St. Kevin's Church
In response to the growing needs of English-speaking Roman Catholics in the various communities that make up Valley East, Bishop Alexander Carter canonically established the Parish of St. Kevin on September 1, 1963. The first pastor appointed to lead this new parish was Fr. Richard Allen. During those early years, Masses were celebrated in the gymnasium of St. Anne’s School, a temporary arrangement that continued until the construction of the parish's first worship sites five years later.
The parish's second pastor, Fr. Joseph Graham, arrived in 1966 and served for a brief period until 1967, when he was succeeded by Fr. Steven Clark, who served only part of that year. Fr. Bernard Burns then took over in October 1967. Fr. Burns, who later became Monsignor Burns, led the parish for the next 12 years, overseeing the construction of its first worship sites. His tenure was marked by his significant contributions to the growth of the parish, making him the longest-serving pastor in St. Kevin’s history.
A milestone in the parish's development occurred on May 12, 1968, with a sod-turning ceremony and site blessing at two locations: one in Hanmer, at the corner of Michelle Drive and Regional Rd. 80 (currently the site of Lougheed’s Funeral Home), and another in Val Caron on Main Street West (now owned by the French Catholic School Board and adjacent to John Paul II Elementary School). Both churches were dedicated by Bishop Alexander Carter on October 20, 1968, marking a new chapter in the parish’s history.
Fr. Don Tait became the fifth pastor in August 1979, serving the community for seven years before being succeeded by Fr. Hamish Currie in 1986. Following Fr. Currie’s three-year tenure, the parish was briefly served by Fr. Gerry Sullivan and Fr. Czeslaw Waszczylo in 1989. Then, Fr. Gerry Copeman took on the role of pastor until 1991. He was followed by Fr. Charles Matthieu, who served for part of the year in 1992, and subsequently by Fr. Donald Orendorff, who later became Monsignor Orendorff and served until 1994.
Towards the end of 1994 and into early 1995, the parish saw a brief period of service from Fr. Andre Tremblay and Msgr. Angelo Caruso. Fr. Paul Conway was appointed pastor in 1995 and, after more than two years, was succeeded by Fr. Larry Rymes in August 1997. Fr. Larry’s eight-year tenure was followed by Fr. Pat Woods, who served from 2005 until 2011.
Fr. Michael Williams then took on the role of pastor on September 1, 2011, serving the parish faithfully until June 30, 2017. He was followed by Fr. Jackson Arul, who led the parish for several years.
Our Lady of Peace