Parish Priests

Father Titus Egbueh

Pastor:

2013

Father Ibodimma Titus Egbueh was born in Nigeria, on 4th of February, 1962. He is the first son of Mr Patrick and Mrs Veronica Egbueh. He has a sister (Uchenna) and four brothers (Emeka, Chukwuka, Arinze, and Chijioke). His parents are staunch Catholics, and so he had a very strong Catholic family tradition. His parents were both retired principals, and his father died in 2011. Father Egbueh had spent a significant ten years of his life in Canada and has a dual citizenship, Nigerian and Canadian.

Father Greg Murray

Pastor:

2010 to 2013

Father Greg Murray went on as Pastor of Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Ottawa

Father Herman Falke

Pastor:

1992 to 2010

St. John's and St. Brigid's returned to the care of the Sacred Heart Fathers with the arrival of Father Herman Falke in 1992. Like his classmate Joe Eliens, Father Falke also came to Canada as a seminarian in 1952. He finished his studies at St. Peter's Seminary in London and was ordained a priest September 19, 1954, He soon graduated from the Ontario Teachers' College, and settled into a teaching career of 31 continuous years. He taught English, history and geography, but art became more and more his favourite subject.

Father James W. J. Whalen

Pastor:

1991 to 1992

Father Jim Whalen was born in Val d'Or, Quebec, and was ordained in Ottawa in 1972. Since his ordination. Father Jim has worked as assistant pastor or pastor in many Ottawa churches, including St. George's, St. Theresa's, Resurrection and St. Margaret Mary's. He has also been involved in other areas of service to the Church, including acting as chaplain to native people (1972-1989) and serving as Regional Vicar (1984-1989). Father Jim has also been active in the Companions of the Cross.

Father Terrence A. Sirosky

Pastor:

1989 to 1991

Father Terrence Sirosky was born in Renfrew and was ordained there in 1982. Much of his career has been spent in the Pembroke Diocese, including Arnprior and Eganville. In 1988- 1989, Father Terrence was pastor of St. Mary's in Ottawa, before moving to St. John's and St. Brigid's in August 1989. In 1991 he returned to Pembroke Diocese and was posted to St. Andrew's in Killaloe. Father Terrence's most recent assignment is at Our Lady of Mercy in Bancroft.

Father Thomas A. Riopelle

Pastor:

1984 to 1987

Father Riopelle was born in Ottawa and did his theological studies in Montreal. He was a member of the Brothers of the Good Shepherd from 1965 to 1977, before being ordained in Ottawa in 1978. He has served in many parishes throughout the area, including St. Maurice's, St. Brigid's, Ottawa, and Our Lady of the Visitation. In 1984, Father Tom was appointed pastor of St. John the Evangelist and the missions of St. Brigid's and St. Leonard's. During his tenure as pastor, he oversaw the expansion and remodeling of St. Brigid's. The newly-renovated St.

Father James W. J. Whalen

Pastor:

1978 to 1984

Father Joe Eliens

Pastor:

1977 to 1978

Father Joe Eliens came to Canada as a seminarian in 1952, completed his studies at St. Peter's Seminary in London, and was ordained there September 19, 1954. First he taught at the S.C.J. Seminary, but was, in fact, doing any job his superiors deemed necessary: work among Dutch immigrants, short-term parish work, involvement with the Cursillo movement, finances. That is how he spent some time in Osgoode. However, he could not just sit in the rectory. His confreres secretly dubbed him "Father 401", a pilgrim continuously on the move. He died unexpectedly in Toronto, November 1990.

Father Leo Hermans

Pastor:

1971 to 1976

Father Leo Hermans arrived in Canada early in 1949. In the S.CJ. Seminary he taught French, Latin and German, and he was prefect of discipline. In 1955 he became superior, and six years later became the first provincial superior.

Father John Meenderink

Pastor:

1968 to 1971

Arriving in Canada in 1951, Father John Meenderink worked for years among the Dutch immigrants who were settling in southern Ontario. In parish ministry he served in various parishes such as Simcoe, Uxbridge, Windsor, Osgoode and Hagersville. His favourite expresssions, "caramba" and "mere's no two ways about it", his mooing like a cow, and his stubborn streak, indicate that he felt comfortable with everybody.

In 1990 he returned to Holland, where he died in 1997 at age 77.

Father John Van Rut

Pastor:

1961 to 1968

Father John Van Rut came to Canada in 1951, and was for many years the bursar of the S.CJ. Seminary. In 1961 he came to Osgoode. He lived a simple life and was his own cook and handyman. Remaining a farmer at heart, he often helped some parisioners in the busy hay- ing season. When he became 80, he returned to Holland, and turned 90 in good health at the end of 2003.

Father Alphonse Vander Vorst

Pastor:

1960

Father Alphonse Vander Vorst was one of the first members to come to Canada in 1948 and travelled throughout southern Ontario to visit Dutch immigrants. In 1959, he became superior of the S.CJ. community in Ottawa, and in that capacity accepted the two parishes. Afterwards, he took care of the spiritual needs of senior citizens in three nursing homes on Carling Avenue for many years. Eventually, his own frail health forced him to become a res- ident priest at St. Patrick's Home, where he died in 1989 at age 78.

Father James Basil Finn

Pastor:

1949 to 1960

Father Finn completed his studies at the University of Ottawa and St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto and was ordained in 1934. His first appointment as pastor was in Mayo in 1945. Father Finn became pastor of St. John's and St. Brigid's in 1949 and he remained until 1960. He died on May 19,1962.

Father Ernest Maloney

Pastor:

1942 to 1949

Father Maloney was born in St. Joseph's Parish, Ottawa. Following his ordination in 1927, he served as vicar in Almonte. In 1942, he was appointed pastor to St. John's and St. Brigid's, where he remained until 1949. Father Maloney died on October 5, 1951.

Father Wilfred Nevins

Pastor:

1940 to 1942

Before coming to St. John's he was at Pakenam and curate at St. Mary's Ottawa. he was ordained in 1929 at Blessed Sacrament Church, Ottawa.

Father William Francis Tierney

Pastor:

1931 to 1940

Father Tierney grew up in St. Patrick's Parish, Fallowfield, and was ordained in Ottawa in 1921. Before his appointment to St. John's and St. Brigid's, he was curate at St. Brigid's and St. Mary's in Ottawa. After leaving St. John's and St. Brigid's in 1940, he became pastor at Martindale, Quebec and then pastor at Holy Rosary in Ottawa in 1952. Father Tierney retired in 1970 and died at St. Patrick's Home, Ottawa, on November 3, 1978.

Father Augustine Francis Xavier Gorman

Pastor:

1925 to 1931

Father Gorman was born in Buckingham, Quebec and received his theological education in Ottawa and Toronto. Following his ordination in 1919, he was curate at St. Brigid's in Ottawa before his appointment to St. John's and St. Brigid's in 1925. Later, he served as pastor in Pakenham and at St. Margaret Mary's in Ottawa. Father Gorman retired in 1959.

Father John A. Ainsborough

Pastor:

1923 to 1925

Father Ainsborough was educated in Ottawa and Montreal. Before his appointment to St. John's and St. Brigid's in September, 1923, he was vicar in Almonte and pastor in Mayo and Martindale. Father Ainsborough died on August 21, 1954.

Father Francis Corkery

Pastor:

1916 to 1923

Following his ordination in 1914, Father Corkery served as a curate at St. Brigid's, Ottawa, until his appointment to St. John's and St. Brigid's in 1916. Father Corkery is credited with the considerable expansion of the parish during his years as pastor. Also, during this time, the frame church at Enniskerry was replaced by the present stone church. It was blessed on September 29, 1919. In 1923, Father Corkery was transferred to South Gloucester. He was named parish priest of St. Brigid's, Ottawa, in 1945, where he remained until his sudden death in 1956.

Father Thomas John Brownrigg

Pastor:

1912 to 1916

Father Brownrigg, a native of Curran, Ontario, served the people of the Ottawa area for 46 years. His parishes included St. Isidore's, South March and St. Philip's, Richmond. He was pastor of St. John's and St. Brigid's from 1912 to 1916 and finished his ministry at St. Mary's, Ottawa. He retired in 1945 and died in Ottawa in 1956 at the age of 88.