Search
-
(Click here to return to the Centennial Week homepage.)
To celebrate Catholic London, a Souvenir Folder was published in 1926 containing sixteen postcard-size photographs (printed as a booklet) of Catholic churches and institutions in London. Some of these images will still be familiar to Londoners, such as the exteriors of St. Peter’s Seminary, St. Mary’s Church (on Lyle Street), and St. Martin’s (in Old South), now known as St. Francis-St. Martin Parish. In some instances, church buildings have since been replaced by newer churches, such as St. Patrick’s and St. Michael’s. Included is a picture of St. Joseph’s Hospital, which continues to be of service to all Londoners, regardless of religious affiliation.
We also include images of the sites as they exist today, along with the photos from 1926.
Click on each image for a larger version.Images of the entire souvenir folder
Images of each page in the collection with a photo of the location today
St. Patrick's Church, London
With the arrival of the Redemptorist Fathers (the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer - C.Ss.R.) in London in 1912, property for a church, a school, and a monastery was acquired on Dundas Street East, at Oakland Ave. Fr. Peter N. Doyle, C.Ss.R., was the first pastor. Bishop Fallon opened the first church on June 29, 1913. As the parish grew, the church was expanded in the 1920s. By the 1950s, the parish had outgrown the size of the small church. Barry Byrne, an architect from Chicago, was hired to design a new church, which was consecrated on Sunday, March 16, 1952, by Bishop J.C. Cody. The Redemptorist Fathers ministered at St. Patrick’s until 1975, when diocesan priests assumed parish ministry – the first being the popular Fr. Richard Tremblay. The Redemptorists returned in 2002, when Fr. David Furlonger, C.Ss.R., was pastor, until 2016. St. Michael's, London
Prior to 1911, Catholic residents in north London (now, Old North) went to St. Peter’s Cathedral for Mass. Shortly after he became Bishop of London, Bishop M.F. Falllon established St. Michael's as London’s fourth parish. Fr. James A. Hanlon was the first pastor, from 1911 to 1921. The cornerstone was laid in 1912, with the church dedicated on June 29, 1913, by Bishop Fallon. This church was made of red brick and white stone and could seat 375 people. Monsignor Joseph Feeney came to St. Michael’s in 1967, after serving as rector of the cathedral. Under his leadership, a new mid-century modern church was built. The new rectory and parish hall were completed in June of 1970. Bishop (later Cardinal) Gerald E. Carter celebrated Mass in the new church on Sunday, May 2, 1971, with a new Casavant Frères organ dedicated that same month. The new church could seat 860 people. St. Mary's, London
St. Mary’s is the second oldest Catholic parish in the city of London, now located at the north-west corner of York and Lyle Streets, immediately east of the downtown core. The original St. Mary’s Church was located on Hill Street, near Maitland Street, in what is now London’s “SoHo” (south of Horton Street) neighborhood, built in the early 1870s. This wooden church could seat about 400 people. With the formal establishment of St. Mary’s Parish in 1899, Bishop Fergus McEvay, London’s fourth bishop, announced plans to build a new church, at the present location. The cornerstone was laid in 1901 and the church was dedicated in 1902 by Archbishop Denis O’Connor of Toronto, who was previously Bishop of London, before McEvay. In 1968, St. Maria Goretti’s Church, which served Italian immigrants, was closed, with many parishioners coming to St. Mary’s. Today, Mass is said in both Italian and English. St. Martin, London
At the start of the 20th century, Roman Catholic families in south London attended St. Peter’s Cathedral. As the number of Catholic families in south London increased, Bishop M.F. Fallon was petitioned to create a new parish (in what is now Wortley Village, or Old South London), shortly after becoming Bishop of London in 1910. In 1911, the first Mass was said in the school, next door, and the cornerstone was laid. John Moore was the architect, with much of the physical work done by volunteers. One of the principal volunteers was Martin O’Sullivan. On May 5, 1912, Bishop Fallon officially
opened and dedicated the church to St. Martin of Tours. In 1962, an extension at the church was added to the front entrance. In 2013, the Parish of
St. Martin’s merged with the Hispanic community, to become St. Francis-St. Martin Parish, with the church building remaining St. Martin’s.St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica
St. Peter’s Cathedral traces its origins to 1827, when Bishop Alexander Macdonell, of Kingston, visited the London area with Fr. James Campion, who was stationed out of Dundas, by Hamilton. London gradually evolved from a mission, becoming a parish in 1843. Before the present cathedral was built, there was a church (St. Lawrence’s) on what is now the cathedral’s front lawn. This became St. Peter’s with the establishment of the Diocese of London – the first Bishop of London was Bishop Pierre Adolphe Pinsoneault.
The present cathedral was built under London’s second bishop, Bishop John Walsh, between 1880 and 1885, in the Gothic Revival style, reminiscent of many of the great medieval cathedral of France. Joseph Connelly was the architect. In 1926, the murals, many of the stained-glass windows, the stations of the cross, and a new Casavant Frères organ were added, as part of Catholic Centennial Week.
The towers were finished in 1958, with a carillon of twelve bells installed, along with a new Lady Chapel. St. Peter’s became a Minor Basilica in 1962. In 1968, changes were made to the sanctuary, with a new marble floor in the sanctuary and a new high altar, closer to the congregation,
under Bishop Gerald E. Carter.Precious Blood Monastery
The Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood was founded in 1861, in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, by Catherine Aurelia Caouette. Since their founding, the sisters have been a contemplative community devoted to prayer. The Precious Blood Sisters came to the Diocese of London in 1913, at the invitation of Bishop M.F. Fallon, led by Mother Mary Teresa Lamphier. After residing at different locations in London’s core, they came to 667 Talbot Street in 1923, which is at the southwest corner of Talbot and Mill Streets. By the 1970s, the Talbot Street building was in need of major repair. The Ursuline Sisters graciously gave a parcel of land, to the west of Brescia College, to the Precious Blood Sisters, backing up into Medway Valley. A new monastery was built in 1977 at 301 Ramsey Road. Today, the Precious Blood Sisters continue their ministry of contemplative prayer.
--------
Newer photograph courtesy of the Precious Blood Sisters.House of Providence
At the invitation of Bishop John Walsh, the Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in London in 1868. Shortly thereafter, they founded Mount Hope, as a home for orphans and for the elderly. In 1899, it became known as the House of Providence. The House of Providence was housed in a property that was originally built in circa 1854, the home of William Barker. This building was expanded in 1877, to accommodate more residents.
The original Barker House was demolished in 1963 when Marian Villa was built, while the 1877 extension was demolished by 1980, with the construction of St. Mary’s Hospital. Marian Villa and St. Mary’s are now part of the Mount Hope Centre for Long Term, which forms part of St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Mount Hope is presently operating as a 375-bed facility for long-term care. (Information courtesy of Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Archives)Mother House of the Sisters of St. Joseph
In 1914, the Sisters of St. Joseph acquired Sacred Heart Convent (formerly, the convent of the Sacred Heart Sisters), which served as their Motherhouse until 1953, located at the corner of Dundas and Colborne streets. In 1953, the sisters moved to Mount St. Joseph, at the corner of Richmond and Windermere Streets, where they operated a school, as well as a guesthouse for families of patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital. In 2005, they moved to their current building, on Windermere Street. Since 2014, St. Joseph’s Hospice has operated from their new residence. The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Diocese of London are now part of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. (Information and Photo Courtesy of Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Archives) Mount St. Joseph Orphan Home
[coming soon] Shortly after the arrival of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, they founded Mount St. Joseph Orphanage, which opened on April 29, 1900. This was opened on the property of the former Hellmuth Ladies College, founded in 1869. The property had a main building and a chapel in a separate building.
In 1953, Mount St. Joseph also became the Motherhouse for the Sisters of St. Joseph, with the orphanage moving to Fontbonne Hall, at 531 Queen’s Ave. The sisters ran the orphanage until 1965, at which point it became Madame Vanier Children’s Services – today known as Vanier Children’s Mental Wellness, located on Trafalgar Street. (Information courtesy of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Archives)Brescia
As an institution, Brescia was founded in 1919 by the Ursuline Sisters of the Chatham Union. Going back to their founding in the 16th century, in the Italian town of Brescia, the Ursuline Sisters have long been promoters of women’s education. Brescia College operated as a woman’s university college, affiliated with the University of Western Ontario. In 1926, a new building was dedicated for Brescia, on a hill overlooking Western’s campus. Built in the Gothic Revival style, this edifice was formally dedicated on Tuesday, September 28, 1926, by Bishop M.J. O’Brien, the Catholic Bishop of Peterborough.
Ursuline Hall, Brescia’s principal building, was built under the combined leadership of Bishop M.F. Fallon and Mother Clare Gaukler. The more recent photo was taken circa 2020. In 2024, Brescia ceased to exist as a separate institution and was fully absorbed into Western University.
Click here to return to the Centennial Week homepage.
