Reflections on the heritage, life & work of faith communities in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
The March 20, 1885 issue of The Freeholder characterized the newly opened St. Finnan’s Church in Alexandria as “an exceedingly handsome and commodious edifice.” On April 19, 2026, I joined over 120 parishioners at the 10:30 AM High Mass and found that to this day, the nineteenth century newspaperman’s assessment remains accurate. The Gothic Revival basilica,…
Built in the same year as Expo 67 and mere months after Star Trek first beamed into living rooms across North America, the futuristic St Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Montreal’s west-end is among the most architecturally striking mid-century churches in Canada. I attended the Easter Vigil on April 4 at 8:00 PM, alongside 200…
Over 300 young adults filled the pews of St. Joseph’s Church at 174 Wilbrod Street in Sandy Hill for Laetare Sunday, March 15, with Archbishop Marcel Damphousse presiding at the 7:00 PM Mass. The Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall had been invited as part of the commemorative year marking the 200th anniversary of the formation of the…
On the Third Sunday of Lent, March 8, I joined around 100 parishioners for 10:00 AM Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Manor Park. The establishment of a new parish for English-speaking Catholics in 1953, and the completion of the Mid-century modern A-frame church at 400 St. Laurent Boulevard in 1957 was…
Over 200 people attended a lecture by Anishinaabe writer, editor, professor and activist Niigaan Sinclair at St. Joseph’s Church in downtown Ottawa on March 5. Entitled “The Top Five Struggles of the Reconciliation Journey for the Church and Indigenous Peoples Following the 2021 Papal Apology,” the lecture was the first of an annual series of…
A uniquely amicable priest and a thoroughly multicultural congregation — those are the characteristics that struck me the most when I visited St. Elizabeth Parish at 1303 Leaside Avenue on the Second Sunday of Lent, March 1, for their 10:30 AM Mass. Around 80 parishioners seated in the pews came from a wide range of…
On the First Sunday of Lent, February 22, I visited St. George’s Parish at 415 Piccadilly Avenue North, in Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood. I attended their 10:30 AM Sunday Mass, alongside around 100 parishioners. Opened in 1924, the church is a great example of Collegiate Gothic architecture. That’s the architectural style commonly associated with private schools…
It’s best not to underestimate small-town Ontario: they have some of the grandest churches in the province. Arnprior’s St. John Chrysostom Parish, completed in 1908, is an example of the best in ecclesial architecture in our rural communities. Admittedly, Arnprior is increasingly a commuter town, located just beyond the western peripheries of Ottawa, merely 65…
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…