In the spring of 1913, Father Patrick McDonald was sent by Archbishop Bruchesi to start a parish for the English-speaking Catholics west of the Tailrace, the stream that separated Verdun from Pointe St. Charles. Where others saw fields, he saw the future home of St. Willibrord’s Church.
At first, parish life began modestly. From a small flat on Church Avenue, Father McDonald organized the community and celebrated Mass in the Brothers’ Hall of Académie Richard on Galt Avenue until the first church was built. Even before that building went up, something special—what would later be called “the Willibrord Spirit”—was already alive.
The first parishioners, mostly second-generation Irish and British Catholics who had moved from Griffintown and Pointe St. Charles, brought their skills and generosity with them. Many were carpenters and masons, and they pitched in to help build the first church. From the very beginning, participation and giving were part of the parish’s DNA.
As Verdun grew rapidly through the 1920s, so did St. Willibrord’s. By 1925, the parish had outgrown its first building, and plans for a larger church began to take shape. These were years when families were big, faith was central, and parish life was at the heart of the English-Catholic community.
Father Joseph Peter Cameron was born on May 28 1932 and served in several parishes before being assigned to Saint Willibrord Parish in Verdun, where he served from 1974 to 2009 as Pastor. Fr. Joe as he was lovingly and respectfully known, was not only a man of God, but also a man of the people. He helped Saint Willibrord Parish to be as vibrant and thriving as one Parish could be, for Father Joe was all about family sharing, praying and growing together.
Not only has he left a living impact on the parish, but on the people who had the honour of knowing him. He finally took his rest on December 11th 2020, peacefully at Verdun Hospital where he received his last rites by Saint Willibrord’s current Pastor.Our prayer is that the Lord will welcome another faithful soul to His Heavenly Kingdom.