In 1903 Mr. Douglas, co-founder of Kelly-Douglas Foods built the house that is known as the Rectory. Around 1922, Archbishop Timothy Casey purchased this for the archdiocese. It served as the episcopal residence until around 1930. During the ’30s and ’40s it became an aprtment or rooming house.
In 1946, Father Clinton took up residence there and the building became the rectory. During later renovations under Father Kotsko, finished by Father Tritschler, the landscaping mentioned above was done. Also the roof was repaired, and the basement renovated. When the changes were complete, there were new meeting rooms and a kitchen so that the lower level could be used for receptions.
Guardian Angels officially became a parish on April 10, 1996.
Guardian Angels is home to people from more than 30 countries or regions of the world. They each bring different gifts to share and they help in building the faith community.
Even for those born in Canada and raised as ‘cradle Catholics’ before the second Vatican council, it sometimes seems a very different church from the one we remember as children.
Memories remain of Latin Mass and limbo, scapular medals and St. Christopher, plenary indulgences and Gregorian chant, high and low masses.
Now we hear Mass in English, with occasional visiting priests saying Mass in the language of a community, whether Tagalog or Portuguese, French or Spanish. The Indonesian community celebrates a Mass in Indonesian once a month at Guardian Angels Parish. First Nations people offer new ways of expressing faith at diocesan celebrations.
Emphasis on externals may change, liturgical styles may change, but the faithful at daily Mass know that some things never change. The Mass is the same, the Eucharist is the same, the substance of the faith is the same. There is comfort and joy in liturgy, in praying the same prayers that are being said by Catholics around the world each day. It is still the same universal church founded on the rock of Peter.