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, once the cathedral of the former Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, is now among eastern Ontario’s architectural jewels and one of the finest, best-preserved churches in the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. St. Finnan’s Basilica boasts iconography depicting angelic figures above the archways of the nave, a ribbed and vaulted ceiling, rich stained glass windows, and an intricate reredos in the sanctuary. The gold leaf and the sacred art draws one’s eyes upwards.
St. Finnan’s, named after the seventh century Celtic monk who is also closely associated with the Scottish island of Iona and its historic abbey, serves as a reminder of the contributions of Scottish immigrants to this corner of eastern Ontario. The original mission church was opened at this location on Christmas Day in 1832, serving the last major wave of Highlanders to settle in Upper Canada in the first years of the nineteenth century, as well as their descendents. Fr. Alexander MacDonell, who arrived from Scotland to Upper Canada in 1804, not only served the spiritual and cultural needs of Highlanders, but he expanded the footprint of the Catholic Church in this region. Originally, the Scottish Catholics worshipped at St. Raphael’s Church in Williamstown (South Glengarry), located 10 kilometres away — a considerable distance when travelling by simple forest trails, few roads, and well before the invention of the automobile. The exterior walls of St. Raphael’s Church, destroyed by fire in 1970, still stand. The former church is today considered a national historic site. St. Finnan’s, the new mission church in what became known as Alexandria, reduced the need for difficult travel.
By 1881, the original church could no longer accommodate the growing Catholic population. Bishop James Cleary of Kingston recommended the construction of a new church. Designed by William Hodson of Montreal and built by John R. Chisholm & Son of Lochiel (North Glengarry), the church opened on March 15, 1885. In October 1890, St. Finnan’s became the seat of a newly created episcopal See in Alexandria, with another Scottish clergyman by the name of Alexander Macdonell named as its first bishop.
Local publications, like The Glengarry News, lend colour to the history of St. Finnan’s. The December 20, 1935 issue, made available thanks to Glengarry County Archives, shares the story of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Parish Priest Fr. Ewan John Macdonald’s ordination to the priesthood. In the piece, we read:
The beautiful marble altar was handsomely decorated with yellow ‘mums and ferns and the setting was a most charming one, added to by the brilliance of color of the vestments of the officiating clergymen. The children’s choir had prepared a special musical programme which was faultlessly rendered. [At the dinner], Fr. Macdonald referred to the wonderful improvement in travel by land and by air which had occurred during that period and pictured himself as a modern Rip Van Winkle looking out upon what was virtually a new world with many of the familiar faces missing. Twenty-five years ago, he remarked, one could talk with many who had known the pioneer days in this district.
St. Finnan’s now offers two Sunday morning Masses at 72 St. Paul Street: a Low Mass at 8:00 AM and a High Mass accompanied by an organist and choristers at 10:30 AM. As the community has a number of young families, the Third Sunday of Easter also included a children’s liturgy. The hymns for the liturgy were drawn from the Catholic Book of Worship III. Choristers singing from the choir loft led the congregation and were accompanied by an organist on the church’s Casavant organ. The hymns included Marty Haugen’s “We Walk By Faith,” as well as “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing,” and “Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today.”
Eight altar servers and Deacon John Kennedy assisted Fr. Steven Gaudet, St. Finnan’s pastor, at Mass. The account of the Road to Emmaus from Luke 24 served as the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Easter. This is one of the most memorable resurrection narratives in Scripture. Fr. Steven emphasized that the two despondent disciples were journeying away from Jerusalem, the site of the crucifixion and the snuffing out of all hope, when Christ appeared alongside them on the road. They had their backs to Jerusalem. They didn’t recognize Him at first and were struck by this stranger who didn’t share their despondency and seemed removed from the dark events that had just taken place in Jerusalem. All through the walk, the risen Christ breaks open the Word of God: He gives the disciples a lesson in theology. “What a homily that would have been,” Fr. Steven said. Yet even still, they remained oblivious to who He was. It was only in the moment when Christ broke bread with them that they suddenly understood.
“After this experience, the disciples could have continued on as they were, they could have finished their journey to Emmaus. But the stranger, indeed the God they encounter on the road, moves them to return to Jerusalem. These disciples who were initially leaving the community of the early Church encounter Christ on the journey. They are moved by grace, by the Eucharist, to return to Jerusalem and to the community of the faithful,” Fr. Steven shared.
The disciples scattered when Jesus was first arrested, but they came together afterwards. Peter, who had denied Jesus, will also return and have his moment of reconciliation. Fr. Steven compared the return of the disciples and their reconciliation with God to the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
“What our God did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus we celebrate every week in the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Our Lord has risen to save, desires to save us, but He is not going to do it without us and without our cooperation. On that day on the road to Emmaus the disciples had a decision to make — one that we Christians also have to make and to keep making. Do I keep going where I have been heading, do I keep living the way I have been living? Or does this encounter with my God invite me personally to conversion, to join my heart to Him?” Fr. Steven said. “As the disciples had a decision to make, so do all of us. What direction am I going to take my life? What direction will my faith take me? The Good Shepherd loves all his sheep. He does not desire us to be lost. He comes to the disciples as they are actively leaving. He is prepared to leave the 99 sheep in order to find the one who is lost. I can know and trust in great confidence that wherever I am on the journey, Christ in His risen glory comes to encounter me and to save me,” Fr. Steven added.
Following Mass, the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) held a bake sale in the church’s entrance area — dozens of parishioners stayed behind to mingle and purchase a range of pies, brownies and other treats. And both Fr. Steven and Deacon John were present throughout, cheerfully greeting and chatting with parishioners.
Christopher Adam