Shrine Wall Project

A capital campaign of St. Theresa’s Parish seeking to raise funds for the restoration of the exterior stucco walls of our church and rectory.

Shrine Wall Project Update: Phase One Commences

October 26, 2025

As previously shared, the Shrine Wall Project involves essential upgrades to the exterior of our church. After more than a year of planning, we are excited to announce the launch of the first phase: Critical Roof Repairs.

Roof Repairs Precede Stucco Work

During the finalization of the wall scope, our building science consultants advised that the condition of the roof system requires immediate attention before we proceed with replacing the exterior wall stucco.

Following a competitive tender process involving four bidders, the Committee has decided to award the contract for the necessary roof repairs to Trio Roofing.

This total includes the highly recommended bird screen addition at the bell tower, securing excellent value while the scaffolding is in place. The Committee expects to formally award this contract in the week of October 27th.

Timeline & Impact

• Start Date: Trio is prepared to mobilize in early November.
• Duration: The roof repairs are expected to take approximately six weeks to complete.
• Parking Impact: Please note there will be a temporary impact on the availability of parking spots during the workdays, though traffic circulation will be maintained.

Moving Forward

The successful completion of this roof phase is a crucial prerequisite to starting the main exterior stucco replacement.

A sincere thank you goes out to all donors who have supported this vital project, enabling us to protect and preserve our beautiful church and St. Theresa’s Shrine.

This summary is based on the committee's unanimous decision to proceed with the best value proposal from Trio, which ensures the structural integrity before proceeding with exterior finishing.

Next Steps for the Committee: Finalizing the contract details and preparing communications about the Nov 1st target start date.

==============================================================================

May 2025

Dear Parishioners,

We are blessed to belong to this humble and beautiful parish community of St. Therese, Shrine of the Little Flower. It is 90 years since it was established and continues to thrive and grow. Our current Church was built in 1965. Over the years various necessary repairs and maintenance were implemented, mostly in the interior of the Church and rectory. However, the exterior stucco wall has never been replaced, other than minor repairs. As such, after over 60 years, it is now in dire need of repair and restoration.

With the approval of the Archdiocese of Toronto our parish is launching a capital campaign to raise funds for this project, called the Shrine Wall Project. We are looking to raise $350,000 to cover the cost of the restoration of the stucco walls as well as the bell tower and some related roof repairs.

The Shrine Wall Project capital campaign began last year, June 2024. To date, we have raised a little over $56,000. In addition, we are very much amazed and thankful for a recent anonymous donation of $50,000. This brings our total funds raised to just over $106,000 or around 30% of our goal.

However, this project will only be successful through your generous participation. As your Pastor, I ask you to prayerfully consider supporting this campaign, through the various fundraising activities that we will be initiating in the coming days, weeks and months.

One upcoming event is the Dine for the Shrine a fall gala dinner set for September 20, 2025 at Qssis Banquet Hall. Details of this event can be found on our website, in our weekly bulletin and posters within the Church.

For a more sustainable campaign, I appeal for your generous commitment by way of a monthly pledge over a period of at least one to two years. With your pledge, we will be able to project our revenue and plan the timeline to commence the restoration work. We are looking to begin the work in July 2026. We hope we will have sufficient funds to proceed by that time with your commitment.

When we come together as a community to realize this project, Our Lord will surely bless our parish for our charity and fellowship. Just as the generations before us gifted us this beautiful Church building, your generous support will help ensure that St. Therese’s Shrine will be restored to its best state for the generations to follow us.

Download the Case for Support explaining the details of this Shrine Wall Project and a Pledge Form for your kind and positive consideration. Your continued support is sincerely appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fr. Simon deGale
Pastor