Did You Know?

Did you know?
...that St. Patrick's Rectory was built in 1897 and enlarged in 1924?

Did you know?
...that the foundation stone of the current St. Patrick's Church was laid on Trinity Sunday, June 9, 1895 and the opening Mass was on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1895?

Did you know? 
...that back in the 1940's and following, St. Patrick's Hall had Friday Night Dances with live bands? During 1958 and 1959 some 33 couples who met at the Shamrock Club, were married.

Did you know?
...that one time there were big New Year's Eve Parties at St. Patrick's Hall?
During the 1950's the parties would go on so late, that the Carmelites would celebrate Mass in the church at 4am so everyone could go home and not worry about having to get up and go to Mass.

Did you know?
...that at the 100th Anniversary Mass commemorating the building of the church, in December 1995, Brother Gerard Power, now Fr. Gerard, Pastor of St. Pat's, carried the Processional Cross?

Did you know?
...that in 1993, Fr. Ben Hogan, O. Carm. Pastor of St. Patrick's, spoke out at a City Council Meeting and joined the voices of the neighbours against the opening of a strip club on Bridge Street?  The people won the fight!  Fr. Ben was quoted as saying, "The downtown area needs a grocery store not an adult entertainment parlour!"

Did you know?
...that the current altar in St. Patrick's Church was the original baptismal font in 1895?

Did you know?
...that in 1918-1919 there was a worldwide pandemic of the Spanish Flu?  The killer flu hit Niagara Falls in 1919 and St. Patrick's lost several parishioners.

Did you know?
... that Archbishop Walsh of Toronto could not make the ceremony to lay the foundation stone in June 1895...and he promised a gift to the church?  His gift was the Rose Window behind the choir loft.

Did you know?
...that St. Patrick's Auditorium and Hall was built beginning in the Summer of 1927 and completed February 8, 1928...and that a fire broke out in 1943 causing great damage?