Holy Family Church

Story

Holy Family is a Roman Catholic church in Toronto's west end neighbourhood of Parkdale and within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. It has been served since 1979 by clergy of the Oratory of St Philip Neri who also run a seminary from the location.HistoryAlthough a village since 1879 with two Anglican churches, the wealthy Toronto suburb of Parkdale had few Catholic residents until after amalgamation with Toronto. Later, Holy Family would serve the local Catholic institutions on Queen Street (now the Queensway) that had been created in St. Helen's Parish in the 1870s during Parkdale's first period of growth as an independent village; Sacred Heart Orphanage (now St. Joseph's Health Centre) and Our Lady of Mercy Palliative Care Centre originally run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, that first opened in Toronto Architect John Howard's 'Sunnyside' home, as well as Our Lady of Charity convent and school for wayward girls (now demolished) that was opened out of Parkdale founder Captain O'Hara's 'West Lodge' home by the Good Shepherd Sisters.From 1900, Holy Family existed as a mission church of St. Helen's, Brockton, with the pastor there, Fr. Walsh, travelling to Parkdale on Sundays to celebrate mass. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church was created out of St Helen's, Archbishop O'Connor laying the cornerstone for the new church on June 22, 1902; school was constructed behind the church at the same time. When the church was built, plans were already underway for new parishes to be carved out of Holy Family; St. Leo's (Mimico) existed as a 'mission' church of Holy Family until separating in 1909 taking the independent village of Swansea. Shortly after, in 1914, St. Vincent de Paul parish was created to serve the growing Howard Park (Roncesvalles) neighbourhood to the north of Parkdale.