St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church

Early Beginnings

St Patrick's Church in Merritton St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church has a long, rich history in the Niagara Region. It is one of five churches in the former town of Merritton, which consisted of a small area centred on the Glendale and Merritt Street intersection and bounded by the old canal on one side and the CNR railway tracks on the other. Merritton's founder, St. Catharines entrepreneur, William Hamilton Merritt, built the first Welland Canal (1829), which became a catalyst for the development of manufacturing and housing in the area, with service groups, athletic associations, and churches now serving as the major forms of community organization.

Establishing the Parish

During the 1850s, the Catholic population increased more quickly than at any other time in its history, both in the Niagara Peninsula and Ontario generally. By 1860 there were five parish churches with resident priests, and a year later, the Deanery of St. Catharines was established. By 1875, Thorold, Port Colborne, and Cayuga each added parishes, and by 1900, Smithville, Merritton, and Dunnville followed this example.

The parish of St. Patrick's was established in 1883, but had its beginnings in Thorold. The Rev. M. McLaughlin became the first resident priest and ministered to Thorold and the Town of Merritton. Under the direction of the Rev. Fr. Sullivan from Holy Rosary Church in Thorold, the Merritton parish came into its own. St. Patrick's was named, of course, after the British-born Apostle of Ireland, Saint Patrick (c.385-461), who is credited with the conversion of the Irish despite their earlier persecution of him.

Parish Founders

The builders and first members of St. Patrick's were of Irish decent, the 1800s having seen a vast influx of Irish immigrants into Canada. The Irish were followed by people of English and Scottish extraction, and in turn by immigrants from southern and central Europe, especially Italy, Poland, and the Ukraine. Under the guidance of Rev. F. Smyth, the present church of semi-gothic style was opened on 20 September 1898. It was blessed by the Most Rev. John Walsh, Archbishop of Toronto. The cost of the church was $18,000 and the debt was paid after only two years. Several years beforehand, Dean Harris wrote these commendatory remarks:

"The people of Merritton are proverbial for their large-heartedness and attachment to their religion. There is no congregation of its size in Ontario that contributes more liberally for church purposes."

Parish Schools

Located a little to the west side of the present church was St. Joseph's school, built in 1888. Prior to the construction of the school, classes were held in a one-room framed building, which was built c. 1874 and included both church and school. A school annex was also erected. In 1957 at the request of Fr. Kennedy, the Sisters of St. Joseph who originally came from Toronto, returned to the school, having taught there between 1888 and 1916. In 1961, St. Patrick's school was built, followed in 1970 by St. Theresa's school. 1968 saw the addition of a wing to the Church and the construction of a new rectory.

Diocese of St Catharines

In the meantime, on 25 November 1958, Pope John XXII established the Diocese of St. Catharines, of which St. Catherine is the patron; and St. Patrick's became integrated into the new Diocese of which it remains a vital member.

References:

Rev. Edward Jackman, o.p., Historian for the Diocese of St. Catharines, A Brief History of The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Catharines (St. Catharines, ON, 1982).
Dean Harris, The Catholic Church in the Niagara Penninsula. 1616-1895 (1895).

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