Parish History
In 1830, prior to the formation of St. Mary's Parish, the few Catholic families in the area travelled to St. Agatha Church to attend Mass. Occasionally, they were blessed to have a missionary stop to say Mass at a home or neighbouring Mission Station.
The first missionary priest to visit these parts was Father John Wiriath...
What is Our Lady of Seven Sorrows?
The Seven Sorrows of Mary is a centuries old Catholic devotion to the Mother of Jesus Christ, and the namesake of our parish community.
Liturgically, the Church celebrates Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15.
The Seven Sorrows of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
1. The Prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. Jesus is Lost in the Temple
4. Mary & Jesus Meet on the Way to Calvary
5. Mary Sees Jesus Die on the Cross
6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms
7. Mary Accompanies Jesus to the Tomb
The Congregation of the Resurrection
St. Mary's is blessed to be under the pastoral care of priests from a religious order called the Congregation of the Resurrection (CR). The CRs have had a major impact in founding and shepherding Catholic parishes and schools in Ontario since before Canada's Confederation.
German Community
The German Congregation played a significant role in the history and development of St. Mary's Church. Following WWI, many German-speaking Catholics immigrated to Canada, and settled in Kitchener and the surrounding area. Many of these immigrants were from the German speaking regions of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1928 Father Albert Zinger, C.R. celebrated the first Mass in German...