​St. Anthony of Padua

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St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church

940 North Park Drive
Brampton, Ontario
L6S 3L5

905-793-8030
905-793-8478 Fax

Fr. Joseph Pham

St. Anthony of Padua Parish 1976

On August 10, 1976, the friars of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Conventual Franciscans) voted to accept the mission of founding a new parish in Bramalea. On September 30, 1976, Archbishop Pocock established St. Anthony of Padua Parish and Friar Edward Debono, OFM Conv. became the first pastor.

For the first six years, Mass was celebrated in schools. On October 30, 1976, St. Anthony’s celebrated its first parish Mass at St. Jean Brebeuf School. Within a year, the parish had moved to Chinguacousy Secondary School, a larger facility.12 Bill Brioux, a parishioner, describes the first five years as “ones of community and commitment.”

“Get It Done in ’81” was the battle cry ... There were only 825 families at St. Anthony’s in 1978. They stood during masses at Chinguacousy Secondary School on Sundays and at St. Jean Brebeuf elementary school on Saturdays, with parishioners spilling out into the narrow hallways.

On November 30, 1980, property was purchased at 940 North Park Drive, at the corner of Mackay Street North, for a new church. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 17, 1981. The church’s stained glass windows are part of the Franciscan’s spiritual and an artistic legacy.

The Conventual Franciscan ... left their mark in many ways, but especially through the stain glass windows that ring the church. One window, a depiction of St. Anthony in the garden, was inspired by the Franciscans and designed and created by former parishioner Rudy Alisauskas. (Another talented community artist, Conrad Mieschke, contributed the serene portrait of Mary, which graces Our Lady’s Chapel.)13

On May 15, 1982, St. Anthony’s Parish celebrated its first Mass in its own church with Friar Edward Debono presiding. Then on June 13, 1982, the Feast of St. Anthony, more than 1200 attended the Mass at which Cardinal Carter dedicated the church. The parish, which had more than 2000 families, had become a “church of many colours,” which fit the Conventual Franciscans’ mission as they had come to Canada in the 1920s to service various ethnic groups.

What moved [Fr.] Mizner, [Fr.] Riccioli (parish priests) and many others was the fascinating weave of colours and cultures that made up the congregation. Besides the usual Canadian Catholic mix of Irish, German, East-European and Italian, there was a funky Latin, Southeast Asian, African and East Indian beat-—most noticeable in the three choirs—that made the parish a model for the city and the country.

St. Anthony’s became one of the largest Franciscan parishes in North America and by 1992 had 5000 families. By then, however, the order had fewer friars and wanted to concentrate on its mission of serving the poor, so it handed St. Anthony of Padua Parish over to the Archdiocese.

Fr. Anthony Meagher, who took over as pastor in June 1992, was “a man of great humour and compassion.” In 1997 he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Toronto and in 2002 Archbishop of Kingston.