This year marks a milestone few communities can claim – the 200th anniversary of our parish. To honour this extraordinary achievement, the people of St. Peter, Erindale gathered for a gala evening in September that was both a joyful celebration and a thoughtful reflection on the history that has shaped us.
The gala was the culmination of 18 months of planning by a dedicated anniversary committee. Its vision was to create a once-in-a-lifetime event that would do justice to the parish’s long and rich history. The response from the community was overwhelming: 200 tickets were sold, filling the evening with energy, laughter and a strong sense of belonging.
Guests enjoyed one another’s company as they shared stories across generations, drawing connections between the parish of today and the one founded two centuries ago. The program was expertly guided by master of ceremonies Gary Spence, ODT, who introduced a fun and engaging series of skits performed by parishioners. These short plays brought figures from the parish’s past to life, dramatizing key moments in our story. To the delight of the audience, even an imagined parishioner from the future “visited,” offering a glimpse of what our community might become in the years ahead.
The highlight of the evening was a captivating presentation by historian Matthew Wilkinson of the Mississauga Heritage Foundation. With engaging anecdotes and a historian’s insight, Mr. Wilkinson traced the journey of our parish from its founding days to the present, introducing the audience to the men and women who first dreamed of establishing a place of worship in this growing community.
Our parish’s roots are deeply intertwined with the development of the region. The founders built not just a church, but a gathering place that became central to community life. Over the decades, the parish weathered wars, social change and rapid urban development. Yet through all this, it remained steadfast, adapting to new realities while holding on to the values of faith, service and fellowship.
The gala evening, with its combination of fellowship, fine food, theatre and historical reflection, served as a reminder of the legacy entrusted to us. As we celebrate 200 years of faith and community, we recommit ourselves to carrying this heritage into the future, ensuring that the next generation inherits a parish as vibrant, welcoming and faithful as the one we enjoy today.
Death is not the end of the story