St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows, Kitchener

Saint Mary of the Seven Sorrows, today called Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, was built in 1854 and became a parish in 1857. It is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in the area. Most early members were German and Polish immigrants who had recently settled here. The first pastor was Father George Laufhuber, S.J. In 1860, Father Edward Glowacki, C.R., took over, starting the long service of the Congregation of the Resurrection at this parish.

As the community grew, a larger church was needed. The cornerstone of the current building was laid in 1900, and the church was completed and dedicated on December 13, 1903. It was designed by Toronto architect A.W. Holmes in a Neo-Gothic style and built in the shape of a Latin Cross. The church can seat about 1,000 people. Its pointed arches and tall windows follow the Gothic tradition, and the long central aisle leads toward the main altar.

In 1912, Italian artist Ilario Panzironi painted the interior. The ceiling has twelve large panels, including seven that show the Seven Sorrows of Mary. A Casavant pipe organ was installed in 1948 as a memorial to parishioners who died in the Second World War. In 2007, the parish celebrated its 150th anniversary with special events and a commemorative plaque.