Parish History Highlights

1822 St. Paul’s, Toronto, built

1830 Father O’Grady says first Mass in Oshawa

1836 Earliest recorded baptism in Whitby township

1841 Diocese of Toronto established: Right Rev. Michael Power, Bishop

1843 Oshawa/Whitby mission established: Rev. James Bennett, Pastor

1859 First separate school is build in Oshawa

1860 St. Francis de Sales, Pickering, established: Rev. P.D. Laurent, Pastor

1860 First separate school is built in Whitby

1860 Mass celebrated every Sunday in Whitby

1867 First St. John the Evangelist church built in Whitby. It was blessed and opened on May 24. Reverend John Joseph Shea was responsible for the construction, at a total cost of $3 041.78

1875 Separate school built near church

1880 Blessing of St. John the Evangelist cemetery on October 10

1883 St. John the Evangelist Parish officially established: Rev. P. J. McColl, Pastor

1891 Whitby once again a mission of Oshawa

1901 Separate school closed due to lack of funds

1901 First church destroyed by fire in December. A second church was built, under the direction of Reverend Andrew O’Malley, on the same site as the old church, on the north-east corner of John and Palace Streets.

1902 New church dedicated by Archbishop Denis O’Connor on December 14

1913 St. John the Evangelist Parish re-established

1913 St. Francis de Sales, Pickering, made a mission of Whitby

1914 Rev. W. J. Ryan appointed pastor

1914 Rectory built

1926 St. Bernard school built

1937 Rev. D. V. Hickey appointed pastor

1939 Catholic Women’s League of St. John’s formed on Sunday, November 5

1942 St. Francis de Sales Parish, Pickering, re-established: Rev. Bernard Kyte, Pastor

1955 St. John’s school opened

1956 Rev. Leo Austin appointed pastor

1957 Campaign for funds for new church

1958 New church blessed by His Eminence James Charles Cardinal McGuigan

1958 St. Theresa school opened

1959 The Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, from Pembroke, came to Whitby to work in education and later working in the parish

1960 St. John’s Knights of Columbus received its charter, February 1.

1961 First St. Vincent de Paul conference was introduced in the Spring of 1961

1962 Rectory attached to church built

1962 Denis O’Connor Secondary School opened (grades 9 and 10)

1964 St. Leo’s school opened in Brooklin

1973 Parishioner John Newman was ordained to the priesthood

1979 Bishop Robert B. Clune appointed pastor

1980 Holy Family Parish established east of highway 12, July 9

1981 Blessing of Resurrection Cemetery on September 12

1983 100th anniversary celebrated by His Eminence Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter on June 19

1983 St. Leo’s Parish established in Brooklin

1991 Father Andrew Macbeth appointed pastor

1992 Parishioner Tim Hanley was ordained to the priesthood

1993 Parishioner Charles Forget was ordained to the priesthood

2003 Father Anthony Iacobelli appointed pastor

2004 Parishioner Anthony Stone was ordained Deacon and appointed to St. John's

2008 Sister Ann Howard G.S.I.C celebrated her 50th anniversary as a Grey Sister of the Immaculate Conception on September 28

2008 125th anniversary celebrated with Archbishop Thomas Collins on October 12

2012 Father Damian Ali appointed pastor

2020 Father Francisco Fernadez Siles appointed pastor