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From Hwy 11 / Orillia
Take Hwy 11 to Hwy 12 South Continue on Hwy 12 for 5.3km to Atherley Road (at Tudhope Park) Continue on Hwy 12/Atherley Road east for 2.5 km to Rama Road Continue past Rama Road on Hwy 12 for 4.2 km to Muley Point Road. Turn LEFT at traffic lights |
From Brechin
Head north/west on Hwy 12 from County Road 169 Continue on Hwy 12 for 10.2 km to Muley Point Road. Turn RIGHT at traffic lights |
History of The Church of Saint Columbkille
St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Uptergrove, south of Orillia on Hwy 12, is the oldest, most northern parish in the Toronto diocese. This grand building stands majestically on raised land far back from the road on the east side of the highway. In 2005, St. Columbkille celebrated 150 years as a parish and 100 years in the present building. In the early 1800s, immigrants, mostly Irish and Scottish, came to the northeastern shores of Lake Simcoe in hopes of a better life. With no church building available, they held mass at each others’ houses. In 1855, a decree to establish a parish was authorized. Not long after, the first rectory was built. The original church has since been replaced by the present building.
When visiting this impressive building, one's eyes are drawn to the long driveway leading to the church. It is easy to imagine horses and wagons carrying patrons to mass. The last of the long shed at the back of the property where the horses were fed and housed during service was torn down in the 1940s.
Inside the church, the original carved benches and steeple bell are still in use. Looking upward, there are no pillars supporting the ceiling in the nave of the church. This a rare style of architecture. Instead, timbers that have been hand hewn support the arched ceiling, giving the church a spectacularly airy feeling. Breaking the light into a spectrum of colour, there are two fantastic stained glass rose windows created by Henry St. George. Anyone visiting St. Columbkille can only marvel at the sheer size of such a church in a rural setting.
gcatholic.com
St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Uptergrove, south of Orillia on Hwy 12, is the oldest, most northern parish in the Toronto diocese. This grand building stands majestically on raised land far back from the road on the east side of the highway. In 2005, St. Columbkille celebrated 150 years as a parish and 100 years in the present building. In the early 1800s, immigrants, mostly Irish and Scottish, came to the northeastern shores of Lake Simcoe in hopes of a better life. With no church building available, they held mass at each others’ houses. In 1855, a decree to establish a parish was authorized. Not long after, the first rectory was built. The original church has since been replaced by the present building.
When visiting this impressive building, one's eyes are drawn to the long driveway leading to the church. It is easy to imagine horses and wagons carrying patrons to mass. The last of the long shed at the back of the property where the horses were fed and housed during service was torn down in the 1940s.
Inside the church, the original carved benches and steeple bell are still in use. Looking upward, there are no pillars supporting the ceiling in the nave of the church. This a rare style of architecture. Instead, timbers that have been hand hewn support the arched ceiling, giving the church a spectacularly airy feeling. Breaking the light into a spectrum of colour, there are two fantastic stained glass rose windows created by Henry St. George. Anyone visiting St. Columbkille can only marvel at the sheer size of such a church in a rural setting.
gcatholic.com