#15 THE WINDOWS ON THE CHURCH AT THE TOP OF THE HILL

April 21, 2023

#15 THE WINDOWS ON THE CHURCH AT THE TOP OF THE HILL

Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph

It is prime real estate—the top of the hill overlooking main street Guelph. When he founded Guelph in 1827, John Galt gave this site to the Roman Catholics as thanks and as a compliment to his friend, Bishop Macdonnell. Galt said. “On this hill would one day rise a church to rival St.Peter’s in Rome.”

Two earlier church buildings preceded the present. It took eight years for the first church to be built on Catholic Hill; it lasted nine years before the Protestants burned it down. Another church was built in 1846; the continuing discord with the Protestants required the Catholics to place a cannon in the steeple.

Construction of the latest church began in 1877. Inspired by Germany’s Cologne Cathedral, it is built in the Gothic Revival style from local limestone. The church was built by Scottish masons at an estimated cost of $100,000. Irish Catholics from Brock Road in Puslinch (which would have included the Walsh family) were a prominent group in the parish; when the stone church was being constructed, they hauled wagonloads of stone to Guelph. "Hurrah for Puslinch--There was a big turnout by the Puslinch men for a stone hauling bee for Our Lady's Church. Two dozen teams from the Model Farm to Aberfoyle drew big stones to the hill today. (Tues. Feb 13, 1883) A dozen volunteers from town loaded them. All invited who have not put in their three days."

The church has twin towers, pointed windows and a large rose window over the main entrance. In 1908 the altar was erected, the walls decorated with murals and stencils patterns, and stained glass windows installed. Some of the beautiful windows donated by the pioneer families, were designed in Rheims, France; the remainder of the windows were made in Munich, Germany.

City of Guelph zoning bylaws established protected view areas designed to ensure clear sight lines to the Church from various vantage points in the city; no new buildings can be higher elevation than the Church. In 1990, Our Lady was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. In 2014, the church was elevated to the status of Basilica "in honour of its rich history and importance to the parish in the Diocese of Hamilton and the City of Guelph."

On October 10, 1888, two thousand people attended the dedication of the Church of Our Lady. At this service, the Bishop pointed out that there were many old cathedrals constructed by kings and others of wealth but Our Lady was built by the generosity, sacrifice and labour of poor immigrant settlers of Guelph “by money raised from the workingmen who had built our canals and railways—servant girls, mechanics and other hard-working people.” Our Moran and Walsh families were early Irish pioneer immigrant families of Wellington County

Edward Walsh and his 5 children immigrated from Ireland about 1829 and settled on 100 acres in Puslinch Township, south of Guelph. Edward was well-educated and as Justice of the Peace often did conveyances for people in the district (writing wills and deeds.) He was Roman Catholic, Conservative and took great interest in political affairs.

Patrick Moran, his wife Betty Tobin, and seven children immigrated to Canada about 1844 and settled in Pilkington Township (north of Guelph). Two children were born in Canada.

For both the Walsh and Moran families (and even though it was a distance away), Our Lady was their parish church. Both families donated a beautiful stained glass window to the church. The Moran window is to the left of the transept.

P.Moran window

There were two Patrick Moran families (both Roman Catholic) living outside Guelph. This could be our Moran family from Pilkington Township or it could be the Moran family who lived in Puslinch Township.

Walsh Brothers Rose window

The Walsh family donated the large beautiful rose window to the right of the transept. (The name "wheel window" is often applied to a window divided by simple spokes radiating from a central base or opening, while the term "rose window" is reserved for circular windows, sometimes of a highly complex design, which bear similarity to a multi-petalled rose.)

Of course, there are always underlying family dynamics connected to every story. The Walsh Rose window was donated by the Walsh Brothers-- no acknowledgement of their sisters, Mary and Ellen, nor their nieces (who were housekeeping and caring for the men). Brother Michael was supposedly not affluent enough to contribute to the cost of the windows, so it was brothers Dr. Frank Walsh (well-known Guelph medical doctor), John (township councillor and Reeve, and who farmed the original Walsh homestead) and Thomas (Puslinch farmer) who must have sponsored the Walsh Brothers’ window.