Reflections on the heritage, life & work of faith communities in Ottawa & Eastern Ontario
Blessed Sacrament Parish, towering over a residential street in the Glebe, is one of the best examples of early twentieth century Gothic Revival and Collegiate Gothic architecture in the nation’s capital. On September 6, I joined over 100 parishioners for 10:00 AM Mass. I found a community that is serious about quality music and liturgy….
The rain had lifted, the early evening sun cast its amber glow and the cricket chorus made known its presence just beyond the open windows of the Annunciation of the Lord Parish. The church’s meticulously maintained gardens, a lush array of flowers, and an outdoor prayer space are among the first sights to greet the…
This publication reserves a small space for churches located farther afield. Glasgow’s St. Aloysius, a parish served by Jesuits, certainly fits the bill. I came to this church perched on a hill in a roundabout way while vacationing in Scotland’s largest city. It’s all thanks to Glasgow’s former Lord Provost, Liz Cameron: a parishioner, a…
The Francophone parish named after St. Francis of Assisi is a monumental landmark in Hintonburg dating back to 1915. The Parish’s roots run far and deep, and what greater evidence of this than the outpouring of over two dozen comments on the Chronicle’s Facebook page after I posted a few photos and a brief, initial…
On July 19, I joined 100 parishioners of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, at 320 Olmstead Street in Vanier, for 9:30 AM Mass. The parish’s history originates in the 1920s, when the area’s English-speaking Catholics gathered as a house church in a parishioner’s home. The current church was completed in 1940, in…
Every church’s architecture tells a story and it’s safe to say that the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parish has sufficient stories to fill a book. This isn’t a purpose-built church. The building at 1153 Wellington Street West had several lives — as a private residence called Fitzgibbon House dating back to the 1870s,…
Downtown Brockville is known for its rich collection of historic churches. Among the most architecturally noteworthy is the High Gothic Revival St. Francis Xavier Church, completed in 1860 and located at 66 Church Street. On May 24, Pentecost Sunday, I joined over 120 parishioners at the 10:30 AM Mass. The Presider and Pastor, Fr. Andrew…
On May 17, Ontario’s black flies had well and truly awakened from their slumber in Spencerville — a village 80 kilometres southwest of Ottawa and home to the historic St. Laurence O’Toole Church. They encircled me as I exited my car and made my way into this small, but vibrant country church built in 1884….
On May 3, I joined 100 parishioners of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish at 1758 Alta Vista Drive for 11:00 AM Mass. Opened in 1955 during Ottawa’s postwar suburban boom, I found a friendly and multi-generational faith community with a robust choir. Upon arrival, I was welcomed warmly by a greeter. The most striking…
On April 26 — a Sunday that was as bright and warm as can be — I visited the Holy Name of Mary Parish in Almonte, joining over 80 parishioners for the 10:30 AM Mass. The Gothic Revival church at 134 Mill Street was consecrated in 1875, but the local Roman Catholic community’s presence stretches…