One century strong, Blessed Sacrament Parish is turning its centennial anniversary into more than a one night party, launching the North Toronto parish’s vibrant new chapter of community, faith and a few well-kept surprises.

Embodying that spirit of joyful renewal is Blessed Sacrament’s Gala Celebration on April 25 at Scarborough's Guild Inn Estate, an evening gala chair Mary Lynch-Delisle says is designed to bring the parish family together in a way that only comes once a century. 

“ We're trying to keep it all about being a celebration of our 100 years of being a faithful community, sharing that history with our parishioners by celebrating love, joy and fellowship and all those wonderful things that a parish family often gets to celebrate in bits and pieces together,” Lynch-Delisle said. “Those attending will also be treated to a special, surprise  vocal performance, something that we’re planning to be a major highlight of our gala night together.” 

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While the guest's details are being kept tightly under wraps as a surprise, one thing well established about Blessed Sacrament is its enduring history — known to many as one of the largest church structures in all of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

This year marks 100 years since Fr. Francis H. Pennylegion was appointed the first pastor of the parish, when it was situated in the then rapidly growing community of North Toronto in November 1926. Having grown very quickly since its first Mass that December, Blessed Sacrament moved to its current site on the corner of Yonge Street and Cheritan Avenue, just south of Lawrence Avenue, when the construction of a permanent church began in 1929. 

By June 1, 1930, Archbishop Neil McNeil dedicated the new church, mere weeks before the stock market crash and the start of the Great Depression. Its architect, J. Gibb Morton, had also designed churches like Corpus Christi, St. Brigid, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sacre-Coeur and Christ the King, and based Blessed Sacrament’s look on two periods of medieval Gothic architecture.

Yet for Lynch-Delisle, a parishioner for more than a decade and head of Blessed Sacrament's Out of the Cold programs, the real story of the past 100 years has always been its people. 

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“The more I became involved in the church, the more I was struck and inspired by our parishioners and the work that they do through outreach programs with St. Francis Table, Good Shepherd Ministries, Out of the Cold, lunch programs, hot dinners once a month, St. Vincent de Paul and Knights of Columbus. It really is a jam-packed community of giving parishioners that make for such a vibrant parish,” she said. 

That same passion has already begun rippling outward during this year of commemoration. Lynch-Delisle notes that planning the gala has sparked fresh ideas from parishioners eager to get more involved. As she notes, the centennial has become less about looking back and more about launching forward, a “movement” she hopes will deepen both spiritual life and social connections across the Blessed Sacrament community. 

On the spiritual side, a major event on June 6 will see the community celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with Cardinal Frank Leo in attendance, including a procession through the neighbourhood, Eucharistic Adoration and a fellowship reception in the parish hall. 

Ongoing activities such as retreats and Bible study classes remain, while Lynch-Delisle plans for future social initiatives like coffee Sundays, family movie nights and other events to strengthen parish community life. 

“ We also have the continued legacy fundraiser, and we hope that our church will be recognized by Doors Open Toronto in May. We've also applied and are likely to get a historical plaque recognizing Blessed Sacrament’s 100 years of history,” she said. “It’s an exciting time around here and a true blessing  to go forward making our parish greater, our community fuller and our spiritual life richer.” 

Throughout all the planning, longtime pastor Fr. Larry Marcille has been a constant supporter of the team’s planning, with his vision and commitment to serving those less fortunate a contagious example to parishioners. 

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“We’re hoping to celebrate (Fr. Marcille) this year too, for all he’s done and continues to do for this community,” the gala chair said.