| Holy Cross Parish History |
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| "Thriving Holy Cross Parish Celebrates Fifty Years" |
| By John Mark Rowe |
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| “Confirm us in the faith of those who have gone before
us...” This line from the prayer to celebrate the 150th
anniversary of the Diocese of Hamilton in 2006 is a fitting
opening to the history of Holy Cross Parish which celebrates
its 50th anniversary. The sweeping roof of the modern Holy
Cross Roman Catholic Church stands as a landmark on Maple Avenue
and as a testimony to the Catholics in Georgetown and area.
It links the faith of Catholics before us with our modern faith
community. However the history of Catholicism in Georgetown
and area stretches back to the early days of our township when
Catholics were few and far between. We begin with the story
of a backwoods mission. |
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| When Esquesing Township opened to settlement in 1819, it
was principally settled by the Scots Presbyterians and Irish
Anglicans. As some Catholics moved to the township they found
that the nearest Masses were being offered in the “Catholic
swamp” at Lot 1, Concession 9 of Trafalgar Township.
The first Mass was offered in the log home of the O’Hara’s
about 1822 by Father Kelly. A log chapel was erected the next
year and added to the circuit of Father Edward John Gordon
(1791-1870), an Irish Anglican who studied for the priesthood
after immigrating to Canada. Father Gordon’s register
reveals six baptisms for Esquesing residents from 1830-1833.
The first, in 1830, was for Alexander McKinnon, son of Daniel
McKinnon and Jane Askew. The remaining five all took place
on 11 November 1831. Randolph and Catherine McDonnell baptized
their children being Janet, aged 13; Anne, aged 5; John, aged
3 and Mary aged one year six months. The fifth baptism was
for Anne McKinnon, daughter of Daniel and Jane. |
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| Father Gordon’s infrequent visits were improved in
1835 when a mission was established, the first in Halton county.
This church, St. Peter’s, served Milton until they built
their own mission church in 1859. The present 9th Line Church
was built in 1882, but was closed for half a century from 1890
because of low attendance. Holy Rosary, Milton became a parish
in 1938. |
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| By 1842, the census showed a total of 66 adherents to the “Church
of Rome” in the whole township. They would have traveled
to St. Peter’s or to St. Patrick’s in Guelph. |
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| Roman Catholics had celebrated the Eucharist in Guelph since
1827. In 1830, the citizens of Guelph erected St. Patrick’s
Church, which was burned in 1844. In 1852, the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits) took charge of the parish at Guelph and set up a
large mission area which included the counties of Wellington,
Bruce and Grey as well as Dublin (near Acton) and Georgetown. |
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| The 1851 census verified that Esquesing Township contained
240 Roman Catholics. This scattered community of believers
was organized by the Jesuits into a mission at Acton and a
second at Georgetown. Father Frank Dumortier, SJ added these
missions to the other 26 he administered. A priest would visit
monthly. |
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| The establishment of these missions coincided with an economic
boom in the area. The Toronto to Guelph Railway (later Grand
Trunk) started construction in 1852 and lasted four years.
The majority of workers were poor Irish immigrants. The rough
and ready labourers were not welcomed in the area, often due
to newspaper stories which confirmed stereotypical behaviour.
During these years, burglaries were common, drunken labourers
wandered the streets which led to a riot in Georgetown. Accidents
like the death of boy named Mahon who fell from the railway
bridge being built at Georgetown were coupled by a charge of
attempted murder at Acton of Carroll by McConnell. Patrick
Shannon was arraigned for stealing the watch of Thomas Kelly
in Acton. |
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| Life in Georgetown was rough, often due to these Irish Catholic
immigrants. The twelfth of July and St. Patrick’s Day
were great occasions for clashes between the orange and the
green. However, as the main work on the railway moved on, the
Catholics who chose to remain, settled in with their neighbours.
The visiting Jesuit priest and his flock would hand out lilies
to the marchers in the Orange Day parade. |
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| The influx of Catholics however led to increase in church
attendance. Father Dumortier was able to purchase land for
a church. The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the
Diocese of Toronto purchased part of lot 15, East of Main Street
in George Kennedy’s survey from Michael McLaughlin on
24 June 1854 for £87, ten shillings. Toronto Diocese
was divided with the creation of Hamilton Diocese on 29 February
1856. |
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| In 1855, a square wooden church was erected on the lot on
Main Street near the present Park Avenue. It was consecrated
to St. Patrick, the patron of Guelph’s first church.A
letter dated 30 October 1855 referred to the “little
chapel” of Georgetown. |
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| The Jesuits then began to visit the new church twice monthly
for about four years. However the collections were so small
they did not even come near to paying the expenses of the priest’s
trips. The small congregation was poor and could barely keep
the church up. Local resident C. W. Young recalls the building
in his Reminiscences. The Roman Catholic Church stood on Main
Street, near the street which runs down to the old woolen mill...
It was a square wooden structure without any adornment, and
as I remember it, unpainted. The congregation was never a large
one during my recollection. |
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| The building soon became run down. A report by the visiting
priest in 1867 noted, The seats are not worth renting. The
people are generally well disposed, but are all very poor.
They are not in the habit of paying dues properly so called,
all consists in Easter and Christmas collections. |
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| The congregation nevertheless remained active. The Halton
Herald of 1876 reported a regular meeting of the Catholic Temperance
Society at the church. Elections yielded John Bird as president;
M. Cleary as vice-president; James Kelly, secretary; William
Morgan, treasurer and Miss Mary Morgan as librarian. (Georgetown
did not have a free public library until 1880). They had about
25 members who had pledged to abstain from drinking liquor. |
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| St. Patrick’s Church managed to get the Bishop of the
Diocese of Hamilton to visit them and administer confirmation.
Peter Francis Crinnon (1818-1882), an Irish Canadian, became
Bishop in 1874 with a determination to replace unsuitable churches
with proper places of worship. Alas, Georgetown’s poor
church so offended the Bishop that he refused to set foot in
the building which he called a disgrace to the faith. The congregation
knew they must now consider the erection of a more suitable
house of God. |
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| The project began in the winter of 1879. New foundation stones
were hauled from the quarries at Silver Creek for the foundation
of a new brick church. A collection drive netted $700 towards
the costs. James Barber, leading industrialist of Georgetown,
offered to exchange the St. Patrick’s lot for another
one in the Young and Barber survey across the road. Lots 11
and 12 were purchased by the Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese
of Hamilton in 1879. Alas enthusiasm waned and people began
to quarrel over “their pews” in the small church.
Lots 11 and 12 today contain #128, 130, 132 and 134 Main Street
South. |
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| In 1882, a fire consumed the original Barber family home
across Factory Street (Park Ave.) from St. Patrick’s
Church. Wealthy businessman John Roaf Barber proceeded to build
an imposing Queen Anne mansion on the site in 1883. The neighbourhood
suddenly achieved a status with the well-to-do. This undoubtedly
influenced the congregation of St. Patrick’s Church. |
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| In 1884, the Wesleyan Chapel became available after Methodist
church union. The asking price was too steep for the Catholics.
In spite of the good intentions of the congregation, they were
not financially sound enough to pursue their dream. The only
solution that was open was the power of prayer! Father Fleck’s
prayers were answered the following year when a widow, Mrs.
Helen Crawford offered a substantial interest-free loan! |
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| Father Fleck decided to purchase land for their new church
closer to where the church adherents lived – the railway
district. The two church properties were sold and the stone
from St. Patrick’s lot was transferred to the Guelph
and John (Mill) Street property. |
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| In July 1885, Bishop James Carberry (1823-1887) traveled
by train to Georgetown to lay the cornerstone for a church
dedicated to the Holy Cross, with St. Patrick as a secondary
saint. The design was prepared by Irish-born Joseph Connolly(1840-1904),
the well-known Toronto architect who designed St. Patrick’s
in Hamilton, the Church of Our Lady in Guelph, St. Joseph’s
in Chatham and St. Peter’s Basilica in London. Construction
was supervised by Mr. Clohecy of Hamilton, the stones of the
first church, apparently used in the foundations, being transported
by John Gibbons and many non-Catholic friends. |
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| The simple stone church was a substantial but affordable
new home with a new name – Holy Cross. It was completed
shortly before Christmas 1885. The building cost $4000. The
mortgage held by Mrs. Crawford, was paid off within five years!
Mass was celebrated every second Sunday and on important holy
days. The Church reported 200 parishioners by 1893. |
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| The year 1893 marked the establishment of St. Joseph’s,
Acton as a parish, supplied with Diocesan priests. The Jesuits
gave up their mission at Acton and also gave the missions of
Holy Cross, Georgetown and St. Peter’s, Oustic to St.
Joseph’s to administer. |
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| Mass continued to be celebrated in Georgetown on two Sundays
a month but under the first Pastor, Rev. Patrick Haley, there
was a marked change in attitude towards the community at large.
With a resident priest in Acton, Church activities began to
grow and the parish became much more active in the broader
community. Father Haley also encouraged an active parish life
with picnics, concerts and lectures. |
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| Father Hailey was followed by Rev. L. J. Feeney (1898-1908);
Rev. J.J. Arnold (1908-09; 1910-11); Rev. E. R. Walsh (1909-10);
Rev. J. J. Treanor (1911-14); Rev. J. J. Flahaven (1914-15);
Rev. Thomas P. Doyle (1915-19); Rev. William G. Goodrow (1919-22);
Rev. F. J. McReavy (1922-29) and Rev. J. Leo McBride (1929-41).
In 1936, a new parish was created at Sacred Heart, Rockwood
and Oustic was transferred to that Church as a mission. Thereafter,
the Mass was celebrated each Sunday in Georgetown. |
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| Under Rev. McBride, stained-glass windows and a bell were
installed and a group of dedicated parishioners undertook the
excavation of the basement to provide a parish hall. As far
as can be recalled, Mr. Ambeau, engineer at the Provincial
Paper Mill, made the technical preparations, while the work
was done by Martin Cummings, Dick Licata, James Boyle, William
Carney, Henri Isley, J. J. Gibbens, P. tucker, Sid Hulme, William
Carlyn and Mr. Caruso. In those days there was no sacristy
and the priest would vest behind one of the side altars. A
little cubicle was first added and then a proper sacristy eventually
added. |
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| Father Vincent J. Morgan became Pastor in 1941 and supervised
many improvements, redecorating the church about 1951. The
gallery was enlarged to increase seating capacity. New pews,
Stations of the Cross, electrical fixtures and a new floor
covering were all installed. During his last few years, the
Catholic population grew rapidly, so that by 1955, two Masses
were needed each Sunday with the assistance of Resurrectionist
priests from St. Jerome’s College, Kitchener. |
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| The growth of the parish was due to the influx of new residents
to Georgetown. Credit must go to two groups in particular – migrants
from Bell Island, Newfoundland and Portuguese immigrants from
the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. The community eventually
quadrupled, necessitating its independence as a full-fledged
parish. Father Morgan had his farewell service on 29 April
1956. He remained as Pastor to St. Joseph’s, Acton until
1972! |
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| Toward the end of 1955, the Most Rev. Joseph F. Ryan (1897-1990),
Bishop of Hamilton, acquired additional property adjacent to
the church, including a house suitable for a rectory. The Franciscan
Capuchan Fathers from Downsview were invited to accept the
pastoral care of the new parish and the first parish priest,
Father Anselm Spacey, took charge on 6 May 1956. When Father
Spacey was elected Provincial of the Capuchin Order in the
following September, he was succeeded by Father Thomas van
Laer, who remained as Pastor until 26 June 1960 when father
Otger Devent was appointed. |
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| On 17 October 1958, the first Separate School, Holy Cross,
was dedicated and opened by Bishop Ryan. Its first principal
was Tom Fitzmaurice, and the first permanent teacher engaged
was Mrs. Lorena Norris who remained on the staff until her
retirement in June 1979. The continued population growth necessitated
a four-room addition, plus an auditorium in 1961. |
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| The first full-time assistant, Father Zeno DeRoo, took up
duties in the parish on 2 January 1962, being followed by Fathers
Martin Vandersteen (1967); Gerald Craig; Mark Neilssen; Patrick
McCarroll; Pierre Wood; and Michael Sawchuk – all of
the Capuchin Order. |
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| With a continuously expanding community, the need for a larger
building was becoming obvious and during 1963, Richard Dzwonnick
was engaged to design a new church and hall. On 23 March 1964
construction of Holy Cross Church on Maple Avenue was begun
by general contractors Harm Schilthuis and Sons. Bishop Ryan
authorized construction of the rectory adjacent to it, in August
of that year. The new church was opened and blessed by the
Bishop on 14 March 1965. |
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| The construction of a bold hexagonal church, which predates
the reforms of Vatican II, was a remarkable achievement for
a small town. Upon entry into the church the worshipper is
presented with the baptismal font, the vessel by which one
enters the church. In a direct line from the font, stands the
focal point of the church, the altar, elevated to draw one’s
eyes upward where a magnificent twenty-foot wrought iron figure
depicting the second coming of Christ hangs. Parishioner and
artist Gastone Fantuz was responsible for creating the works,
along with the simplistic wrought iron Stations of the Cross. |
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| Almost a quarter of the parishioners were French speaking,
many of whom had a limited knowledge of English and who were
most anxious to have a separate parish. On 25 January 1965
L’Association Canadienne-française made a formal
request for the old church which would soon become vacant.
Bishop Ryan had been aware for some time of the likelihood
of this request but was not anxious to create a new parish
for the 150 or so francophone families in Georgetown. At the
same time, the group was demanding a French language Kindergarten
at Holy Cross School, where 138 pupils in grades one to eight
were already in bilingual classes. When the Georgetown Separate
School Board refused, due to lack of space, the Minister of
Education was petitioned to reverse the decision and group
threatened to withdraw all francophone pupils if this was not
done. It was on 15 June 1965 when Bishop Ryan was finally able
to secure the services of a French-speaking priest and the
old church was then taken over by the French-speaking Catholic
community to continue as Sacré Coeur Parish. |
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| Pieta Council 6026 Knights of Columbus was instituted on
21 January 1967, the first Grand Knight being William J. Kent
and since inception, a youth group of Columbian Squires has
been formed. |
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| In November 1971, due to continued expansion of the community,
a second Separate School, St. Francis of Assisi, was blessed
and opened by Bishop Ryan. Its first principal was Joseph Huston. |
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| In January 1975, the Charismatic Prayer Group was formed
by Brother Michael Sawchuk. This group flourished with the
appointment of Rev. Dave Cote as pastor and the arrival of
Winston Robinson. Mr. Robinson became the spiritual director
of the group. Some of the earlier members assisted in the formation
of similar groups in Brampton and British Columbia. |
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| September 1976 marked the formation of the Holy Cross Parents’ Association
under the presidency of Tom Ramautarsingh, to foster and encourage
the best possible environment for education at the school. |
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| International attention focused on refugees from Indo-China
in 1979. Barry Aucott became chairman of the Holy Cross Indo-Chinese
Association, which brought two families to Georgetown in 1980. |
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| In June 1978, Father Devant became seriously ill, requiring
a long hospitalization and convalescence. Father Pierre Wood
took over many responsibilities for running the parish. A parish
Council of 15 members was formed that year with Jim Langedyk
as chairman to help with church activities and building maintenance. |
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| The Capuchin Fathers found it necessary to inform the Bishop
in 1980, that they could no longer administer Holy Cross Parish.
Several illnesses and deaths among the Capuchin Fathers forced
them to reconsider their commitments. Consequently on 3 September
1980, Reverend David Cote (-2005) was appointed to take charge
of the Parish. |
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| In March of the following year, Father Cote hired Mr. Winston
Robinson as pastoral assistant. Reverend Murray J. Kroetsch
was appointed associate pastor at Holy Cross in June 1981.
His part-time work as diocesan director of Liturgy became full-time
in 1982 and Father Murray was replaced by Rev. Cornelius O’Mahony
as associate Pastor. |
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| Bishop Paul Reding (1925-1983) came to Georgetown on 17 October
1981 to celebrate Mass in honour of the parish’s 25th
anniversary. This was followed by a formal dinner. |
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| Another special Mass was celebrated in February 1983. Bishop
Anthony Tonnos (b.1935) came to concelebrate with Fathers Dave
Cote and Otger Devant to honour the retirement of the Church
mortgage. Father Otger, who had returned from retirement in
Holland for the event, died a few days after the happy occasion. |
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| Increasing generosity of parishioners following the mortgage
burning, allowed for the re-shingling of the massive roof and
renewal of the lighting system. In 1983, a chair lift was installed,
making the sanctuary wheel-chair assessable for the first time.
A new chapel in the original sacristy areas was constructed
and is often used for daily Mass. |
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| Father Kroetsch was followed by other priests who served
as associates under Father Dave Cote: Rev. Con O’Mahaney
(1982-1985), Rev. Ken Miskiewicz (1985-1988), Rev. David Reilander
(1988-1989) and Rev. Joe Durkacz (1989-1991). |
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| Father Dave worked with his associates and the Parish Council
to achieve many things for the large parish. His work in establishing
Holcro Senior’s Residence was recognized by renaming
it, Cote Terrace. He worked to establish the St. Vincent de
Paul Society in town. A vibrant youth group staged “His
Last Days” at the Church to parish and community acclaim
in 1987 and again the following year. |
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| Holy Cross Church was the site of an ordination for the first
time in history on 30 September 1988 when Rev. Paul McAuley,
a native Holy Cross parishioner, became a priest. Rev. Omer
Fagin, a widower, was also ordained at the Church. |
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| In June of 1991, Father Dave Cote and Father Joe Durkacz
were transferred out of the parish, being replaced by Father
Edward House and Father Daniel Cyr. For three years, Father
House and his associate Daniel Cyr cared for the parish. On
29 June 1994, they were transferred and the present pastor,
Father Peter Hundt was appointed along with associate pastor
Ian Duffy. |
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| In September 1996, Cynthia Tobin opened Georgetown’s
third English Catholic School, St. Brigid. This took the pressure
off of Holy Cross School, which had expanded into the former
Howard Wrigglesworth School next door. The joy of spacious
halls was short-lived. Continued expansion of Georgetown, south
of the West branch of the Credit River, necessitated the construction
of a fourth English Catholic School. Miss Tobin opened St.
Catherine of Alexandria Catholic School in September 2001. |
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| The opening of St. Brigid presented an opportunity to bring
the Word of God to Georgetown South. In the spring of 1997,
an additional Mass was celebrated weekly in the school gymnasium |
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| Although Father Duffy left in June 1997, he led several local
youth to the World Youth Day in Paris, France in August. The
Rev. Kevin Cull replaced Father Duffy at Holy Cross. The dynamic
young man was a relation of Father Vincent Morgan, who had
guided Holy Cross from mission to parish. His skills did not
go unnoticed and he was sent to Rome the following year to
study Vatican law. |
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| Rev. Frank Freitas, a lawyer himself, joined the parish in
1998 and worked hard with Father Hundt to meet the needs of
the growing parish and its burgeoning school rooms. Four schools
and two priests meant that school visits and celebrations had
to be approached in a different way. The days when Father Otger
Devant used to visit every class and talk for 40 minutes were
definitely over! |
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| After three years at Holy Cross, Father Freitas moved on
and Father Hundt had the assistance of Rev. Wayne Lobsinger
(2001-2003), Rev. John van Hees (2003-2004) and Rev. Adrian
Lee, appointed in June 2004. During this time, Father Hudnt
also took on the final stages of training for two seminarians,
who have recently been ordained, Rev. Wojciech Kuzma and Rev.
Jerzy Tomon |
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| Christ the King Catholic Secondary School on Guelph Street
opened in September 2002 with transfers from Bishop Reding
Catholic High School in Milton and new local students, under
Principal Nijole Vaitonis. Our first Catholic secondary school
opened with 640 students. |
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| In November 2002, the Catholic Women’s League celebrated
50 years of service to the parish. Original president Beth
Yates Chappell attended the Mass celebrated by Bishop Tonnos
and the banquet. |
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| The growth of Georgetown prompted Father Hundt and the Parish
Council to look at expanding the parish capacity. Although
Father Dave Cote had purchased land for a new parish, it was
decided to plan on building an entire new parish plant at Mountainview
and Argyll Road. Fundraising continues towards the day when
this dream will be realized. |
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| The Year 2006 has already proven to be a banner year. Father
Peter Hundt left the parish and indeed the Diocese on 16 April
and was installed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto
on 25 April 2006 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Hamilton.
Bus transportation was provided for parishioners to attend
the event, which included students from St. Catherine’s
School. |
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| Father Lee carried the burden of operating the Parish, including
First Communion and Confirmation, from April until 28 June.
The new pastor of Holy Cross, Rev. David Wynen took over operation
of the Parish on that date. Father Dave came to Holy Cross
from St. Matthew’s in Oakville. |
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| The year 2006 marks the 50th Anniversary of Holy Cross Parish
and 151 years since the building of the first Catholic Church
in Georgetown. We have certainly built upon the achievements
of our ancestors in faith. Their early vision of the Catholic
Church in Georgetown has been confirmed and the parishioners
of Holy Cross are proud to bear witness to their faith. |
