St. Columba Church Castlegar to The Good Shepherd Parish The original St. Columba Church in Castlegar was built in 1829. From that date until 1968 it was adequate to meet the needs of the Catholic community. The 1960’s saw the beginning of a development and a growth in population in the eastside of the city continues to the present day. The diocese responded with the construction of three churches and the opening of three new parishes: The Holy Family Mervue in 1968, St Oliver Plunkett Renmore in 1975 and St. Brigid’s Ballybane in1987. 

The Doughiska/Roscam area has witnessed unprecedented growth since the commencement of development in 2000. In that year there were less than 100 houses in the area. Today there are close to two thousand with more being built on a daily basis. This development led the late Bishop James McLoughlin to appoint Fr. Martin Glynn to look after the spiritual development of the new area in 2004. Bishop Martin Drennan made Fr. Martin Administrator of the new area in July 2005 and Parish Priest April, 2007.

The Good Shepherd Parish had a humble beginning. A group of around twenty people from the area made the first visit to the kitchen section of the Castlegar Sports Complex in the late autumn of 2005. Following that meeting it was agreed to contact the trustees of the centre to discuss the possibility of leasing the kitchen area of the complex as a temporary venue to celebrate the Eucharist. The trustees agreed to the request. With the help of many people, including the members of the Complex Committee, the kitchen was transformed into a Mass centre! The first Mass was Celebrated on the First Sunday of Advent 2005. However, within just two weeks, the Sunday Liturgy moved into the Main Hall to accommodate the increasing numbers and Sunday Mass is celebrated there each Sunday since.