When St Mary of the Angels Church, Geelong first opened its doors for worship in 1872 it was recognised as “the most conspicuous, commodious and elegant ecclesiastical edifice in the town”. Even as urban development over the years has altered the Geelong skyline, St Mary’s, with its spectacular bluestone spire, the tallest in Australia at 150 feet, gives this church an unparalleled grandness. St Mary’s is instantly recognisable; a symbol of the Faith and identity of the Catholic community in Geelong.

Application has been made to the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for St Mary’s to be afforded the title of “Minor Basilica”. During the past 8 years, major interior and exterior restorations have brought St Mary’s back to its original splendour. This stately gothic church is listed on the Victoria Heritage Register. The State Government, City of Greater Geelong and the Catholic Development Fund have provided significant financial support for this project.

Fr Kevin Dillon, Parish Priest, shared photos of the works in progress at St Mary’s. Remarkably, regular weekend liturgies and special celebrations were able to be continued throughout the work. “This meant the parishioners really shared in the progress as it happened.We had to find a balance between being fair to the contractors and maintaining our obligations to parishioners. Hopefully we have achieved this pretty well”, Fr Dillon said.