Our Lady of the Assumption (Windsor, Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of the Assumption Windsor, Ontario |
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Assumption Church new roof, August 2019
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| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | https://assumptionparish.ca/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | Our Lady of the Assumption |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ontario |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of London, Ontario |
| Province | Canada |
Our Lady of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic church in Windsor, Ontario. It is located at 350 Huron Church Road. This church is special because it is the oldest church community in Canada, west of Montreal, that has been active without stopping.
The church building you see today opened in 1845. It is actually the fourth church built on this same spot. In 2014, the church had to close. This was because it needed about C$15 million worth of repairs to make it safe and sound again.
People worked hard to raise money for the repairs. In early 2019, the first part of a big four-step repair plan began. This included putting on a new copper roof that will last a long time. They also installed a new heating system, fixed the electrical wiring, and made important repairs to the building's structure.
The church was able to open its doors again for regular weekend services on September 8, 2019. The church community started the second part of the repair plan in 2020. This phase focuses on fixing the church's ceiling.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The church started as "The Mission of Our Lady of the Assumption among the Hurons in Detroit" in 1728. A Jesuit missionary named Father Armand De La Richardie founded it.
In 1765, a church building was put up. It was about 60 feet long and 30 feet wide. This church was for the Hurons and about sixty French families who had settled there. Assumption became an official church in 1767. Its first pastor was Father Pierre Potier. He stayed there until he passed away in 1781.
After Father Potier, the bishop of Quebec sent Father Francois-Xavier Hubert to be the new pastor. Father Hubert wanted to build a house for the priest (a rectory) and a school. The Hurons helped by donating land for this project on March 6, 1782. The rectory was built in 1785. In 1786, Father Hubert, who had moved to a new job, helped build a new church. He also sent two women from Quebec to start a school.
The new church opened in 1787. Father Jean-Baptiste Marchand became the pastor in 1796. He served the Assumption parish for thirty years! After he died in 1825, his assistant, Father Joseph Crevier, took over. Father Crevier was pastor until 1831.
Building the Current Church
On July 7, 1842, the first stone of the church you see today was laid. Three years later, on July 20, 1845, the new church was officially opened. It was 60 feet wide and 120 feet long. This rectangular part of the building is now the main area of the church.
In 1857, Assumption College was opened nearby. Two years later, in 1859, the bishop of the London Diocese moved his main office to Sandwich, Ontario. He made Assumption church his main church, or cathedral.
In 1870, the Basilian Fathers from Toronto took charge of Assumption parish and the college. Four years later, in 1874, Father Dennis O’Connor helped add the tall tower and the special area where the altar is (the sanctuary) to the church.
In 1893, Father François-Xavier Semande, who had studied at Assumption College, became the pastor. He put in a new bell for the tower. In 1896, a new brick rectory was built. By 1902, both the rectory and the church had electricity! In 1907, Father Alfred J. Côté became pastor. During his time, the rosary chapel and the room where priests prepare for services (the sacristy) were finished.
Recent Years and Restoration Efforts
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From 1921 to 1926, Father Edmund Toussaint Burns was the pastor. He made the side altars bigger and added the rail where people receive communion. From 1926 to 1937, Father Edward William Allor was pastor. He started the Sunday Bulletin, which is a newsletter for the church.
Many other priests served as pastor in the years that followed. Father James Alexander Donlon was pastor from 1944 to 1962. During his time, a statue of Our Lady of the Assumption was placed in the front yard of the church. In 1975, during Father Lawrence J. Carney's time as pastor, Assumption church was named a historical building by the City of Windsor.
In 2007, the church started celebrating the Tridentine Latin Mass on Sundays. This type of service uses older traditions and Latin. The church's design, with its high altar and pipe organ, is perfect for this kind of worship. People from all over southern Ontario and Michigan come to attend.
The Big Restoration Project
In 2007, it was discovered that Assumption church needed a lot of repairs. The cost was estimated at C$9.8 million. By 2012, the estimated cost had grown to about C$15 million.
Because of its condition, Assumption Church had to close in November 2014. Services continued in the smaller Rosary Chapel and at another nearby church. The London Diocese said they wanted to fix and reopen the church if they could find someone to donate money.
In 2017, people from the Assumption parish started holding events to celebrate the church's 250th year. In early 2019, a local lawyer named Paul Mullins led a fundraising effort. He also helped create a four-step plan to restore the church building.
Construction on the first phase began in the spring of 2019. This work included putting on a new copper roof that will last a long time. They also installed a new heating system, fixed the electrical wiring, and made important repairs to the building's structure.
The church community was able to move back into the church on September 8, 2019. They started celebrating weekend services there again. The parish began the second phase of the restoration plan in 2020. This part of the project focuses on fixing the church's ceiling.
