St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cemetery
Also known as: St. Dunstan’s Cemetery
Location:
5440 Durie Road, Mississauga, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada
Concession 4W, Lot 9, Toronto Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.58123°N
Longitude: -79.70190°W
History:
In 1819, the Rt. Rev. Alexander Macdonnell was appointed the first Bishop of Kingston for all of Upper Canada. In 1822, St. Paul’s parish in Toronto began as the first parish in central Ontario. Its missionaries were the first to visit Catholics regularly in Halton and Peel counties. At this period, Roman Catholics had to go to Toronto (then the Town of York) to receive the sacraments, especially marriage.
From 1837 to 1856, missionary priests of the diocese ministered to the people in their homes. Bishop Power came to Streetsville in 1843, and confirmed many children and adults. In the 1850’s, Father McNulty from Elmbank said mass at Mr. Murphy’s house in Erindale and at Mr. Cuthbert’s house in Streetsville.
As the congregation grew, the time came when the Catholics of Streetsville needed a church of their own. In 1856, Elmbank, Streetsville and later St. Patrick’s, Dixie, became separate parishes. By an indenture dated July 6, 1857, Richard and Elizabeth Cuthbert have a lot of land valued at £300, along with a house and outhouses, to the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation. It was situated at 74 Main Street, and in 1989, was renumbered and renamed 1775 Bristol Road, in Streetsville. It was a site opposite Richard Cuthbert’s home, high on a hill overlooking the Credit River, on the east side of the village. The pastor, Father McNulty, proceeded with the building of a brick church, and on Sunday, July 18, 1858, Bishop de Charbonnel dedicated the new church to St. Joseph.
Why the name ‘St. Dunstan’ was substituted for a period of time around 1845 by the Rev. O’Reilly of Oakville, is not known.
St. Joseph’s Church established a Catholic burying ground many years after the church was built, when five acres of E 1/2 Lot 9 Concession 4W, Toronto Township, was bought from Peter Smith. There appears to be no registered deed to the original part of the cemetery. Matters were resolved years later, when additional property was purchased.
A disastrous fire occurred in St. Joseph’s Church in August 1985, after which it was decided to close the church.
On Sunday, March 19, 1989, the sod-turning ceremony for the new St. Joseph Church took place. Bishop Pearse Lacey turned the earth to officially open the new church on Durie Road next to St. Joseph’s cemetery. The dedication took place in the spring of 1990.
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.