Fr Oliver was born at Landowne, Garwhal, India in 1932. His father, Colonel G.A. Ballinger was killed in action commanding 1st/3rd Gurkha Rifles in Burma, 1942. Major Richard Ballinger (A48), Fr Oliver's brother, belicves that the loss of his father at a formative age induced an admiration for self sacrificing care of others and a courage that was refined into his early vocation to the monastic life. This is touchingly borne out by the notes on his father he left behind both in a boyish hand and in recent additions.
Fr Oliver left the Upper School as Head of House (A50). His Housemaster, Fr Anthony, remembers him as a character of calm, cheerful integrity. Fr Dominic, his contemporary from Junior House onwards, recalls that he never needed to change his temperament by any superimposed or artificial disciplines. He went to Cambridge in 1951 on an Exhibition to Queen's College graduating in Engineering, 1954. He was President of the Challoner Society and a leading supporter of the University Chaplaincy under Mgr Alfred Gilbey. He entered the Ampleforth noviciate, September 1954; and he was ordained, July 1961.
Whilst preparing for the priesthood he began his devoted service of the School, teaching Maths at all levels and taking Games. 'Just recently there came a letter for him from an Old Boy, who heard he was ill, recalling how Fr Oliver had taught him to understand something which he had almost despaired of understanding, and so he attributed the exhibition he had won to Father Oliver's teaching. The golden achievement of a teacher is the opening of the door of understanding, it is the one sufficient achievement - not blazoned in headlines, nor rewarded by honours, but the cry 'now I see' is the adequate reward of any labour to explain,' as Fr Abbot said in his funeral address. This continued until the return of his illness in October 1985. Contemporaneous with his work in the School he was Assistant Priest in Ampleforth village September 1962 - August 1974.
Those who knew Fr Oliver at all well recognised him as an exemplary monk priest in the best Benedictine tradition of truly seeking God first and substantiating this in thorough going service of others. This was again clearly evident for years in the way he did the timetable for the whole staff and in the way he looked after boys individually as their Set Master or Form Tutor. This pastoral concern for others deepened and widened with the years as witness his work as monastic Infirmarian; at Lourdes; and Marriage Encounter courses.
He had a lively interest in Literature and the Arts which he shared with his family; the Community; and an ever growing circle of friends. Increasingly in his later years as a man of prayer he enjoyed walking alone in the Gilling Woods in order that he might the more be completely at home with his Community on his return. This objectivity of life was based on firmly held principles; and in its turn refined a toughness of character which became inseparable from a more characteristic gentleness. His transparent humility and ready sense of humour enabled him to cope with any situation.
Fr Oliver died peacefully on 1 January, 1986. He would have been utterly surprised by and completely delighted with Fr Abbot's words of appreciation given at his funeral in the Abbey Church on 7 January. His mother, brother, relatives, colleagues, parishioners, friends and Community recognised at once the aptness of his epitaph - 'he was a monk; he was faithful to his vocation.'
DOM PETER OLIVER BALLINGER 1 Jan 1986
1932 20 May born Landsdowne Garwhal India
educ Ampleforth College
1951-54 Cambridge University Engineeringg
1955 20 Sept Habit at Ampleforth Abbot Byrne
1955 20 Sept Simple Vows " "
1956 13 Jan Tonsure
1958 20 Sept Solemn Vows " "
1959 11 Apr Minor Orders " "
12 Apr Minor Orders " "
1959 19 Jul Subdeacon Bishop Brunner
1960 17 Jul Deacon " "
1961 23 Jul Priesthood " "
1962-74 Assistant Priest Ampleforth Village
Mathematics teaching - Timetable Programme - Chaplain to
Infirmary - Games
1984 Jul Operation for cancer
1986 1 Jan died at Ampleforth
7 Jan Buried at Ampleforth