PARISH HISTORY  (Page 1)

The origins of St. Andrew's Parish are now forgotten, passed from living memory.  It is generally surmised that Archbishop McNeil purchased property in 1910 for a parish to serve the southern half of St. Patrick's Parish, which then stretched from False Creek to the Fraser River.  There was a house on the property, and to the best of our knowledge, in the year 1911 Father J. Augustine McDonald became the first Pastor of our parish.

As near as can be ascertained, the first little church was built in early 1912, but no parish records appear until June 29, 1913 when Charles Francis Blando was baptized.  Later on September 7, 1913, Gerald Joseph, son of Michael Sweeney and Margaret Hennessey, was baptized.  These are names quite familiar to Vancouver old-timers.  Another early baptism was that of James Masse, who served the Archdiocese for many years before he died.

As for marriages, in the early years of World War One, there were weddings among the Laviolettes, McCulloughs, Mulveaneys, O'Reillys, and other families.  These, too, are names that bring back memories of years gone by.

Father McDonald left in early 1913.  He later died in Prince Edward Island in 1919.  Father John McCarthy took his place for a little over a year and then went to the United States.  From September 1914 until November 1915, Father J. Malone served St. Andrew's and was followed by Father L.A. Lamontaque.

By the time of Father Lamontaque, the war was in full swing.  The debt of the parish was $6,665.75 as of March 30, 1916, a huge amount of money for those days.  Things were tough, but Father Lamontaque was a resourceful and determined French Canadian: with St. Basil's hymn book in hand, he went up and down the aisle making sure that everyone sang; and then at collection time, he would retrace his steps carrying the offering basket and would poke pretending sleepers if they didn't contribute.  For a while he even tried charging 50 cents a month for rent on pew space, but he had to discontinue this practice.  Children were exempt from his collection practices but not from his discipline; every Saturday morning he taught catechism to the older children, and there was always the threat of the belt for those who misbehaved.  Eventually, the church was remodeled, and on the first Sunday of August 1920, Archbishop J Casey blessed and rededicated it in the presence of many visitors and parishioners.