About Us
Our Patron, John Bosco
John Bosco was born of a poor family in northern Italy on August 16, 1815. His mother was widowed when John was only two years old. His education became sporadic as he worked to assist his mother and family. Later, his mother remarried, but his stepfather did not believe in much education. Through much sacrifice and determination, John completed his education and was ordained a priest in 1841. The hardship of his life gave him a special love for the youth of his day, especially the orphans and those who were homeless due to harsh economic times. John Bosco, or "Don" (Father) Bosco as he was known, not only housed these young people, but also gave them an education and a trade. He founded a Salesian Congregation and is known as the "Apostle of Youth". Don Bosco died January 31, 1888. He was declared a saint of the Church in 1934.
Our Church
St. John Bosco Parish was officially established on September 1, 1979 with Father J. Phillip Horrigan as its first pastor. In 1984, the architectural firm of Ala-Kantti Associates of Ottawa was chosen with Vince Colizza as the project architect. In October of that year, plans began to take shape. By April of 1985, tenders were called and on June 8, 1985, the sod was turned. On January 31, 1986 (the feast of St. John Bosco), the parish celebrated the Eucharist in the parish Centre. The Centre was still incomplete: the floor was concrete, the lights were temporary and the walls were unpainted. Finally, on Sunday, June 8, 1986 (exactly one year after turning the sod), Archbishop Francis J. Spence dedicated the building to the glory of God.
Read more about the unique architecture of our Parish here.
Our Leaders
We are currently in our 32nd year as a parish, and we have had four wonderful Fathers lead us over the years.
Father J. Phillip Horrigan: 1979 to 1994
Our first was Father Phil. He was with the parish for fifteen years before leaving us in 1994 to pursue further studies. He guided our first steps and watched the parish grow.
Father John Hibbard: 1994 to 2003
Father John Hibbard succeeded Father Phil, and led the parish for nine years. Under his leadership, St. John Bosco had three seminarians complete their internships: Fred Happy, Tom MacDonald and Stéphane Pouliot. Father John left us on July 15, 2003.
Father Timothy Harrison: 2003 to 2010
We welcomed Father Timothy Harrison in 2003. Unlike the previous two pastors, Father Tim's priesthood could be considered a second vocation. Prior to his ordination on August 4, 1990, Father Tim was a professional in the business world. After various jobs during his secondary, college and university days, his final job was as an accountant for a large corporation.
Father Stéphane Pouliot: 2010 to present
On July 14, 2010, Archbishop Brendan O'Brien of Kingston installed Father Stéphane Pouliot as our new pastor. Father Stéphane was ordained on May 24, 2003 and served as Associate Pastor at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Kingston from 2003 to 2005. In 2005, he became the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Frankford, Stirling, Batawa) before coming to St. John Bosco in Brockville in 2010.
