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Mary Immaculate ParisH
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Mary Immaculate Parish
1980 Trafalgar St. London, ON N5V 1A2
Phone: 519 455-3217 Fax: 519 455-3233
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday
9 am - 12 pm & 1 pm - 4 pm
Closed - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
History of Mary Immaculate Parish
On August 15, 1965, Father Cornelius P. Herlihy OMI (1965 -1974) was appointed pastor of a new parish in southeast London dedicated to Mary Immaculate. Its west-east boundaries extended from Vancouver Street to the Middlesex-Oxford County line. On August 20, Father Herlihy finalized arrangements with the London Public School Board to celebrate three Masses each Sunday in the gymnasium of Sir Winston Churchill Public School. The first Mass was celebrated at the school on Sunday, August 29. The first offertory collection amounted to $330.17, of which $75 went to pay for the rental of the premises.
In the meantime, Father Herlihy and his assistant, Father Kevin McNamara OMI, were living at St Patrick’s rectory and arrangements had been made to purchase a house at 225 Admiral Drive as a temporary rectory. As the building was still under construction by Mason Brothers, plans were altered to include two addition rooms and a bathroom. The parishioners soon outgrew the public-school location and Sunday Masses were transferred to the auditorium at Clarke Road Secondary School.
A site for the new church was obtained in the Nelson Park subdivision and a loan of $40000 was provided by St. Patrick’s parish. On October 3, 1966 the first sod was turned by Monsignor Fergus J. Laverty, the chancellor. The architect for the new church was Tim A. Murray of Ottawa and the general contractor was Ellis-Don Ltd of London. The cost was $350000. The church and the rectory were connected by a walled-in courtyard. It had been decided that the church should not have a front and back door look to it. The amphitheatre style provided seating for 750 people with the furthest seat only 70 feet (21.3 m) from the semicircular sanctuary. The interior received controlled daylight. The altar, baptistry and confessionals were designed by Ottawa artist Gerald Trottier. Mary Immaculate was one of the few churches at that time not to have a communion rail. Shortly after its completion (1967), the building won an award of merit for its design. The parish had approximately 500 families. The building was completed in August of 1967 and solemnly blessed by Bishop Carter on December 19, 1967.
Mary Immaculate’s second pastor was Father John O’Connor OMI (1974-1978). After serving the parish from its inception, the Oblates were compelled to relinquish Mary Immaculate in August 1978, owing to a lack of priests in their community. The parish was then placed in the hands of the diocesan clergy with Father T. Francis O’Connor as pastor (1978-1980), followed by Fathers Paul A Roy (1980-1986) and Father Martin Johnson (1986-1988). During the pastorate of Father Richard Bester (1988-1997), the twenty-fifth anniversary of the parish was celebrated with a Mass on June 15, 1991. Bishop Sherlock was the main celebrant. Father Bester was succeeded by Fathers Lance W. Magdziak (1997-98, Father Jan Burczyk CSMA (1998-2000) and Joseph F. Hardy (20001). Under Father Graham Keep, a three-phase construction project was undertaken, beginning with the building of a new rectory, which was completed in September 20004. Father Keep commissioned Ellen Erenberg, a parishioner and local artist, to produce an oil painting of the Blessed Mother.
Among the groups serving the parish are the CWL, Knights of Columbus, and the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Sources: "Church to Rise", Lodon Free Press, October 4, 1966. "Congregation and sanctuary united in new RC church", London Free Press, August 17, 1967. "The Church of Mary Immaculate...", London Free Press, September 28,1968. Additional information supplied by Chris Bray.