St. Stephen The Martyr Church
68 Sturgeon Street, Dowling, Ontario
Masses / Messes
Wed/mer: 10:00 am
Sun/dim: 11:00 am
In 1883, the westward construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in the area that would eventually become Dowling, the pastoral care of the construction workers and residents was the responsibility of St Anne’s parish in Sudbury.
In 1925 the pastoral responsibility for the Dowling area was transferred to St. Francis Xavier’s Parish in Cartier.
In 1927, a residential mission church was built in Larchwood. The first Mass was offered by Father Lionel Séguin on June 12. The building caught fire and burned to the ground on June 22, 1940. The mission was rebuilt in 1942 with the first Mass being said by Father J.A. Benoit. The mission remained until 1964.
St. Stephen The Martyr - 1963
In 1948, St. Joseph’s parish in Chelmsford took over the pastoral care of Dowling until 1963 when the first church of the Parish of St. Stephen the Martyr would open its doors on Christmas Eve. The first Pastor was Father Raymond Tremblay. St. Stephen the Martyr would be responsible for Vermillion Lake, Larchwood, and Dowling.
In 1996, St. Stephen the Martyr was amalgamated with the parishes in Levack/Onaping and Cartier. Together, they became the Catholic Parishes of Onaping Falls and Cartier.
In 1998, the church needed extensive repairs and was rebuilt. In addition to paid contractors, many volunteers of the community at large as well as the Chevaliers de Colomb came together to accomplish the renovations. With the renovations completed, the bells of the church rang for the first time on December 24, 1998. The new building was consecrated by His Excellency Mgr Jean-Louis Plouffe (Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste Marie) on May 28, 1999.
St. Stephen the Martyr today
Last Updated on: August 13, 2024
