History

The origins of St. Andrew’s Parish are now forgotten, passed from living memory.  It is generally surmised that Archbishop McNeil purchased property in 1910 for a parish to serve the southern half of St. Patrick’s Parish, which then stretched from False Creek to the Fraser River.  There was a house on the property, and to the best of our knowledge, in the year 1911 Father J. Augustine McDonald became the first Pastor of our parish.

As near as can be ascertained, the first little church was built in early 1912, but no parish records appear until June 29, 1913 when Charles Francis Blando was baptized.  Later on September 7, 1913, Gerald Joseph, son of Michael Sweeney and Margaret Hennessey, was baptized.  These are names quite familiar to Vancouver old-timers.  Another early baptism was that of James Masse, who served the Archdiocese for many years before he died.

As for marriages, in the early years of World War One, there were weddings among the Laviolettes, McCulloughs, Mulveaneys, O’Reillys, and other families.  These, too, are names that bring back memories of years gone by.

Father McDonald left in early 1913.  He later died in Prince Edward Island in 1919.  Father John McCarthy took his place for a little over a year and then went to the United States.  From September 1914 until November 1915, Father J. Malone served St. Andrew’s and was followed by Father L.A. Lamontaque.

By the time of Father Lamontaque, the war was in full swing.  The debt of the parish was $6,665.75 as of March 30, 1916, a huge amount of money for those days.  Things were tough, but Father Lamontaque was a resourceful and determined French Canadian: with St. Basil’s hymn book in hand, he went up and down the aisle making sure that everyone sang; and then at collection time, he would retrace his steps carrying the offering basket and would poke pretending sleepers if they didn’t contribute.  For a while he even tried charging 50 cents a month for rent on pew space, but he had to discontinue this practice.  Children were exempt from his collection practices but not from his discipline; every Saturday morning he taught catechism to the older children, and there was always the threat of the belt for those who misbehaved.  Eventually, the church was remodeled, and on the first Sunday of August 1920, Archbishop J Casey blessed and rededicated it in the presence of many visitors and parishioners.

Ten years later on June 12, 1930, a new pastor, Father Peter Caroll, was assigned.  He was a very quiet man – the very antithesis of Father Lamontague.  He, too, had troubles, though — not with the war now but rather with the Great Depression, which was hitting rock bottom.  Father Caroll would rather starve than ask for money.  His great worry was that some families would break up under the pressure of those days.  He spoke often about the sanctity of marriage and the evils of divorce.  In recognition of his work, Pope Pius the tenth made him a domestic prelate – a Monsignor – on October 31, 1937, a great honor at any time.

The Second World War was in progress when on Palm Sunday, April 6, 1941, Father Peter Smeets took over the administration of St. Andrew’s Parish.  With plans to revitalize the Parish and bring the building up to date, Father Smeets began to organize work parties; these first included just the men but were later expanded to include the women and any of the young people who weren’t away at war.  In addition to the work parties, he organized social parties and many other groups that would motivate the people.  There was a Legion of Mary, a Men’s Club, and a P.T.A.  There were also troops of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.  There was also a Christian Family Movement and a C.Y.O.  Group Leaders came from different sectors of the Parish.  By the time the war ended, work had begun on the hall building.  The upstairs was converted into a school that opened in September 1946, with a faculty of four sisters of St. Joseph.  The downstairs was remodeled into a hall for bazaars, meetings, meals, parties, etc.  Father Smeets, who was a great hunter and fisherman, would supply wildlife and fish for many of these parish meals.  Local cherries and berries in season were also added to the menus.

When the war ended, many ethnic groups, Irish, Polish German, British, etc. became part of a very active growing family parish.  The little church that had stood for forty years was torn down in 1952 and construction of our present church began.

Contractors built the main structure, but much of the finishing, including the pews and the sacristy, was done by volunteers.  The church as it stands today is a permanent legacy of Father Smeets, a great organizer and a dedicated pastor.

On May 17, 1961, Father Smeets died after a protracted illness.  Rev. Albert Eisenring, a much younger man, full of enthusiasm, was appointed to the parish.

By this time, Vatican II was in session, and many changes in the Church were being talked about, and in this spirit, Father Eisenring brought the Liturgy used in the parish up to date.  He also made plans for a new school and rectory.  Sadly though, he never saw the plans finished for he was moved very soon after their formulation.

Father Dermott McInerney, Father Mac, came to the parish on September 8, 1963, and completed the building of the school and rectory. With Father Mac, a succession of priests came to spend some time in the parish and then moved on; names like Holsapfel, Nicholson, Shiel, bring back memories for many of us.  In 1976 Father Corcoran came to help and remained for the transition to the new pastor who would replace Father Mac in March of 1979.

During his 15 years in St. Andrew’s, Father Mac became known for his impressive sermons every Sunday at mass.  The labour movement in the lower mainland benefited from his knowledge and insights.  The finances of the parish were put in the black with a very successful Bingo program.  The only regret was the loss of the Sisters in the school; they were sorely missed.  In time Father Mac’s health deteriorated, and on February 18, 1979, he resigned as pastor so that he could rest and recuperate.

It was a month later that Father Victor Gallo, a classmate of Father Mac, was appointed to take his place.  Soon after his appointment, the sanctuary of the church was renovated, the choir stairs were completed, the facilities in the hall were changed, and a new baptistery was installed.  Sunday missals were put in every pew, and the Canadian Book of Worship was made available to all, thanks to the Catholic Women’s League in the parish.

In October 1989, a week before construction was scheduled to begin on a much needed gymnasium, fire destroyed St. Andrew’s Church.  According to Father Gallo, the cause of the fire was never determined with any certainty, but it was thought to have been electrical in origin.  A hastily erected tent temporarily solved the parish’s immediate shelter problem, but when the gym was finished, the parishioners were greatly relieved to get out from under “the big top” by moving into the new gym.

In November 29, 1992, three years after the fire, the new St. Andrew’s Church was completed, and it was blessed by Archbishop Adam Exner.  Parishioners were so happy and joined the celebrations surrounding the consecration of the church.

During the last ten years the ethnic make-up of St. Andrew’s parish has changed greatly, reflecting the influx of people from the Pacific Rim.  Now, about half the population of the parish has origins in the Eastern Pacific, and our school children are mostly of Filipino, Chinese, Fijian, or East Indian origin.  We all, however, are cemented together by our common Faith in God and our respect and Christian love for one another.  Just like the many national groups who worked together after the War to form a vibrant parish in the 50’s and 60’s, our current parishioners, representing even greater variety of cultures, work together to enrich our Christian community, following the example and the Christian spirit of those who went before.

Our parish is deeply thankful for the love and guidance we have received over the years from our Pastors: Father J. Augustine McDonald (1911-1913), Father John McCarthy (1913-1914), Father J Malone (1914-1915), Father L.A. Lamontague (1915-1930), Father Peter Carroll (1930-1941), Father Smeets (1941-1961), Father Albert Eisenring (1961-1963), Father Dermot McInerney (1963-1979), Father Tom Corcoran – Assistant (1976-1992), Father Victor Gallo (1979-1992), Father Ernst Lehner (1992-1997), Father Dominic Ip (1997-2001), Father Joseph Nguyen (2001-2010), Father Wilfred Gomes (summer of 2010 – July 11, 2018), and now our current pastor, Father Joseph (Joe) Hieu Nguyen.

What the future holds for our parish, we cannot know; but we put ourselves in God’s Hands, confident that He will help us always to do His Will on this earth.  With His Love and Guidance we will attain our goal with Him forever.