Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church (Toronto)
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Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic church in Toronto, Canada. It is located on Sherbourne Street just south of Bloor.
When the church was founded in 1884 it was in one of the wealthiest parts of Toronto serving the Roman Catholics of Rosedale. At its completion it was one of the most ornate churches in the city, and the only one to have a dome. Over time the area changed dramatically and became much poorer. The biggest change was the creation of the massive St. James Town housing project. It was originally affiliated with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul but in part due to these changes the church was handed over to the Jesuits in 1969.
St. James Town is mostly populated by recent immigrants and this group now makes up the bulk of the congregation with many members from South America and the Philippines. It is also popular with gay and lesbian Catholics and hosts the local chapter of Dignity.
