OUR COMMUNITY

In 1966, Bishop Webster established a mission church in Millbrook served by the Redemptorists Fathers. Sunday Mass was initially celebrated at the Legion and later at St. Andrew’s United Church. The little mission church grew and on June 12th, 1978, St. Thomas More Parish was established by Bishop Doyle and Father Richard Walsh was appointed its’ first pastor.

St. Thomas More moved to its’ new home at Grace Presbyterian Church in December of 1979. The church was eventually purchased outright and consecrated as a Catholic Church by Bishop Doyle on October 22nd, 1999.

Over time, connected mission churches were established in Pontypool, Nestleton and Bewdley. Eventually, the Nestleton mission church, the only mission still actively serving, was named St. Bernadette mission church and moved to the United Church in Yelverton. In September 2017, the mission moved once again to its current location in North Nestleton.

OUR PRIEST

Fr. Antonio Barol was appointed Pastor of St. Thomas More Parish and St. Bernadette Mission, in June 2019. He was born in the Philippines in 1949. He was ordained in December 1977. Fr. Antonio came to Canada in 1999 and has been assigned to 4 deaneries in the diocese: the city, central, south and north; most recently coming from St. Joseph’s Church in Powassan.

OUR BISHOP

Bishop Daniel Miehm was born in 1960 in Kitchener, Ontario.  After studies at St. Jerome’s College, University of Waterloo and St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, he was ordained to the Priesthood on May 6, 1989, at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Hamilton. After serving as a Priest in the Diocese of Hamilton from 1989 to 2013, Bishop Miehm was ordained Bishop on May 7, 2013.

On April 19th, 2017, Bishop Daniel as installed at the bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough, succeeding Bishop William McGrattan who was appointed to the Diocese of Calgary

Bishop Miehm holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from St. Augustine’s Seminary and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Angelicum University in Rome.

Our Patron Saint

St. Thomas More

Thomas More was born in London on February 7, 1478 to a prominent family. After many studies, Thomas worked in law and politics. After forming a family of four children, Thomas’ first wife, Jane Colt died in 1511, but he married Alice Hapur Middleton, who already had a daughter, shortly afterwards. Thomas was considered a doting father, and often wrote letters to his children while away and insisted that his daughters receive the same education as his son.

Thomas earned a reputation as being an honest and effective politician. More also honed his skills as a theologian and a writer. Among his most famous works is “Utopia”.

King Henry VIII took a liking to Thomas, who was fiercely loyal to the king, and gave him posts of ever increasing responsibility. He was eventually made Lord Chancellor. Thomas worked tirelessly to defend the Catholic faith in England. However, when Thomas refused to sign a letter to the Pope for the king requesting an annulment, his relationship with King Henry, who was preparing to break away from the Church of Rome, began to weaken.

On April 13, 1534, Thomas was ordered to take an oath, acknowledging Anne Boleyn, the new wife of King Henry, as queen, Henry’s self-granted annulment from Catherine, and the superior position of the king as head of the church. Thomas accepted Henry’s marriage to Anne, but refused to acknowledge Henry as head of the church, or his annulment from Catherine. This led to his arrest.

Thomas faced trial on July 1st and was convicted of treason and sentenced to death on July 6, 1535 by a jury made up of relatives of the king and queen. In his last words he proclaimed that he was “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”

Feast day: June 22

Patron of adopted children lawyers, civil servants, politicians, and difficult marriages

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Our Patron Saint

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

St. Bernadette, who suffered with poor health, was born as the first of nine children in Lourdes, France on January 7, 1844 to a very poor family.

On February 11 1858, a beautiful lady who wore blue and white and carried a rosary began appearing to Bernadette at a grotto. Bernadette returned to the grotto to see the woman many times but those with her were with her were unable to see to woman. On the 16th appearance, the woman announced herself as the Immaculate Conception. On February 25, Bernadette had a life-changing vision telling her to drink of the water of the spring, to wash in it and to eat the herb that grew there. The next day, the grotto’s muddy waters had been cleared and fresh clear water flowed.

Bernadette’s embarrassed parents attempted to stop her from visiting the grotto, but were unable to do so. Bernadette’s story created a division in her town. While many believed her, others thought she had a mental illness. Church authorities and the French government rigorously interviewed the girl, and by 1862 they confirmed she spoke truth.

Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity but died from tuberculosis at the age of 35 on April 16, 1879. Thirty years later, her body was exhumed. While the crucifix and rosary she carried had been oxidized, her body remained incorrupt, one of the miracles supporting her canonization.

Nearly 70 cures at Lourdes have been verified as miraculous after extremely rigorous scientific and medical examinations. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.

Feast day: April 16
Patron of: Illness, people ridiculed for their piety, poverty, shepherds and shepherdesses, and Lourdes, France

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