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Our Lady of the Assumption (Windsor, Ontario)
Encyclopedia
History
Our Lady of the Assumption, currently located at 350 Huron Church Road in WindsorWindsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, is the oldest continuous parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in Ontario.
It was originally established as “The Mission of Our Lady of the Assumption among the Hurons in Detroit” in 1728 by the Jesuit missionary, Fr. Armand De La Richardie, S.J. In 1765, a 60 x 30 ft. church was erected for the Hurons and some sixty French settler families. Assumption became an official, canonical institution
Canonical institution
Canonical institution is a technical term of the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, meaning in practice an institution having full recognition and status within the Church.-Benefices:...
in 1767 under its first pastor, Fr. Pierre Potier S.J. who remained at his post until his death in 1781.
That year, the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
sent his Vicar-General, Fr. Francois-Xavier Hubert to be pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Assumption parish. Fr. Hubert initiated plans to build a rectory and a school. A shortage of land for this project was rectified by a donation of land from the Hurons on March 6, 1782. The rectory was built in 1785 and in 1786 as Coadjutor to the Bishop of Quebec
Bishop of Quebec
The title Bishop of Quebec refers to more than one individual:* The Anglican Bishop of Quebec* The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec- See also :* Bishop of Calgary * Bishop of Edmonton...
, Fr. Hubert, who had since relocated for his new post, contributed to the building of a new church and sent two women from Quebec to establish a school.
The new church opened in 1787 under Fr. François-Xavier Dufaux, who had replaced the interim pastor, Fr. Pierre Fréchette in 1786. In 1796, Fr. Jean-Baptiste Marchand began his thirty-year pastorate of Assumption parish. Upon Fr. Marchand’s death in 1825, his assistant, Fr. Joseph Crevier, succeeded him. Fr. Crevier was pastor until 1831 when he was replaced by Fr. Angus Macdonell.
On July 7, 1842 the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the present church was laid. Three years later, on July 20, 1845 the new 60 x 120 ft. rectangular church was inaugurated under Fr. Pierre Point S.J. This rectangular structure forms the nave of the present parish. In 1857, Assumption College
Assumption University of Windsor
Assumption University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada has a heritage reaching back to 1857 and is the parent of the University of Windsor, administered by the Congregation of St. Basil, the Basilian Fathers. It was known as Assumption College until changing its name in 1956...
was opened, and two years later, in 1859, the Bishop of the London Diocese, the Most Reverend Pierre Adolphe Pinsonneault, transferred his See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
to Sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
and made Assumption church his cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
.
On November 10, 1867, following a year-long interregnum, the Most Reverend John Walsh became Bishop. In 1869, he returned the See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
to London, leaving Assumption in the care of Fr. Pierre Dominic Laurent.
In 1870, the Basilian
Basilian
Basilian may refer to one of the following.* Basilian monk of the Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic Churches* The Congregation of St. Basil, a Latin-rite order of priests of the Roman Catholic Church....
Fathers of Toronto took control of Assumption parish and college under their first superior, Fr. Dennis O’Connor, and parish priest Fr. Jean Joseph Marie Aboulin. Four years later, in 1874, Fr. O’Connor oversaw the addition of the tower and sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
of the present church.
In 1893, Father François-Xavier Semande, an alumnus of Assumption College, became the pastor and installed a new tower bell. In 1896, a new, brick rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was built and in 1902 both it, and the church, were wired for electricity. In 1907, Fr. Alfred J. Côté became pastor. During his tenure, Rosary chapel and the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
, begun under Fr. Semande, were completed.
From 1921-1926, the pastor was Fr. Edmund Toussaint Burns, who expanded the side altars and added the communion rail of the present church. From 1926-1937, the pastor was Fr. Edward William Allor. He created the Sunday Bulletin, which began on May 6, 1927. Fr. Allor was succeeded by Fr. Luke Léon Beuglet who was pastor until 1944.
Fr. James Alexander Donlon was pastor from 1944-1962. During this time, the statue of Our Lady of the Assumption
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
was erected in the front court yard. In relatively quick succession, from 1962–1973, Frs. Thomas Roland Janisse, Francis J. McCarty, and Clifford J. Crowley had terms as pastor. Fr. Crowley’s term witnessed the building of a new rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, and ended in 1973 with the succession of Fr. Roger F. deBilly, who was replaced two years later, in 1975, by Fr. Lawrence J. Carney, during whose pastorate Assumption church was named a historical building by the City of Windsor.
In 1982, Fr. Patrick J. Gorman was named Pastor, followed by Fr. John Burke in 1985, Fr. Steve Rus in 1986, and in recent years, Fr. George Beaune, Fr. Daniel Zorzi, Fr. John Reddy, and the current Pastor, Fr. Paul Walsh. Under Fr. Zorzi’s administration, Rosary Chapel was completely redone, and currently there is a restoration project underway for the church exterior. Restoration efforts, fundraising, and the granting of heritage status were aided considerably by the charitable efforts of the former President of Green Giant Canada, Winston B. Eagen, throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
In 2007, Assumption Church added to its schedule the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass on Sundays at 2:00 PM. The church's high altar, spacious sanctuary, communion rail, and pipe organ make it an impressive and appropriate home for this historic liturgy, which attracts churchgoers from throughout southern Ontario and southeastern Michigan. Assumption's Latin Mass Community hosts regular special events, and the Latin Mass Choir is regularly called upon to sing at special Latin Masses throughout the region.
On August 16 the Diocese of London announced that the repairs and restoration of the Church would go ahead.