Contact Information
321 Tollgate Road East
Cornwall, Ontario
K6H 5R6
Office
Hours
Monday to Thursday
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m.,
11:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m.
Weekdays
Tuesday to Friday: 8:00 a.m.
Pastoral Team
Rev. Claude Thibault
Pastor
Rev. Pierre Aube
Deacon
Linda Runions
Secretary
Blessed Sacrament Parish was founded on January 31, 1965, as the second all English parish in Cornwall to serve Catholics living in
the area bounded by Headline Road on the north, the old C.N.R. tracks on the south, Boundary Road on the east and the western city
limits on the west.
Bishop Rosario Brodeur, then Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, appointed Reverend John D. McPhail as the founding
pastor of the newly formed parish. For the first two years, Father McPhail resided at St. Columban's rectory and celebrated Sunday
Masses and other parish functions in the General Purpose Room of Sacred Heart School on Aubin Avenue.
During this period, through
a great deal of parishioner involvement, Father McPhail began planning for the building of a parish church. The Church and rectory,
built by the Paul D'aoust Construction Company under the architectural responsibility of Murray and Murray, was opened for the first
Mass at midnight on December 25, 1966. The total building cost of $313,700.00 was financed through the diocese and was totally repaid
after fourteen years. Retiring the debt in such a remarkably short period was due to a multiplicity of efforts such as signed funding
campaign pledges, the raising of funds through concerts, winter carnivals and other hall activities, as well as the parish priests
working without hired church staff. Another major factor was the parish growth from 60 families to about 300 families in a relatively
short period and major gifts from a few other parishes.
Blessed Sacrament which celebrated its 25th Anniversary in January 1990,
now boasts of having about 600 active parishioners under the capable leadership of Father Kelvin Maloney. To mark this important milestone
in the history of Blessed Sacrament, a weekend filled with events was held with Bishop LaRocque in attendance at all Sunday masses.
The highlight of the celebration was the launching of a parish history book entitled "Blessed Sacrament Parish - The First 25 Years".
While many priests assisted over the years, the parish has had five pastors as follows: Rev. John D. McPhail, January 1965 to
October 1970; Rev. George Maloney, October 1970 to September 1977; Rev. Bernard Cameron, September 1977 to June 1979; Rev. Kevin Maloney,
June 1979 to July 1988; Rev. Kelvin Maloney, July 1988 to June 1998; Rev. Allan MacDonald, July 1998 to January 2001, followed by Rev.
Gaétan Deschamps and Rev. Bradley Manus. The current pastor is Rev. Claude Thibault.
The parish has had a permanent deacon since
2003 in the person of Reverend Mr. Peter McBride
Blessed Sacrament was built to reflect the changes required by the 1962 Vatican Council.
Because of this, the parishioners were highly involved in all aspects of parish life right from the beginning. Today, they are very
proud of Blessed Sacrament and its past heritage. They feel that they belong to a state of the art parish that is second to none in
all of its administrative, liturgical and social functions.
History of Blessed Sacrament Parish
Diocèse catholique d'Alexandria-Cornwall Catholic Diocese
220, ch. Montreal Rd, C.P./Box 1388, Cornwall ON K6H 5V4 * 613-933-1138