St. Ursula

Officially opened in 1952, St. Ursula Parish is located at 205 Tweedsmuir Ave W.

On a sunny spring morning back in 1951, Monsignor E. A. O’Donnell, Dean of Kent, announced from the pulpit of St. Joseph Church, that due to an ever growing number of parishioners, effective immediately a separate parish was to be formed to serve some 190 families, the boundaries to be:

To the East — Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

To the North — Canadian National Railway to No. 2 highway No. 2 highway west to the Big Ditch Road

To the West —- The Big Ditch Road from No. 2 highway to the 8th concession of Raleigh Township

To the South — The 8th concession of Raleigh Township to the Raleigh-Harwich town line; the Doyle Road from the Raleigh Township — Harwich town line to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

Although a tract of land at the corners of Lacroix Street and Tweedsmuir Avenue had been donated earlier, no structure existed only the newly appointed name “St. Ursula”. Desperate for a place of worship, creative minds found space in the Chatham Memorial Arena. But as blue skies changed to grey, the flock had to make way for the hockey season, and so the Kinsmen Auditorium came to their rescue. Imagine the old building rocking to the music of hi-neighbour on Saturday nights followed by St. Ursula Mass on Sunday mornings.

This story serves to illustrate that all through this period of uncertainty and upheaval the people held together because of loyalty to their faith, to each other and to their diligent new priest Father I. A. Schwemler.

The first St. Ursula Church was build as a pre-fab structure by the men of the parish, assisted by wives and friends. Dedication took place in December of 1951 with only the floor and a make shift altar in place. Full services in the completed building began in March 1952. It must be said that it had truly been a Labour of Love.

By the 1970’s the congregation had swelled to the point that a larger and more permanent church was needed. And so after 25 years of existence a new and glorious building was erected and blessed on November 7, 1976. Rev. G. Emmett Carter officiated. Sadly Fr. Schwemler had passed away October 12, 1955 but the years since have challenged his quest to create, nurture and gather the impetus for a strong, dynamic parish under God’s law.

Today some 60 years since its founding we find a proud, thriving parish serving members of various ethnic backgrounds. Hungarian, French, Italian, Scottish, Irish etc. which together encompass the word “togetherness”. And that word will tend to serve the ties of the newly formed clustering of St. Joseph and St. Ursula Parish. That too can be called a Labour of Love, a coming back together, a rekindling of the past.

by Lyle McCormick