Reflections on the heritage, life & work of faith communities in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
St. Augustine Parish may be the most enthusiastically welcoming church I’ve visited in a long time, thanks in large measure to Deacon Christopher Moffat. When I arrived at 1060 Baseline Road on Sunday, January 25 for the 10:30 AM Mass, he greeted me at the entrance with a wide smile and a warm, impromptu blessing….
More than 200 parishioners filled the pews of a beautifully preserved church older than Canadian Confederation itself, and heard a homily from a joyful priest committed to ecumenical dialogue and compassion. On January 18 at 11:00 AM, on the Sunday opening the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I attended Mass at Our Lady of…
St. Theresa’s Parish is one of the best examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in Ottawa. Completed in 1930, the rich red brick and cut granite facade, the sturdy, square bell-tower and the interior’s rounded arches set this church’s architecture apart from the lighter, soaring style incorporated in Neo-Gothic churches. I visited the church at 95…
The Feast of the Epiphany was the first time I visited St. Ignatius the Martyr Parish in over 20 years. Two decades ago, a Hungarian historian and political scientist, Fr. Leslie László, served as the Pastor of St. Ignatius and I visited him and a Hungarian-language liturgy celebrated there. The mid-century modern church at 518…
The posh and picturesque City of Westmount, situated adjacent to downtown Montreal, is an independent and predominantly English enclave of 19,700 residents. Much of the municipality has a Medieval, Victorian and sometimes Neo-Tudor flair. The Ascension of Our Lord Church is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture. I attended Saturday evening Mass there on…
The dedicated and talented St. Joseph’s Parish Choir at 174 Wilbrod Street, led by Jamie Loback, Director of Music and Liturgy, hosted the annual St. Joseph’s Parish Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 21, in support of the St. Joe’s Supper Table community meal programme and food bank. The service, elevated by music…
Located 1,100 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, St. Mary’s Church in Chillicothe, Ohio certainly lives up to this publication’s “Farther Afield” category. I had just spent two days visiting a friend in this town situated an hour south of Columbus when I decided to attend Mass at St. Mary’s, one of three Roman Catholic church sites…
On the First Sunday of Advent, I drove out to the snowy village of Fallowfield, in Ottawa’s rural west-end, and visited a historic church with some of the most extraordinary examples of sacred art in this region. St. Patrick Parish at 15 Steeple Hill Crescent was dedicated in 1866. Today, the sturdy stone church stands…
More than 160 Catholic young adults gathered on Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 pm to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe at St. Joseph’s Parish in downtown Ottawa — in a Neo-Gothic church consecrated in 1932. They were joined by 12 choristers and organist Jamie Loback, leading the congregation…
St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, and the martyr’s feast day served as an opportunity for a choral Evensong featuring Matthew Larkin’s Caelis Academy Ensemble. The Evensong service on November 22 was also a coming together of Catholic and Anglican traditions. Fr. Doug Hayman, Rector of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed…