Our Lady of Mercy Church
Port Hope ON

Parish Prayer

Father,

Open our hearts to your Hold Spirt

so that fired by your love, we may be transformed

and so let your light shine through us. May your living word be so much part of our homes and parish community

that others are drawn to you by the strength of our commitment

and the way we reach out to one another. Jesus, Mary, Joseph

be our constant inspiration

as the father sends us out to see the world alight

with Christian joy and hope.

 

http://ladyofmercyporthope.ca/  

 

In 1825, nine years before the town was incorporated, Father Timlin established the first Roman Catholic parish in Port Hope and the people built a small wooden structure as their first place of worship. When more settlers arrived, the original building was replaced by a larger structure in 1833 under the guidance of Father Dempsey. However, the influx of immigrants from overseas did not only add more parishioners, it also brought religious prejudices and the church was burnt to the ground in 1851. Despite that setback, the congregation attended Mass the following Sunday at a local warehouse, but it too was destroyed by fire.

Two years later, when Father Bryan O'Keefe was pastor, the people decided to rebuild their church once again, but this time it would be fireproof. So, in October 1855 a new brick church was dedicated by Bishop Phelan of the Kingston Diocese and he placed the parish under the protection of "Mary, Star of the Sea".

Monsignor Joseph Browne enhanced the church in 1869 with the addition of the sanctuary, the choir loft and two spires. A generous parishioner, Miss Foran, donated two stained glass windows at that time. Father Francis O'Sullivan took over as pastor of the church in 1907 and installed a bell in the steeple; the first Angelus was rung out on June 27, 1910. Some forty years later, in1951 a steam heating system was installed, to provide heat and hot water to both the church and the rectory.

The parish saw tremendous growth during the 1950's when Father Leo Cleary was pastor. He served the parish, which by now was known as “Our Lady of Mercy” for 24 years. One of his major achievements was the establishment of the Catholic school system in the area. It was also during this time that, in the spirit of the 2nd Vatican Council, a new altar was placed in the sanctuary. Also carved Stations of the Cross were installed and adjoining property was purchased to allow for more parking. Later, in 1971, the church was expanded with two wings on each side, giving it the shape of a cross. The west wing houses a small chapel and the east wing serves as a meeting room and provides additional seating when needed.

During Father Garry Leahy’s tenure (1982 -1989) the pipe organ was completely refurbished and plans were made to paint the interior of the church and replace the floor covering. However, Father Leahy will be best remembered for initiating regular bible study classes. Father Michael Heffernan executed the renovation initiative and for a few months the congregation gathered on Sunday mornings in the adjacent school gym. It was a special time as the parishioners got together in a more close-knit environment and while there were no stained-glass windows, the Spirit was very much present among them.

In the early 90s it became clear that the church needed major repairs. Under the leadership of Father John Albao this work was completed. The roof was replaced, brickwork restored and a fresh coat of paint would once again cover the signs of time on the interior walls. Recently, under the direction of Father Randy Foster (present pastor) the parish office was moved and modernized, rectory renovated, an electronic keyboard replaces two old pianos and a small electric organ, hardwood floor was replaced in sanctuary and the parish records are recorded in a database.

In 2010, our parish celebrating with spiritual and social events our 185th anniversary as a faith community here in Port Hope which we are thankfully able to do because of the dedication of our parishioners, religious beliefs and priests.

From: http://www.porthopeknights.ca/our_lady_of_mercy.htm