Archbishop Leo Travels to Oshawa Parishes

On Sunday, May 26, 2024, the Most Reverend Francis Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, travelled to St. Gregory the Great Church and Holy Cross Church in Oshawa to celebrate Mass at each parish and administer the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation to close to 70 young parishioners.

It was a great day of spiritually joyous celebration for both parish communities as they joined together to pray for these young people receiving these special gifts.

The archbishop shared in his homily words of hope and resilience with the youth while focusing on the transformative power of forgiveness, the profound healing of reconciliation and also about the challenge of living and serving like Jesus Christ by following his example of compassion, forgiveness and selflessness.

His Grace thanked parents for their encouragement and commitment to attending Mass on Sunday and urged them to continue to lead their children to grow in their faith journey with Jesus Christ and His Church.

Toward the end of the Mass, one of the confirmands thanked the archbishop for coming to celebrate these special Sacraments with them. One of the first communicants presented the archbishop with a small gift of appreciation.

About St. Gregory's Parish

St. Gregory the Great is considered the mother church of Durham Region. Established in 1843, St. Gregory the Great was the first parish in the newly created Diocese of Toronto. It was the first seed to be sown in an area now covered by the Region of Durham.

In 1893, Father M.J. Jeffcott supervised the construction of the new St. Gregory’s Church at the present location.  Archbishop Walsh laid the Cornerstone on June 18, 1893. The Parish continued to grow thanks to the many pastors who dedicated themselves, their time, and energy lovingly to God and their Parishioners and the many renovations the church underwent.

In what was once a forest clearing with a simple log church dedicated to St. Gregory the Great now stands a magnificent mother church in the heart of downtown Oshawa.

About Holy Cross Parish 

Holy Cross, the second oldest Catholic parish in Oshawa, was erected on June 20, 1939, with the appointment of Rev. Philip Coffey as its first pastor. Due to its proximity to the neighbourhood where many ethnic communities were founded, Catholic immigrants of mostly Polish, Croatian, Italian and other ethnic backgrounds attended Masses at Holy Cross.

Holy Cross underwent many renovations throughout the years thanks to the dedicated work of the many pastors and community members. This September 14, 2024, the parish will celebrate its 85th Anniversary with Mass followed by a parish BBQ.

To this day, Holy Cross continues to be a vibrant community that is always welcoming new members and visitors. It is a small community with a big heart that continues to provide many services for the community it serves.

The two parishes are currently being administered under the pastoral guidance of Fr. Marijan Sisko who celebrates Masses at both locations. 

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