REMEMBERING & EXPERIENCING GRACE
This coming Monday, January 19th, marks one year since the Closing Mass at St. Agnes Parish. I am keeping all former St. Agnes parishioners and those who regularly attended the 11 AM Mass in my prayers this weekend.
I know that the closure has been very challenging and difficult for many. Yet, I am extremely grateful to the people of St. Agnes who so gracefully and humbly sacrificed their spiritual home for the sake of our family of parishes.
Looking back I am filled with mixed emotions. The sadness of loss and change faded into the background due to the dedication, faithfulness and perseverance of the St. Agnes faithful. I still call the entire journey a “miraculous grace” (even though it was hard for everyone—myself included). I was truly filled with awe when every single St. Agnes ministry wanted to continue (the choir, St. Agnes Soup Kitchen, Sewing Circle and liturgical ministers) and found new places to serve in our other churches while parishioners took time to find new spiritual homes in our faith community.
I was also extremely grateful to the other churches in our family who took extra care to welcome St. Agnes members and embraced change to accommodate different ministries and schedules. A true sign of unity, love and family.
THE SALE OF ST. AGNES CHURCH
As you may recall, in December of 2024, prior to the closure of St. Agnes, the main offices were moved to St. Ursula Church while the associate pastors moved their offices to Our Lady of Victory.
Following the closure, the church was prepared for sale. Things that we were going to keep, like liturgical furniture and office items were stored at the Spirit & Life Centre for future use while other items shifted where necessary to different sites in the family. During that time, in consultation with diocesan leadership, CBRE Limited was hired as the commercial real estate agents assisting us with the sale.
St. Agnes Church was sold at the end of August 2025 for $1.45 million. After legal fees, real estate fees, and paying back a loan from the diocese (funds were needed to maintain the building and assist in the transition of ministries/programs) the total amount we received was $1,338,455.19. Please note that the Diocese of London receives no funds from any church sale.
These funds are currently in the St. Agnes “Savings & Loan Fund” with the diocese. Each parish has this type of account where excess and capital funds are deposited and accrue greater interest than in regular chequing accounts.
The new owners of St. Agnes Church are planning to use the facility for outreach, supporting those in need in our greater community. They have already made upgrades to the building. The good news is that St. Agnes Church will continue to share the Gospel but just in a different way.
A LEGACY GIFT AND OPPORTUNITY
Over the last four years, we as a family of parishes have embraced our IGNITE THE MISSION Pastoral Plan, that seeks to shift from maintenance to mission, looking to form faithful disciples of Jesus who reach out to all. This mission and focus guides all of our decisions, planning and ministry. Our mission dictates our structure. This change is needed to be relevant and meaningful in our world today helping people find Jesus in and through our family of parishes.
During the fall of 2025, the Chatham Catholic Senior Leadership Team, Pastoral Council and Finance Committee reflected on how best to utilize the funds from the St. Agnes sale, seeking to honour this legacy gift in a special way that could help bring to reality our pastoral plan for many years to come.
After reviewing the (A) IGNITE THE MISSION Pastoral Plan, (B) St. Agnes Listening Sessions Summary Report on Dispersal of Assets (St. Agnes parishioners were invited to two synodal sessions in April 2025), (C) Bishop Fabbro’s December 3, 2023 Letter to the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes (deciding that St. Joseph Church and the Spirit & Life Centre be a major hub for ministry/outreach in our family of parishes) and embracing the essential shift from maintenance (holding on to what we have) to mission (seeking new ways to engage our world with the Gospel) a plan for the allocation of funds was shared with Bishop Fabbro and diocesan leadership for support.
(The documents mentioned above can be found at www.chathamcatholic.ca/ignite-the-mission)
Just before Christmas, our allocation plan was accepted by diocesan leadership.
ALLOCATING FUNDS FOR OUR MISSION
The funds from the sale of St. Agnes Church will stay with the diocese in a renamed “Savings & Loan” account called the “IGNITE THE MISSION FUND”. We will only access funds when needed. This will allow us to accumulate interest and maximize the benefits of this legacy gift for years to come.
(1) OUTREACH MINISTRIES
20% of the funds from the sale of St. Agnes Church have been allocated for present and future outreach ministries in the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes. These funds will support, enhance and sustain care to those who are in most need in our community and across the world. These outreach ministries help the most vulnerable and are true signs of our faith in action.
“Love is a one-way street. It always moves away from self in the direction of the other. Love is the ultimate gift of our selves to others. When we stop giving we stop loving, when we stop loving we stop growing, and unless we grow we will never attain personal fulfillment; we will never open out to receive the life of God. It is through love we encounter God.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta)
(2) STAFFING & PASTORAL MINISTRY SUPPORT
25% of funds from the sale of St. Agnes Church have been allocated for staffing and ministry support. Over the last four years we know that the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes has been under-staffed and has lacked resources to adequately develop ministries, programs and formation opportunities. This means that the pastoral team, administrative staff and custodians have been going above and beyond to support parishioners and help grow our pastoral plan. The financial assets from the sale will help us have the staff and resources to best equip everyone to be faithful disciples in our world today.
“Pastoral ministry in a missionary key seeks to abandon the complacent attitude that says: ‘We have always done it this way’. I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities…The important thing is to not walk alone, but to rely on each other as brothers and sisters, and especially under the leadership of the bishops, in a wise and realistic pastoral discernment.”
(Joy of the Gospel #33 – Pope Francis)
(3) SPIRIT & LIFE CENTRE
15% of funds from the sale of St. Agnes Church have been allocated for the Spirit & Life Centre. This is the future home of the offices for the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes in addition to becoming a central hub for ministries, programs and outreach. The facility itself is strong and sound but needs upgrades that will help grow the IGNITE THE MISSION pastoral plan.
“I envision St. Joseph’s Church and the Spirit & Life Centre together as a major hub for the City of Chatham and the Family of Parishes. The mission-oriented work and the long-term vision for evangelization, for the sake of your grandchildren and great-grandchildren and other future generations, is exciting and calls for sacrifices on the part of the members of all parishes in the family.” (Excerpt from Bishop Fabbro’s December 3, 2023 Letter to the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes)
(4) BUILDING & MAINTENANCE NEEDS
40% of the funds from the sale of St. Agnes Church have been allocated to support shared ministry costs, building maintenance and anything else necessary to serve the faithful at each church site in the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes.
***Please note that any decisions for the use or re-allocation of these funds would require consultation and approval of the family of parishes leadership. As we continue to develop and grow as a community, needs and priorities may change. This legacy gift will help us continue to serve as God calls us.
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
The mission of the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes is to form disciples who fall in love with Christ and share His love in a broken world. The closure of St. Agnes Parish was extremely difficult for everyone, but the graces, light, hope, faith and legacy of the parish will live on in the people and the resources offered for many years to come.
The allocation of funds from the sale reflects the IGNITE THE MISSION Pastoral Plan by focusing on outreach (to the hungry & thirsty, unhoused, alone, homebound, those in nursing homes and the bereaved), and discipleship development (youth ministry, formation ministries/programs, family and school support) while also offering our churches resources to maintain/upgrade facilities for the needs of the faithful.
These funds are a gift and a legacy that will help the Chatham Catholic Family of Parishes move forward faithfully responding to Christ’s call to be missionaries in our world today. With continued ongoing support of parishioners, volunteers and staff, we can shine the light of the Gospel in Chatham today and into the future. May the Lord continue to strengthen us on our mission through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“With light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made ‘restless’ by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity.”
(POPE LEO XIV—May 18, 2025– First homily as Pope)
