It's our 100th post!

It has been two years since we started The Archivist's Pencil and this is our one hundredth post.
In honour of this milestone, we thought it would make a lot of cents (!) to feature ten records with reference to "100":

Archbishop Lynch fonds, LRC69.23

Offering of 100 lire on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Pope Leo XIII's priestly ordination (24 December 1886)

First World War, FWGC01.13

"21st April 1916
Your Grace, This morning your cable 'hundred masses' arrived here, and I hasten to express my profound thanks for this great kindness and valuable help...
Three of my priests have been appointed military chaplains in connection with the expedition against German East Africa...
It took me over two months to visit all the missions; - I covered over 750 miles on a push bike."

Parish Collection, St. Mary's Toronto

"Souvenir of St. Mary's Parish, Bathurst and Adelaide Streets, Toronto, Ontario
Centennial Year 1852-1952"

St. Mary's is the third oldest parish in the city, after St. Paul's Basilica and St. Michael's Cathedral

Archbishop Neil McNeil fonds, MNAH16.104

"June 17, 1927...Enclosed find receipt for 100 Special Permits (Minister of the Gospel)."

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) was created in 1927 with the end of prohibition, which had been introduced in the province in 1916. However, temperance was still encouraged and from 1927 to 1962, the LCBO required people who wanted to purchase liquor to possess a permit. This letter to the LCBO suggests that priests were issued special permits for mass wine.

Archbishop Neil McNeil fonds, MNAH16.104

"Monastery of Our Lady of Charity, August 31, 1921
Enclosed is our cheque for One hundred dollars, the fifth and last payment on our new lot in Mount Hope Cemetery."

Mount Hope Cemetery is one of two operational Catholic cemeteries in downtown Toronto. It opened in 1900 as St. Michael's Cemetery began to fill up.

Archbishop Neil McNeil fonds, MNAH05.16

 "March 17, 1916
Your Grace, Just a note this evening to ask you if I could have a little extension of time in saying the remainder of those 100 Masses, 'ad intentionem,' which you so kindly gave me last October.  I offered 50 of them to the Bishop when I returned but he evidently had a good number of intentions on hand, because he didn't care to take mine."

Bishop de Charbonnel fonds, CAC02.09

September 15, 1853 - An Indenture made between the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation and John Butler, yeoman, for a transfer of land in the Township of Dereham, County of Oxford in consideration of one hundred pounds of lawful money.

The 1850s was a decade of wrangling over whether to adopt a sterling monetary system or a decimal monetary system based on the US dollar. In 1853, the sterling coinage was made legal tender, and all other silver coins were demonetized.  Therefore, one hundred pounds of lawful money refers to the British pound. The first Canadian coinage was not authorized and executed until 1858.
This land in the county of Oxford became part of the Diocese of London, which was erected in 1856.

Archbishop Lynch fonds, LRC44.12

Letter from Bishop Lynch asking Pope Pius IX to grant an indulgence of 100 days to the members of the Altar Boys' Confraternity, also for the College of St. Basil, the House of Providence, the Loretto Sisters, the St. Joseph Sisters and the various priests. (June 13, 1862)

Archbishop McEvay fonds, MEAF02.02

A letter from Archbishop McEvay scribbled on an envelope explaining that $100 worth of stock, received from Robertson and Coughlin, was sold for $32.00 (February 22, 1905)

Archbishop McNeil fonds, MNAH03.12

"Toronto, Feb. 2/14
Most Rev. Archbishop, This is the first opportunity I have had to reply to your letter re new hospital and infants' home.  While my means are not great I will try to send $100 a year for five years..."

This letter refers to St. Mary's Hospital and Infants' Home, which addressed the lack of  maternity care for young, unmarried Catholic women. Archbishop McNeil invited the Misericordia Sisters of Montreal to establish and administer the home in 1914.

Hail Virgin, dearest Mary! Our lovely Queen of May!

In May, Catholics take the time to honour St. Mary. While devotion to Mary is popular year-round, many parishes organize special events in her name during this month.

Here in the Archives, we decided to celebrate Mary by highlighting some of the parishes named in her honour. It is clear that Mary is a popular saint within the Archdiocese of Toronto, as there are twelve churches named for her, and that doesn't even count the churches dedicated to 'Our Lady!'

If you would like to see each church as it appears today, the linked addresses listed below will take you to Google Streetview. It is fun to see how the churches have changed, as well as the neighbourhoods around them.

St. Mary's Parish, Toronto:

St. Mary's Church, Toronto, 1914
PH31P/227AL/03P

St. Mary's, the third parish in Toronto, was established in 1852. It is located at 588 Adelaide St. W. The land was originally part of a military training ground called Garrison Reserve. A parcel was granted to Bishop Macdonell with his promise that there would be seats for Catholic soldiers. The land was described as being on Lake Ontario because there were no other buildings between it and the water. The present church is the third located on that site, having been built between 1885 and 1889.

St. Mary's Parish, Barrie

St. Mary's Church, Barrie, 1963 & 1973
PH102/0128/28P, PH102/0128/35CP

The pastoral needs of early Catholic settlers in the Barrie area were provided for first by missionary priests, and then by priests from parishes in Penetanguishene and Newmarket. Sacraments were performed in private homes. In the late 1830s, land for a church was granted to the Catholic community at the corner of McDonald and Mulcaster streets. By 1850, the first church was blessed. In 1855, a pastor was appointed specifically to Barrie, and St Mary's became its own parish. A second church was completed in 1872. In 1968, construction began on the current St. Mary's Church at 65 Amelia St. (above right). It was blessed on May 26, 1969.

St. Mary's Parish, Brampton

St. Mary's Church, Brampton, [1910-1964] & 1974
PH102/0135/01P, PH102/0135/04CP

Catholics in Brampton were originally served by priests from nearby parishes. The first church in the area was Guardian Angels Mission Church, which was destroyed by arson in 1878. A Presbyterian church was purchased and used until 1910, when a new church named St. Mary's was completed. In 1918 St. Mary's was established as a parish. A bigger church, located at 66 Main St. S., was blessed for the growing Catholic population by Cardinal McGuigan on December 13, 1964.

St. Mary's Parish, Collingwood

St. Mary's Church, Collingwood, 1963
PH102/0138/13P

Catholics in Collingwood were originally part of the Mission of Barrie. By 1859, there were enough Catholics in the area to purchase a church from an Anglican congregation. In 1886, Collingwood was established as a parish, and a new church was completed in 1888 at 63 Elgin St.

St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Mississauga

St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Mississauga, 19 April 1953
PH102/0155/04P

The earliest masses in the Port Credit area were said in private homes. In 1880, St. Mary's Church was built as a mission of St. Patrick's, Dixie. By 1914, there were enough Catholics in the area to establish St. Mary's as a parish. As the Catholic population grew, the need for a new church became apparent. The current St. Mary's was built at 11 Peter St. S., and was blessed on April 19, 1953 by Cardinal McGuigan.

St. Mary of the People Parish, Oshawa

St. Mary of the People Church, Oshawa, 1973
PH 102/0168/07CP

With the expansion of industry in Oshawa in the early 1950s, the Catholic population of the city increased. A new parish was established in 1957 to meet the growing need. The first mass was held in St. Christopher school. A new church was completed at 570 Marion Ave. and was blessed on January 16, 1966 by Archbishop Pocock.

St. Mary Immaculate Parish, Richmond Hill

St. Mary Immaculate Church, Richmond Hill, 1963 & 1973
PH102/0178/30P, PH102/34CP

The first St. Mary's in Richmond Hill was built on Mill St. in 1857 as a mission of St. John Chrysostom, Newmarket. In 1894, a new church was built at 10295 Yonge St. In 1918, St. Mary's was established as a parish. The population explosion of the 1950s necessitated a new church, and the present St. Mary Immaculate Church was dedicated on July 28, 1968 by Apostolic Delegate to Canada Most Reverend Emanuele Clarizio.

St Mary's Polish Parish, Toronto

St. Mary's Polish Church, Toronto, 1981
PH102/0085/01CP

St. Mary's Polish Parish was established in 1914 when members of the Polish population began to move into West Toronto. They were able to build a church in 1915 at 1996 Davenport Rd.

St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Toronto

St. Mary of the Angels Church, Toronto, 1963
PH102/0086/10P

St. Mary of the Angels Parish was built from a need to relieve some of the pressure from St. Clement's Parish, which was overflowing with a growing Italian population. The task of building the new church was given to a Franciscan priest, Fr. Settimio Balo. The cornerstone was laid at 1481 Dufferin St., and the building was blessed by Cardinal McGuigan on June 20, 1937.

St. Mary's Parish, Victoria Harbour

St. Mary's Church, Victoria Harbour, 1963
PH102/0186/07P

The original St. Mary's was built as a mission of St. Margaret's Midland in 1882 on William St. It was established as its own parish in 1919. The church was destroyed by fire in the 1930s, and the present church was built at 266 Albert St. shortly after.

St. Mary's Mission, Nobleton

St. Mary's Church, Nobleton, 1963
PH102/209/02CP

With the influx of Irish immigrants in the mid 1800s, the need for churches in York County increased. St. Mary's was established as a mission of St. Patrick's, Schomberg in 1855. The first mass was held at the church on the Tenth Line on September 23.

St. Mary's Mission, Achill

St. Mary's Mission Church, Achill, 1963
PH102/213/03P

St. Mary's was established as a mission of St. James Parish, Colgan in 1875. In 1892, the original frame church was destroyed by fire. A new church, located at 2458 4th Line of Adjala, was dedicated by Very Reverend Joseph McCann, Vicar General of the Archdiocese.