About Sacred Heart and St Columba Parish:
The Catholic Parish of Sacred Heart and St Columba serves the communities of St Kilda, St Kilda West and Elwood, with worship centred around Sacred Heart Church in St Kilda and St Columba’s Church in Elwood.
Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Catholic devotion emphasising Christ’s love and compassion for humanity, Sacred Heart Church is a place of prayer, worship, celebration of the sacraments and pastoral care.
The parish has a strong tradition of connecting faith with service to others, particularly through its close relationship with Sacred Heart Mission and its work supporting people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.
Serving one of Melbourne’s most culturally and socially diverse areas, the parish seeks to be a welcoming Catholic community where faith is expressed through worship, compassion, hospitality and service.
Exterior view of Sacred Heart Church
Interior view of Sacred Heart Church and sanctuary
Statue of Our Lady with rosary beads,
with a shrine to the Virgin Mary behind
Statue of Saint Joseph with the child Jesus,
with the Sacred Heart of Jesus shrine behind.
Historic pipe organ overlooking the church interior
Detail of Christ’s hand bearing the wound of crucifixion
Nave and sanctuary beneath the vaulted ceiling
Tabernacle, where the consecrated Eucharist is reserved, within the marble high altar.
Historic marble high altar and tabernacle
Statue of Saint Joseph with the child Jesus
Statue of Saint Anthony of Padua with child
Mosaic depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus
History:
The history of Sacred Heart Church dates to the rapid growth of St Kilda during the nineteenth century. As the local Catholic population increased, land was acquired in Grey Street for a new church.
Construction began in 1884 to a design by prominent Melbourne architects Reed, Henderson & Smart. The foundation stone was laid on 13 July, and the church was dedicated on 7 December 1884.
Designed in an Italian Renaissance style, Sacred Heart was an important departure from the Gothic Revival style then commonly associated with Catholic churches in Victoria.
The church developed in stages, with side aisles and a bell tower added in 1890. A Carrara marble high altar was installed in 1909, followed by a pipe organ built by George Fincham & Son in 1910. Major works in 1922 included an enlarged nave and sanctuary and the distinctive 36-metre campanile, crowned by a copper dome and statue of Christ.
Sacred Heart also has a strong history of service to the local community. In 1982, Parish Priest Fr Ernie Smith shared a meal with a man who came to the presbytery hungry. This simple act of hospitality helped inspire Sacred Heart Mission, formally established in 1984 to support people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.
In 2000, Sacred Heart, St Kilda West, and St Columba, Elwood, came together to form the present Catholic Parish of Sacred Heart and St Columba.
For more than 140 years, Sacred Heart has been both a place of Catholic worship and an important part of St Kilda’s social and architectural history.
Faith Leader: Father John Petrulis
Fr John Petrulis is the Parish Priest of the Catholic Parish of Sacred Heart and St Columba, serving the communities of St Kilda and Elwood.
An ordained priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne for more than three decades, Fr John has ministered in a number of parishes across Melbourne, including Ferntree Gully, Heidelberg and Boronia. He became Parish Priest of Sacred Heart and St Columba in 2007.
His ministry continues the parish’s longstanding commitment to bringing together faith, hospitality and service. Alongside the sacramental and pastoral life of the parish, Fr John maintains a close relationship with Sacred Heart Mission and its work supporting people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.
As a member of the Sacred Heart Mission Board, he has worked alongside parishioners, staff and volunteers to strengthen the connection between the worshipping community and the Mission. This reflects the parish’s belief that faith is expressed not only through prayer and worship, but also through compassion, dignity and practical care for others.
In 2021, Fr John was inducted into the Salesian College Hall of Fame, recognising his many years of service and contribution as a priest and community leader.
Contact:
Parish House
Address: 2 Normandy Road, Elwood, VIC 3184
Phone: (03) 9531 6120
Email: shsc@shscparish.org.au
Website: https://www.shscparish.org.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shscparish