St. Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
St. Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church (Traditional Chinese: 天主教聖曹桂英堂), formerly known as Blessed Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Mission, was founded in 1992 by Rev. Fr. Nicola Ruggiero, an Italian missionary
preaching in Hong Kong. St. Agnes was built in response to the growing religious demands of Chinese Christian immigrants flooding into the Markham area from places like Hong Kong
and Mainland China
. On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Agnes Kouying Tsao and the Parish was then renamed Saint Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church.
.
In November 1998, Fr. Dominic Kong was transferred from Hong Kong as the new Pastor
, immediately continuing the fundraising campaign. In September 1999, the church construction plan was approved by the local authorities and the parish
Church Building Committee was formed at the request of Fr. Kong. The church site was blessed by Bishop Robert Clune on July 31, 2000. Almost 400 people attended the blessing.
The actual construction contract consisted of two phases since funds for the whole project could not be raised in time when tenders were called. The first phase began on August 24, 2000, including the main church, activity hall, classrooms and the pastor quarter and ended in August 2001. The second phase, which included the office, internal fixtures and decors, began in December 2001 and ended in April 2002.
Fr. Kong celebrated the church's First Mass on December 22, 2001.
. In order for one to see them, one must gaze upward as you approach the altar.
As more of the windows are revealed, one begins to see “The Angelic Ladder”, which is symbolic of the spiritual journey to a new land (heaven). But perhaps what sets this church from the others is that not only does this have religious meaning, but also real meaning. This is because on one of the stained glass windows, there is a depiction of an actual ladder and embracing this ladder are two branches. One of these branches has maple leaves
and the other bamboo
leaves, symbolizing the unity of Chinese and Canadian cultures.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
preaching in Hong Kong. St. Agnes was built in response to the growing religious demands of Chinese Christian immigrants flooding into the Markham area from places like Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Agnes Kouying Tsao and the Parish was then renamed Saint Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church.
History
The St. Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church first began in 1992, when Fr. Nicola Ruggiero accepted the mission of looking after the Chinese Catholic Community in Toronto. In June 1992 Fr. Ruggiero successfully filed an application to the Archdiocese of Toronto for establishing a Catholic Mission in the area and two days later, the Decree of Establishment was granted. The mission celebrated their first Mass on December 6, 1992 at Christ the King Catholic Elementary School. In June 1993, Fr. Ruggiero filed another application to the Archdiocese of Toronto, this time for a site to build a new church. On November 3, 1993, a permit was granted to set aside a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) site at the current location. Fr. Ruggiero immediately started the fund raising campaign and appointed architect Mr. David Sin to design the new church in August 1997. Unfortunately, in late 1998, Fr. Ruggiero's health failed and forced him to retire early to ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In November 1998, Fr. Dominic Kong was transferred from Hong Kong as the new Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, immediately continuing the fundraising campaign. In September 1999, the church construction plan was approved by the local authorities and the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
Church Building Committee was formed at the request of Fr. Kong. The church site was blessed by Bishop Robert Clune on July 31, 2000. Almost 400 people attended the blessing.
The actual construction contract consisted of two phases since funds for the whole project could not be raised in time when tenders were called. The first phase began on August 24, 2000, including the main church, activity hall, classrooms and the pastor quarter and ended in August 2001. The second phase, which included the office, internal fixtures and decors, began in December 2001 and ended in April 2002.
Fr. Kong celebrated the church's First Mass on December 22, 2001.
Architecture
The architecture of St. Agnes is unique and unusual for Chinese Catholic churches. One such feature is that the main altar windows are partially concealed until one approaches the altarAltar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. In order for one to see them, one must gaze upward as you approach the altar.
As more of the windows are revealed, one begins to see “The Angelic Ladder”, which is symbolic of the spiritual journey to a new land (heaven). But perhaps what sets this church from the others is that not only does this have religious meaning, but also real meaning. This is because on one of the stained glass windows, there is a depiction of an actual ladder and embracing this ladder are two branches. One of these branches has maple leaves
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
and the other bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
leaves, symbolizing the unity of Chinese and Canadian cultures.
See also
Other Chinese Catholic churches in the Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
- Chinese Martyrs Catholic ChurchChinese Martyrs Catholic ChurchThe Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church is a national Catholic church in the Greater Toronto Area for Chinese Catholics. Originally based in Scarborough and now based in Markham, it was the second Catholic church to cater to Chinese Catholics in the GTA...
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chinese Catholic Church
- Saviour of the World Chinese Catholic Church