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Logo for the 9th Anniversary

LATER YEARS

Father Abraham Kappankunnel, a missionary priest from Kerala, India, and the first non-Slovak priest since Father Maynard, took over in 1988. Like his predecessor, he too strove to incorporate changes while maintaining traditional elements .

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He embarked on much-needed renovations for the church including an elevator and the restoration of original oil paintings for the ceiling. Because he did not speak the language, he engaged parishioners to assist him the celebration of Slovak masses, and later with Italian masses since the neighbourhood Italian church had closed and many people with Italian backgrounds had joined the church. He reintroduced outdoor masses on Canada Day, a tradition of the church's oldest days, which were held on the pleasant grounds next to the church.  On April 10, 1989 St.Peter's held an enrollment and installation of the St.Peter's Catholic Women's League for which Father Abraham was spiritual director. His stay was not a long one;  he is now home in India owing to ill health, but he will be remembered.

The current priest is Father Bernard Campbell  who in 1997 celebrated his fortieth anniversary the priesthood. while at St.Peter's. Though hailing from Newfoundland, Father Campbell was in Fort William at the time of St.Peter's fiftieth anniversary and remembers the excitement of that celebration.  He is now shepherding the ninetieth anniversary celebration

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and has been attending to the renovations of the church in preparation - repainting, a new organ for the choir, and planning for a spiritual retreat for the parishioners. The neighbourhood has not grown a great deal in size, and St.Peter's school was closed in the 1990s, but the church continues to evolve and grow and will persevere into the future. One can still see names on the parish registers which trace back to those very early Slovak families who came to Fort William with the dream of a new life and a church of their own - Krupa, Matulak, Gvora, Kompan, Toman, Reguly, Brandza, Hudec, Drndak, Stupendek, Beda, Capulak, Tapak, Zack and Meady (Mikita) to name just a few. Today when  the church bell rings, it no longer needs the brawn of the 6' 2 Tomas Kastak (or a team of altar boys) to pull the heavy rope - it turns on with a switch - but it still sounds as sweet and as clear when it calls the faithful to worship today as it did to our ancestors all those long days ago.

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For more details about the upcoming events, contact
Pauline Krupa
at RR14 621 Gorevale Road Thunder Bay P7B 5N1 or
Angela Meady at
ameady@norlink.net

Site Webmaster is Ondro Mihal at omihal@slovak.com.

Document written by Angela Meady (Mikita) © 1998. All rights reserved.
All graphics, design, structure by Ondro Mihal.
All contents ©  1998. All rights reserved.
Last update:
Jan 10, 1998