Home Feedback Contents Search

About Us
Up

 

About Us
Bulletin
Ministries
Sacraments
Events
Scrap Book
Links

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AND ON...... 

One of the stain glass windows at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in Newcastle Ontario Canada St. John the Baptist Church, situated on the north west corner of Emily Street and Beaver Street in Newcastle, was dedicated by Bishop R. O'Connor on June 21, 1900, as a Mission Church of the Bowmanville Parish. In June of 1978, James L. Doyle, Bishop of Peterborough Diocese, finally granted Clarke Township its own parish and named it St. Francis of Assisi. A flurry of excitement and enthusiasm ensued as the diocese purchased a house on the southwest corner of Robert Street and Beaver Street to serve as our Rectory. Fr. Clair Hickson took up residency as the first Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish and set to work to determine a census of Roman Catholic families within the newly established, designated boundaries. 

The community of faithful increased in numbers and enthusiasm as we adjusted to the separation from our former parish in Bowmanville. Within a year the women of the parish were granted a Catholic Women's League Charter. In January 1981, Fr. Tom Walsh was assigned as our new Pastor and immediately began renovations in our little church. The paint was barely dry when an opportunity arose for us to purchase a larger and more functional property for our community to worship in. 

In June of 1981, we purchased 214 King Street East, the property formerly known as the Elmhurst Hotel. The cost of the 5-acre parcel was $260,000.00 but the sale of the Rectory and the little church on Emily Street aided us in decreasing our mortgage. Our Parish community abounded with enthusiastic volunteers who donated hours of their time and resources to make our new property a proper house of worship. This was a formidable task as we transformed the building from one of 'flowing spirits' to one where the Holy Spirit freely empowered all of us. 

We celebrated our first Mass in our new Church on July 5 and on October 4, 1981, our Patron Saint's Feast Day; our new church of St. Francis of Assisi was dedicated. The Separate School Board purchased the back half of our property to establish an elementary school for our parish children and renovations within our new building began immediately to accommodate the Principal's office, the school library, the staff room, and washroom facilities. Portables were placed on the North and West side of the property to wait the day when the new St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School would be completed. This arrangement greatly helped our mortgage payments.

New Parishioners

Each family should be registered with St. Francis Parish. Please join our parish family by completing a registration form available in the Gathering Area of the church or through the Parish Office. Sunday Offertory Envelopes may be found in the Gathering Area of the church or ask Father.

Change of Information

Please help keep the parish census current by informing the Parish Office with any change of address, phone number or number of members within your household.

Parish Schools

St. Francis of Assisi Rudell Road, Newcastle 905-987-4797
St. Stephen’s Secondary 30 Middle Road Bowmanville 905-623-3990

[ Up ]

Please use the Sunday envelopes - they are the primary source of support for our parish
Send mail to webmaster@sfarcc.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003 Saint Francis Roman Catholic Church
Last modified: December 17, 2005
This site designed and hosted by Big Guy Enterprises