1. building a new church

2. construction pictures

3. the new church opens - 1978

4. creation of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish

5. 150th Anniversary Celebration

6. the present

ADDITIONAL PICTURES and memorabilia on page 3

architect's model of the new church

Fr. Bill Scanlon blesses the site of the new church

ground is broken on the site of the new church

As the population of Newmarket began to swell in the mid-1970s, the congregation of St. John’s was quickly outgrowing the church building which had been erected so proudly some hundred years prior. Each week the 300 seats, front steps, choir loft and vestibule were packed for Mass. Upon his appointment as pastor of St. John’s in 1976, Father Bill Scanlon quickly established a building committee and plans were soon underway for the construction of a new church. The new church was to be built on the site of the former rectory, and so Father Scanlon, assistant Father Dermot J. Cullen and his dog, Sheila, moved to a new home on Main Street (in the old house which is now the Sanctuary Spa.) Construction on the new church began in November 1977. Construction was quick. Because of its Irish history, the last Mass was celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day, 1978. The building was torn down in the spring of that year.
 

. . . text continues below pictures

Construction of the new church and
demolition of the old

inside the new church during construction

topping off the new church tower - a cross is placed on this concrete shelf - the bell is placed on the ledge beneath it

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St. John's Church has new home

the stained glass windows from the old church were saved and placed in a single panel in the new church

St. John's closes, opens -
last mass in the old church

sadness and joy

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once the new church was built, the old church was demolished

the church spire crashes on to the roof

dramatic picture of knocking down the steeple -
photo courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. A. Fleischaker

the newly constructed church
 without landscaping

view of the new church from the tower of the old

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steeple topples as crews demolish historic church,
 to add parking.

invitation to the official opening
of the new church - May 28, 1978 

The first Mass was celebrated in the newer and larger church on March 18, 1978, with space to accommodate 900 people. Our church today includes many treasured pieces which were brought over from the old church such as: the stained glass windows along the north wall and at the main entrance, the Stations of the Cross along the west wall and the bell which has been a part of our parish since it was purchased from a Cincinnati foundry and donated to St. John’s in 1880. The official opening of the new church took place on May 28, 1978 when Archbishop Philip Pocock dedicated and blessed this sacred new meeting place for members of the St. John’s Community.

Archbishop blesses new St. John's

St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Newmarket

Earlier that autumn, the congregation of St. John’s had the opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the parish. The celebration took place at the Newmarket Recreation Complex (today known as the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex) on Eagle Street and attracted a great deal of attention from both the media and those in the community.

150th Anniversary Celebration
liturgy programme cover

Since then, our church has continued to identify itself as a centre for Catholic life in Newmarket. Our excellent schools, sacramental preparation programs, social ministry, faithful parishioners and dedicated clergy- Fathers Robert Ouellette, Pastor, and Father Miro Michalik- serve as just some of the evidence of this. Our pastoral team, led by Father Bob and Father Miro, and including: Christine Way-Skinner, Jean Lashley, David Jafelice, Jean Troy, Joyce Upjohn, Madeline Burke and Leo Lopez continue to exemplify Christian leadership and commitment in our community. St. John Chrysostom parish is a strong community of faith which looks forward to contributing to the rich history of our parish in the years to come.

 

END OF PART ONE TEXT

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The parish thanks Theresa Reid who wrote Part I of our website history based on the history book of 1994. We thank Christine Allen for editing the manuscript and David Jafelice for putting it all together on the website.

We also thank those who lent us historical pictures and memorabilia for scanning:

• Mr. & Mrs. Al Fleischaker
• Annelies Hoehne
• Norna Malizia

and in particular

• Mrs. Jill Gorman and the Gorman Family whose pictures and newspaper clippings make up the majority of our material.

Gerry Hearty is writing Part II of our history - 1994 to the present. We await its completion.

more memorabilia

and pictures

on page 3

additional pictures and
parish memorabilia on

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