St. Augustine Church
Dundas ON
L9H 2T9
Who we are
Our parish of St Augustine’s is the Mother Parish of the Diocese of Hamilton. In 1827, Fr. James Campion built a small wooden chapel in Dundas, marking the beginning of St. Augustine’s Parish. The first baptism recorded in our register is August 06, 1827, and since then a vibrant community of faith has called St. Augustine’s home to this very day. Visit our history pages and learn more about the beginnings of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Church Website
St. Augustine Church on Social Media
St. Augustine Church YouTube Video
Leadership
Leader Name:
Father Scott Whitfield
Leader Position:
Parish Pastor
Phone:
Leader Email:
Click here to contact Father Scott Whitfield
Leader Bio:
Fr. Scott Whitfield, B.Journ., M.P.Th., Th.M, was born and raised in what is today the city of Mississauga, in that city’s district of Port Credit. Not baptized until the age of seven, his religious upbringing was in the Anglican Church of Canada. After graduating from Port Credit Secondary School, he attended and then graduated from Carleton University School of Journalism in Ottawa in 1989. He laboured at a brief career in journalism and public relations, working as a freelance writer, editor and media analyst for various NGOs and government departments before taking a position as an assistant to an elected councillor in the Ottawa-Carleton Regional government from the mid to late 90s.
It was at this time that he discerned a call from God to ministry. His first response was involvement with the youth ministry at St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Somerset St. W. in Ottawa. He also became heavily involved in its street outreach, The St. Luke’s Lunch Club. He was admitted to the ordination discernment process of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. After initial rejection, he was endorsed by the bishop and entered theological studies at St. Paul University, a Catholic institution run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in Ottawa.
Ordained an Anglican priest in 2000, the doctrinal crisis of the Anglican community through the first decade of this millennium, and growing doubts about the validity of his orders and the sacraments he administered, led him to break with that community and enter the Catholic Church, being received into full communion at Annunciation of Our Lord parish in Hamilton, Easter 2009.
The Pastoral Provision of the Church’s canon law permits married, former Anglican clergy to receive Holy Orders. Having initiated discussions with Bishop Anthony Tonnos, then Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, he was sponsored under the provision and began formation for the priesthood in 2011. This involved both formal study at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, and a variety of jobs with the diocese including special projects for the bishop (e.g. a study of university campus ministry in our diocese), and being assigned as a pastoral worker at St. Patrick’s Parish in downtown Hamilton for three years.
He was ordained to the priesthood December 19, 2015 and has served as an associate pastor at St. Thomas’ in Waterdown and at Our Lady of the Assumption, the parish for Elfrida, Binbrook and Upper Stoney Creek.
Fr. Whitfield is married. His wife, Biserka is a native Hamiltonian from its large Croatian community. They have a daughter, Helena. His family has found itself responsible for a beagle named Marlowe whose playfulness exceeds any sense of discretion he may possess.
Father likes pie.
It was at this time that he discerned a call from God to ministry. His first response was involvement with the youth ministry at St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Somerset St. W. in Ottawa. He also became heavily involved in its street outreach, The St. Luke’s Lunch Club. He was admitted to the ordination discernment process of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. After initial rejection, he was endorsed by the bishop and entered theological studies at St. Paul University, a Catholic institution run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in Ottawa.
Ordained an Anglican priest in 2000, the doctrinal crisis of the Anglican community through the first decade of this millennium, and growing doubts about the validity of his orders and the sacraments he administered, led him to break with that community and enter the Catholic Church, being received into full communion at Annunciation of Our Lord parish in Hamilton, Easter 2009.
The Pastoral Provision of the Church’s canon law permits married, former Anglican clergy to receive Holy Orders. Having initiated discussions with Bishop Anthony Tonnos, then Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, he was sponsored under the provision and began formation for the priesthood in 2011. This involved both formal study at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, and a variety of jobs with the diocese including special projects for the bishop (e.g. a study of university campus ministry in our diocese), and being assigned as a pastoral worker at St. Patrick’s Parish in downtown Hamilton for three years.
He was ordained to the priesthood December 19, 2015 and has served as an associate pastor at St. Thomas’ in Waterdown and at Our Lady of the Assumption, the parish for Elfrida, Binbrook and Upper Stoney Creek.
Fr. Whitfield is married. His wife, Biserka is a native Hamiltonian from its large Croatian community. They have a daughter, Helena. His family has found itself responsible for a beagle named Marlowe whose playfulness exceeds any sense of discretion he may possess.
Father likes pie.
Administration
Admin Name:
Cindy de Nobriga
Admin Position:
Parish Secretary
Phone:
Fax:
(905) 628-1202
Admin Email:
Click here to contact Cindy de Nobriga
St. Augustine Church Mass Times
Weekend Mass Times: Saturday at 5 p.m.; Sunday at 9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Weekday Mass Times: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ; Wednesday to Friday, 8 a.m.
Sacrament of Reconciliation (only offered in extremis until further notice)
Children’s Liturgy: Sunday at the 9 a.m. Mass (October to June)
Public Rosary: following the weekday morning Masses.
Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesdays from end of morning Mass to 7 p.m. (ends with benediction)
Perpetual Help Novena: Thursdays at the morning Mass.
Compline (Night Prayer): First Sundays of the month, 7 p.m.
ALL PUBLIC WORSHIP SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
It's been more than 3 years since the last mass times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm mass times.
Please contact the church to confirm Mass Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
Weekday Mass Times: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ; Wednesday to Friday, 8 a.m.
Sacrament of Reconciliation (only offered in extremis until further notice)
Children’s Liturgy: Sunday at the 9 a.m. Mass (October to June)
Public Rosary: following the weekday morning Masses.
Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesdays from end of morning Mass to 7 p.m. (ends with benediction)
Perpetual Help Novena: Thursdays at the morning Mass.
Compline (Night Prayer): First Sundays of the month, 7 p.m.
ALL PUBLIC WORSHIP SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
It's been more than 3 years since the last mass times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm mass times.
Please contact the church to confirm Mass Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
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Dress Code
Sunday School / Children and Youth Activities
Under 12s:
Children’s Liturgy
Children’s Liturgy Program is for children in ECE to Grade 2 (Children must be 4 years old)
Sundays at the 9 am Mass
From October – May
Children’s Liturgy Program is for children in ECE to Grade 2 (Children must be 4 years old)
Sundays at the 9 am Mass
From October – May
Under 18s:
Contemporary Youth Ensemble Singers
(Grade 7 or 8 through teenage years)
Children’s Choir (Gr. 2 to Gr. 6 or 7)
(Grade 7 or 8 through teenage years)
Children’s Choir (Gr. 2 to Gr. 6 or 7)
Other activities & ministries
Ministries
Music Ministry
Reader
Minister of the Eucharist
Altar Server
Ushers
Children’s Liturgy
Music Ministry
Reader
Minister of the Eucharist
Altar Server
Ushers
Children’s Liturgy
Other information
Additional Info:
Office Hours:
Monday -Thurs 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Fridays 8:30 am - 1:00 pm.
Monday -Thurs 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Fridays 8:30 am - 1:00 pm.
St. Augustine Church History
The first Catholic priests to visit the site of Dundas may well have been Father Jean de Brebeuf in 1626, and, somewhat later’ Father Louis Hennepin, who is said to have accompanied the famous French explorer, La Salle, in his exploration of this area, between 1668 and 1671. Probably because of the wetness of the terrain La Salle and Hennepin called this vicinity New Flanders. However no known European settlement or lasting missionary work followed for over a century.
Catholic priests probably visited the Niagara area steadily from 1783 onwards, largely because the British Army units included many Catholic Irish and Highland Scots, but there were no parishes. The entire area was within the Bishopric of Quebec, even after the establishment of Upper Canada in 1791. Ken Foyster has reported the tradition that in the autumn of 1819 two settlers in Trafalgar
Tp.(Bartholomew O’Connor and Charles O’Hara) walked the forty miles to Dundas to presuade a Fr. O’Reilly to visit their area to present the sacraments and celebrate Mass in Mr. O’Hara’s cabin. Since there was not yet a priest resident in Dundas, this suggests (if true) that the chaplain from Niagara made the occasional side trip from Dundas to Trafalgar before returning to Niagara.
Perhaps because of such requests for a priest, on December 30, 1820 the Rev. Alexander MacDonnell of Kingston was appointed by Quebec to be Vicar Apostolic for all of Upper Canada. He designated a Fr. Connor to service Niagara and the Head of the Lake. Fr. Connor is said to have visited Dundas regularly from 1821 onward, to have said Mass and to have performed marriages and baptisms in private homes...
Full history: http://www.staugustinesparish.ca/History_Pages/Parish_History.pdf
Catholic priests probably visited the Niagara area steadily from 1783 onwards, largely because the British Army units included many Catholic Irish and Highland Scots, but there were no parishes. The entire area was within the Bishopric of Quebec, even after the establishment of Upper Canada in 1791. Ken Foyster has reported the tradition that in the autumn of 1819 two settlers in Trafalgar
Tp.(Bartholomew O’Connor and Charles O’Hara) walked the forty miles to Dundas to presuade a Fr. O’Reilly to visit their area to present the sacraments and celebrate Mass in Mr. O’Hara’s cabin. Since there was not yet a priest resident in Dundas, this suggests (if true) that the chaplain from Niagara made the occasional side trip from Dundas to Trafalgar before returning to Niagara.
Full history: http://www.staugustinesparish.ca/History_Pages/Parish_History.pdf
"Pray as if everything depended on God, and work as if everything depended upon man."Francis J. Spellman
St. Augustine Church listing was last updated on the 10th of June, 2020
