Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church

Scarborough, Ontario

History of our Parish

The year 2007 was a very special one for our parish. We remembered in a special way our beginnings…

The original start of our parish can be traced back to 1932 and to a very special person, Francis Patrick O’Connor.

Francis O’Connor was a very successful business man. Together with his wife, Mary Ellen Hayes, he owned a business, called Laura Secord Candy Store, which developed from humble beginnings to become a widespread chain throughout Canada, and later in the USA, there known as Fanny Farmer Candy Stores. Francis O’Connor was one of the few business owners throughout history who realized that treating his workers well would ultimately benefit both the workers and the business. Francis O’Connor was a man of great generosity. During the mid 1930s, when depression was sweeping the world, he donated half million dollars to the Acrchdiocese of Toronto.

In 1932 he bought a small methodist church, no longer in use, located at Victoria Park and Lawrence. After renovation, this church was re-dedicated as a Roman Catholic Church. Francis’ only request was to name the church “Precious Blood”. In 1954 the church was rebuilt under the shape we know it today.

This why, in 2007, the parishioners of Precious Blood, together with the Archdiocese of Toronto, celebrated 75 years since the “birth” of the parish, and also, 50 years since its physical “re-birth”.