Our Parish

Parish History

St. Joseph the Worker Parish

Parish was founded under Bishop Alexander Carter on July 15, 1963 and placed in the care of the Stigmatine Fathers. The Stigmatine Fathers also established the Catholic Information Centre, which was closed and sold for the use as a Teen Centre in 2001. The Centre is now under St. Vincent de Paul, Men's Shelter and Thrift Store. The first pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Church was Fr. Soracco and remained pastor until the Stigmatine Fathers left Sault Ste. Marie in 1975; when the parish was then administered by the Diocesan Priests.

St. Andrew Bobola Parish
In 1954, Father E. Jastalski, traveled from Sudbury once a month to celebrate masses at St. Veronica's Parish for the Polish people. Under the substantial leadership of  Fr. S. Robert, a concentration camp survivor, St. Andrew Bobola Church, a centre of the ethnic Polish community was finally built in 1960. It was named after the 17th century Polish Jesuit martyr (1591-1657). Fr. Robert continued to serve as pastor until his death in 1972. For over 30 years, the parish also sponsored a Polish school which encouraged the Polish language, culture and dancing.

Holy Family Parish:

Since January 2011, the Diocese amalgamated these two long-time beloved parishes into one, and that is how Holy Family was created. As of today, they are still flourishing in harmony and support. The faithful parishioners have faced problems but they just became more resilient and stronger community. As all of us, they dealt with problems, adjustments and changes, plus the Pandemic, but with faith and love for each other, they have created a caring community of believers that  support their community with diverse social and charitable activities: fundraisers for different causes, prayers, and celebrations in their beautiful Hall. All under the practical and devoted eyes of our Pastor, Father Boguslaw Jaroszek, who has shown his leadership to guide this community with his constant and deep sharing of the rites and protocols of our Catholic Faith, his sense of humour, and a life of example as a very faithful and humble servant of God. 

On January 1, 2011, the  parishes of St. Andrew Bobola and St. Joseph the Worker amalgamated on the site of St. Andrew Bobola Church and became a new parish called Holy Family. Masses are offered in English and in Polish. Fr. Boguslaw Jarszek is our first pastor of Holy Family Parish.