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St. Andrew's Church is mark- ing 200 years of celebrating the eu- charist in Oakville. Two celebrations mark the milestone. The first was held at the pioneer cemetery, St. Mary's (on Lyons' Lane at the banks of the Sixteen Mile Creek) in September. More celebrations are planned for Nov. 1-3.for Nov. 1-3.f In the fall of 1819 Charles O'Hara and Bartholomew O'Con- nor walked to Dundas and asked a priest to say mass in the O'Haras' log cabin on Ninth Line. Less than 20 years later, pa- rishioners gave of their time and talent to build St. Andrew's Church on land donated by town founder William Chisholm.founder William Chisholm.f Some of their descendants and many other Catholic pioneers are buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, and their graves reveal a fascinat- ing narrative. The Oakville His- torical Society and the Town of Oakville helped church members on the background. Their stories remind us that to- day's challenges - affordable hous- ing, the high cost of living, the scarcity of suitable homes for se- niors, and the lack of child care - are not new. These pioneers looked after their loved ones and their loved ones looked after them. Many, if not most, of the families buried in St. Mary's shared multi-genera- tional homes. They also often chose to marry later in life, when they were better able to provide for a family.for a family.f Other families went on to be- come "yours, mine, and ours": When widowed mother of three Mary McCartney married widow- er-father of three John Markey, they went on to have three more, and "adopted" their orphaned nephew. The Catholic community pro- vided enormous support for one another. The 1933 obituary for Ma- ria O'Donnell, testifies to this: "The funeral service was held from St. Andrew's Church onfrom St. Andrew's Church onf Tuesday morning when the funer- al mass was sung by Father Shaughnessey. The large atten- dance bore testimony to the high esteem in which the deceased was held .... The children from the separate school marched to the church for the service and members of the Altar Society, Catholic Women's League, Young Woman's Catholic League, the Catholic Men's Club visited the home on Monday night." To help comfort the griev- ing, children's graves were often delicately carved and inscribed with beautiful scriptural passag- es. Beside the grave of the Divine sisters (victims of the 1857 Desjar- dins train disaster) is an oak planted from an acorn taken from the tree under which the girls once played. Oakville's Catholics, most of whom arrived either before the 1830s or after, escaped the cholera outbreak of 1832, and they were spared the devastation of typhus that plagued the Irish famine im- migrants. Alexander McDonald was still working as a postman at age 87, and Peter Cole lived to 102. Neighbourly connections were fostered by geographic proximity.fostered by geographic proximity.f The farming families who lived field by field in the "Catholicfield by field in the "Catholicf Swamp" are also buried side by side. In town, many of them lived on the east side, within two blocks of the church. These faith-filled neighbourhoods nurtured the co- operation, energy, and hopeful spirit that made these people so resilient and resourceful. Historian Mary Byers says, it "was the shipbuilders and ship captains who made (Oakville) a vital centre and magnet for the produce of the area." St. Mary's is the resting place for many of these mariners, captains, and ship- builders. Oakville's Catholic car- penters, house builders, and cabi- net makers, like James O'Connor, also had the skills to fill the town's need for new and increasingly fin- er buildings. The McDermotts used their carpentry skills to start a major cooperage that supplied the region's fruit producers. To serve these residents and their businesses, Oakville grew a lively downtown. By 1833, Charles and Mary Reynolds, after whom the street was named, were oper- ating one of the town's first stores. Buried here are hardworking parishioners who also found time and money for their neighbours. St. Andrew's looked after the mis- sions of Trafalgar, Milton, and Wellington Square (Burlington)Wellington Square (Burlington)W from 1859 through 1925. Leaders offrom 1859 through 1925. Leaders off the Benevolent Organization, the Catholic Men's Club, and the school board like Thomas Reyn- olds, W.R. Grammell, C.A. McDer- mott, and Bert Lobraico were also leaders in the business and politi- cal community. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Watters were no doubt proud of their son Peter (now Rev. Watters) for his work on theWatters) for his work on theW school board and for heading up the first public transportation ini- tiative on Oakville town council. Many of the pioneers of the Catho- lic Women's League are buried there. St. Mary's also memorializ- es many families who served their country in times of war. The tombstone art in St. Mary's is a reminder of the com- munity's cultural contributions. The stones, crafted from a variety of materials, vary from simple to ornate. Those buried in St. Mary's include many connected to litur- gical music and the local music scene, as well as those who played an important role in the music publishing business. St. Mary's tells the story of lov- ing neighbours, of ecumenism and diversity a century before these words became popular. Not only did Presbyterian town found- er William Chisholm donate the land to build the church, but St. Andrew's parishioners helped pay for the building of St. John's Methodist. Although many of the early pioneers were Irish, St. Mary's reveals a culturally rich community including French, German, Slovenian, Dutch, Czech, Lithuanian, American, and British parishioners. There is also an Underground Railroad connection. The scenic bluffs and park-like setting offers a contem- plative setting to give thanks for the legacy left by these Oakville pioneers who helped build the town. COMMUNITY THIS OAKVILLE CHURCH IS CELEBRATING 200 YEARS TERRY MURPHY St. Andrew's Church marked its 200th year of celebrating the Eucharist with a mass at the first pioneer cemetery - St. Mary's. At the conclusion of the Mass Father O'Mahony was presented with a print of St. Andrew's Church to mark the anniversary. Jack Kukolic photo