A heritage church in Lowertown, Ottawa
In 1888, all the Catholics of Lowertown, principally Irish and French, worshipped together at Notre Dame Cathedral. The population had grown to such an extent that some English speaking members of the congregation met with Archbishop Duhamel to discuss the establishment and construction of a separate English parish in Lowertown. St. Brigid's Church opened on the corner of St. Patrick and Cumberland streets in 1890. The architect was James R. Bowes (d. 1892). Mr. John J. Lyons directed the construction.
Architectural features include a massive limestone exterior, Romanesque portals, carved capitals, two bulb steeples of different heights showing a Russian-Byzantine influence. The interior has outstanding Tudor fan vaults with pendants, similar to those found in the Rideau Chapel, now in the National Gallery of Canada.
The first parish priest was the Very Rev. Canon Peter McCarthy. When he died in 1904, he was replaced by the Very Rev. Canon John Sloan. In 1908, interior decoration was entrusted to Toussaint-Xenophon Renaud (b. 1860-d. 1946), painter of religious decoration. The church was heavily decorated with paintings, faux stone work and scagliola.
Situated in the most historic section of Ottawa, St. Brigid's parish served a community of tradespeople, lumbermen, and other labourers involved with the building of Lowertown and the Rideau Canal. The church was very busy from its inception and is associated with several notables, including King Clancey of Toronto Maple Leafs fame.
The church has historic ties with the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who taught and ran the schools affiliated with St. Brigid's. Their devotion to charity helped to set the origins of the social programs to which St. Brigid's is still committed and continues as the Sister Eleanor Fund. The establishment of the Shepherds of Good Hope, one of the most important social aid organizations of the city, began operations in the basement of St. Brigid's and still resides in the parish community.
In the late twentieth century, liturgical reform and demographic changes altered many aspects of the church. The parish now includes New Edinburgh, Lindenlea and Rockliffe. Numerous members of the Filipino, Latin American and African communities have also joined the original Irish parishioners to enhance the multicultural nature of the parish.
In the 1960's, all of the interior décor had been painted over, presumably as a result of changes instigated by Vatican II. In 1981, the building was designated a heritage property by the City of Ottawa. In 1989, three murals were restored by a professional conservator, Stanislaw Dusko. The church was designated "provincially significant" by the Ontario Heritage foundation in 1989.
In 2003, a major Restoration Fund Drive, authorized by the Archdiocese of Ottawa, was launched to restore this significant architectural building to its former splendor. The objective of the campaign is $700,000 for the first phase for exterior work and the initial interior restoration, and a total of $3.5 million for the total project. An appeal has gone out to the Irish community to help St. Brigid's return to is significant position in Lowertown and Ottawa.
Contribution for pledges and funds will be gratefully accepted at:
St. Brigid's Parish
179 Murray Street
Ottawa K1N 5M7
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