary school at the St Mary's Campus, and secondary at Mt Carmel Campus. We are very proud of Columba Catholic College and its achievements, spirit, and faith.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is by appointment with the priest.
Baptisms
Please phone to arrange an appointment, and a time will also be set for the priest to come visit you at home for a meeting. He will get details about your baby/child then, and will give you baptismal preparation materials.
He will also want to admire your home, and eat all your biscuits!
As the parish is vast (approximately the same land-area as the State of Tasmania), it is not always possible for families to celebrate baptisms in Charters Towers itself. Families who reside great distances away may apply for other considerations. However, the normative place for baptism, as initiation into the life of the church, is St Columba's Church.
Weddings
Please call to make an appointment.
Columba Catholic College
St Mary's Campus (Prep - Year 6)
High Street, Charters Towers
Mount Carmel Campus (Year 7 - 12)
6-8 Flinders Highway, Charters Towers
Phone: (07) 4787 1744
Fax: (07) 4787 4986
Email: office@columba.catholic.edu.au
Website: www.columba.catholic.edu.au
266-270 Stanley Street
(PO Box 6149) Townsville, Qld 4810
The Catholic Diocese of Townsville acknowledges the occupation and care of the land, waterways and sea by Traditional Custodians and their continual cultural connection to Country as expressed through their history, music, language, songs, art and dancing. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as having the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.