In 1926, the most northern English-language Roman Catholic parish in Montreal was St. Michael the Archangel, located in Mile End. Its territory extended from Mount Royal Avenue in the south all the way to Jarry Farm in the north. If you lived in Villeray, it was at least a two km walk or trolley ride to the church and school. St. Michael’s, with 1,800 families, was then the largest English-language parish in the diocese.
Between Villeray and St. Michael’s, there were at least seven French-language Catholic churches and the Italian parish, Chiesa della Madonna della Difesa. Many English-speaking faithful attended one of these churches simply because they were more accessible, especially in the wintertime.
Although they were able to fulfill their religious duties by attending Sunday mass, the English-speaking faithful did not receive the full “comforts of religion,” since all other instruction and ministry was in a language and a cultural context significantly different from their own.
The English-speaking Catholic population of Villeray, predominantly Irish, had been growing ever since the Shamrock lacrosse team had made their home there at the turn of the century. They now petitioned the Archdiocese of Montreal to erect a new English-language parish to serve the north-end community. Coadjutor Archbishop George Gauthier granted their request July 4, 1926 under the patronage of the Holy Family and appointed Fr. Aloysius Ignatius Walsh the first pastor.