About Our Parish

The Parish of St. Vincent de Paul stands as the direct successor to a long history of missionary efforts in the Niagara region, dating back to 1626. Missionaries from France, predominantly Franciscans and Jesuits, propagated the Gospel throughout what is now Ontario, under the auspices of the bishop in Quebec. The Parish of St. Vincent de Paul was one of the three missions established in Upper Canada.

Newark, now known as Niagara-on-the-Lake, was the site of Upper Canada's inaugural parliament in 1792. In 1826, the ecclesiastical responsibilities for Upper Canada (Ontario) were shifted from Quebec to a newly appointed bishop in Kingston, Alexander Macdonnell. Bishop Macdonnell designated Fr. James Campion as the first resident parish priest for the entire Niagara Peninsula. Consequently, St. Vincent de Paul Parish was founded in 1826 to cater to the spiritual needs of the increasing Catholic population in the Niagara Peninsula and the west-central region of the Province. Although its pastoral jurisdiction was later diminished, St. Vincent de Paul Parish continued to be a significant spiritual center for Catholics on both sides of the Niagara River for many subsequent years.

In April 1831, Catholic residents gathered to plan the construction of a church. By May 1832, Bishop Macdonnell was granted four acres of land. The construction commenced and concluded in 1834. On November 9, 1835, Bishop Alexander Macdonell of Kingston consecrated the timber-framed church, adorned with Gothic windows. Pews were installed in 1844, and the original clapboard exterior was stuccoed in 1923.

By 1965, the church had expanded, incorporating a nonagon structure that matched the original windows and featured three sets of oak doors. The sanctuary was also renovated according to the Second Vatican Council's liturgical reforms.

On July 25, 1965, The Most Reverend Thomas J. McCarthy, Bishop of St. Catharines, dedicated the refurbished original church and the new polygonal extension at the front.

St. Vincent de Paul Church stands today as a testament to early Canadian church architecture and is the oldest Catholic Church in continuous use for worship in Ontario.