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Cardinal Thomas Collins inspects St. Michael's Cathedral's newly renovated ceiling in 2016.

A message from the Cardinal

My Dear Friends, On December 17, 2016, the Archdiocese of Toronto celebrated its 175th anniversary, launching a year-long celebration to commemorate this historic milestone. Established in 1841 with 22 parishes and Michael Power as its first bishop, the archdiocese has grown to become a vibrant and diverse faith community of…
The Archdiocese of Toronto did not simply drop from the sky as arguably the Catholic world’s most culturally diverse archdiocese of over two million Catholics who celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday in about 35 languages.

Archdiocese 175: Stories of struggle, sacrifice, grace

Just off the boundaries of Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School there’s the site of a 600-year-old Huron-Wendat village — longhouses, sweat lodges and plots where people grew squash and beans. That little shard of Toronto’s mostly forgotten, 10,000-year history of human habitation reflects a little of the good news and…
The Sacred Heart Children’s Orphanage, or Sunnyside Orphanage, was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

A history defined by Catholic charity

Catholic charity and the spirit of giving, regardless of a recipients’ religious affiliation, have been instrumental in shaping Toronto’s social, health care and political history through three centuries. The Greater Toronto Area would be a vastly different place today without the fundamental commitment to charity that was mobilized in the…
St. Augustine’s Seminary ensured a healthy Church

St. Augustine’s Seminary ensured a healthy Church

For almost half a century after Confederation, young men training to be priests in the Archdiocese of Toronto were sent to Montreal for formation because there was no seminary in English Canada
Since the creation of the Diocese of Toronto in 1842, which itself was a spinoff of the Diocese of Kingston, the boundaries of the Toronto diocese has been reduced three times, as parts of its territory are partitioned off to create new dioceses.

By leaps and bounds – the changing boundaries of the Toronto Archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Toronto’s vast geography and ever-increasing population have presented challenges for all of its bishops since the diocese was born 175 years ago. So much so that a recurring story of the archdiocese has been its growth followed by subdivision.
Toronto has had 12 bishops in its 175 years of history, from its first, Bishop Michael Powers in 1842, to its current, Archbishop Thomas Cardinal Collins, who was installed in 2007.

From Bishops Power to Collins, 175 years of faithful leadership

Bishop Michael Power A native of Halifax, Michael Power was founding bishop of the Diocese of Toronto and the first English-speaking bishop born in Canada.He arrived in Toronto in 1842 and quickly went to work building Canada’s newest diocese, which at the time encompassed the Niagara Peninsula, all of southwest…
A class of boys from Toronto’s St. Paul’s Elementary School in 1912.

Catholic education remains faithful to its roots

The education system as we know it in the Archdiocese of Toronto looks nothing like it did 175 years ago. What does?
St. Paul’s Church and the rectory in 1914. The parish was established in 1822.

Finding faith on the frontier

Baptisms. Weddings. Funerals. Masses. Confessions. These routine aspects of Catholic life today were rare and often inaccessible just five generations ago.
St. Michael’s Cemetery opened in 1855 and was the only non-parish Catholic burial ground in Toronto until 1900.

Compassionate care is the core mission of Catholic Cemeteries

An essential obligation in the life of any diocese is to ensure the reverent care of its dead. For the Archdiocese of Toronto, the Irish potato famine and a local typhus epidemic forced it to accelerate its thinking on this important duty in the earliest days of its history.
St. Joseph the Worker Oshawa Office Manager Mary Lou Elliot and volunteer Technical Coordinator Bill Kudryk test the recently installed video conferencing equipment funded through the Family of Faith.

Are we there yet? Drafting a spiritual roadmap for growth in a modern age

The Archdiocese of Toronto has come a long way in 175 years but the journey is far from over. Future years will see more parishes, more ministries and a vibrant Cathedral Square, connected not only in spirit but interconnected by technologies that will link St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica with parishioners…
Fr. Massey Lombardi with a few children clad in the traditional garments of their heritage following the Mass that kicked off the Year of Faith at Toronto’s St. Wilfrid’s parish in 2012.

Speaking in many tongues is hallmark of parish life

On a Sunday morning a steady stream of parishioners files through the glass doors of possibly the most bustling church in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Latecomers with toddlers in tow scan the crowded pews for a seat. As the procession ends, the priest reaches the presider’s chair and raises his…
The story of faith: a timeline

The story of faith: a timeline

FORMATIVE YEARS - 1841 Dec. 17: The Diocese of Toronto is created. Michael Power is appointed its first bishop. - 1848 Sept. 29: St. Michael’s Cathedral is consecrated. Catholic population reaches 50,000. - 1850 Sept. 22: Bishop Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel is installed as second bishop of Toronto. He uses his…