About Most Precious Blood

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"Centred in Christ, we are a welcoming community,
sharing our talents and goodness,
 joyfully celebrating and reaching out to all".

Most Precious Blood Parish is Born
On October 15, 1928, Bishop Fallon appointed Fr. John White as the first pastor of Most Precious Blood Parish.  Thirteen days later the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began.  It would take twenty five years for the parish to build its own brick church. Father White celebrated the first Mass at St. Bernard’s School on the corner of Meldrum and Milloy on November 29, 1929.
 
The Basement Church (1950’s)
Like other parishes in the diocese that were erected just before or during the 1930’s, Most Precious Blood had to wait for the post-war boom years to lay permanent foundations.  Father Michael Dalton, a decorated war chaplain, became pastor in 1946.  In 1947, Bishop Kidd allowed Fr. Dalton to purchase eight lots at the corner of Meldrum Road and Tecumseh Road East for $500 and to build a basement church covered by a flat tar roof.
 
Fr. Dalton had saved $75,000.00 for a new church to be erected on the basement church, but it was the next pastor, Fr. John Fogarty who was given the opportunity to preside over the construction of a more recognizable house of worship.  Bishop Cody blessed the cornerstone on May 16, 1953 and opened the church on December 14, 1954.  Constructed of brick, it cost $130,000.00 and seated 600 people.  That year there were 950 families in the parish.  The parish had grown so much during that time that a new parish of St. Christopher was established.
 
Father Paul Charbonneau, better known for his work as director of Brentwood, and Father Larry Brunet, guided the parish through the changes to the liturgy called for by the Second Vatican Council, the accompanying alterations to the sanctuary and the introduction of new people and practices in the Mass, such as lay readers and minsters of Holy Communion.
 
The Fire
On November 14, 1978, a massive fire destroyed the front entrance, the nave, the roof and parish hall.  The rectory and sacristy were spared, but smoke damage to the basement and rectory were extensive.  It was back to St. Bernard’s for Sunday Mass.  Under the leadership of Fr. Brunet, the present church was completed and opened in June 1980 for the cost of $973,000.00.  Although insurance only covered half of this amount, the parishioners were committed to rebuilding and, in the process, they emerged from the ordeal a stronger and more unified Catholic Community.
 
Clustering and Closure
During the period of Parish reorganization, clustering and closure happened in many parishes throughout the Diocese of London.  St. Joseph the Worker Parish on Seminole street closed in 2002, and many parishioners from there joined Most Precious Blood Parish.  A few years later, St. Anne Parish in Walkerville and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish on Riverside Drive closed, with some of the parishioners joining our faith community.
 
Today
Today Most Precious Blood is a vibrant Eucharistic community with many ministries reaching out in service of the Gospel.  We are a parish of approximately 1500 families, with a strong relationship with our three elementary schools, St.Theresa of Calcutta, Ecole Ste. Anne, W.J. Langlois, Corpus Christi Middle School and F.J. Brennan High School.  In the words of our Parish Mission Statement, we are a community centred in Christ and Reaching out to all.

 
Majority of this Excerpt taken from Gather up the Fragrments:A history of the Diocese of London, Michael Power, Daniel Brock, et. al.  2008.