Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

the Glebe The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area in the Capital Ward. According to the Glebe Community Association, the neighbourhood is bounded on the north by the Queensway, on the ...

neighbourhood of Ottawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. The parish was founded on March 25, 1913, with the first building being a simple chapel. The current building at 194 Fourth Avenue, was built in 1931.

History

A brass memorial plaque was erected by the Blessed Sacrament parish in memory of parishioners and comrades of the overseas military forces of Canada. It was unveiled on Armistice Day (11 November) 1920 by Reverent John J. O'Gorman, P.P. When the current building opened in 1932, its plain design and lack of ornamentation caused local controversy because it seemed more Protestant than Catholic. However, the building later won plaudits for its modern design. Designed by John Gibb Morton, it is considered an example of the Perpendicular Gothic style. A memorial organ was unveiled on Christmas 1946, in memory of the parishioners who gave their lives in World War II. As with Ottawa's other old churches, declining

church attendance Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians; some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church require church attendance on the Lord's Day (Sunday); the Westminster Confession of Faith is held by the Reformed ...

had caused problems for the church. For several years it served as home to Ottawa's Hungarian Catholic community, though they left in 1997.

Church attendance Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians; some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church require church attendance on the Lord's Day (Sunday); the Westminster Confession of Faith is held by the Reformed ...

began to increase dramatically when Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Gervais appointed the popular priest Fr. Joseph (Joe) LeClair as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

. Fr Galen Bank was installed as pastor at Blessed Sacrament in July 2013. Father Galen, along with Associate Pastor Fr Francis Donnelly, have followed in the footsteps of Blessed Sacrament's founder Fr. O'Gorman by reaching out to and working with the parish community. The church's parish retains its original form. It covers the area north and west of the Rideau Canal, south of the Queensway and east of Booth Street.

Gallery

File:Blessed Sacrament Church main entrance, Ottawa.JPG, Main entrance File:Blessed Sacrament Church, Ottawa.JPG, North side

References

External links

Official website
{{Catholicism Roman Catholic churches completed in 1913 Roman Catholic churches in Ottawa Gothic Revival architecture in Ottawa Roman Catholic churches in Ontario Hungarian-Canadian culture Gothic Revival church buildings in Canada 1913 establishments in Ontario 20th-century churches in Canada