Assumption Church remains closed after $10M donation fails

Assumption Church will remained closed after a proposed $10-million pledge to repair the historic church never materialized.

"It is with much sadness that I write to you today to inform you that the proposal to donate $10 million to repair and restore Assumption church, announced last September, has not materialized,"  Bishop Ronald Fabbro wrote in a letter to parishioners Saturday. "As a result, there are insufficient funds to carry out the extensive restoration required for Assumption church."

Parish administrator, Father Don McLeod, said, " it just got to the point where we had to have a decision one way or the other so that we in the parish could move forward."

"I had hopes that before my tenure here ended, that we would have a determination that it would go ahead, but there was always the possibility that it would not take place," McLeod said. "There's disappointment, because they love the church building itself, and certainly the history that it represents is very significant."

The parish was originally founded as a mission in 1728 and is the oldest parish west of Montreal. The current Assumption Church is also Canada's oldest church west of Montreal.

The church closed Nov. 3, 2014. The parish relocated to Holy Name of Mary Church on nearby McEwan Avenue.

The current Assumption Church, the fourth on the site, was built in 1842 with additions completed in 1925.

It is now in need of approximately $15 million worth of repairs.

The diocese says it will preserve the 1845 structure "in its present condition to the extent possible."

The church tried two fundraising attempts but could not raise enough money.

In 2011, Assumption Heritage Trust, a group of citizens lobbying to preserve the church, said the church's "physical integrity ... has been a concern of the church congregation and its regional leadership, heritage professionals and the general public" for several years.

The diocese says the building is not unsafe.

A fence has been installed around the perimeter of the building to safeguard against any potential falling debris.

Read Bishop Fabbro's letter to parishioners below:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

It is with much sadness that I write to you today to inform you that the proposal to donate $10 million to repair and restore Assumption church, announced last September, has not materialized. As a result, there are insufficient funds to carry out the extensive restoration required for Assumption church.

Shortly after last year's announcement that the weekend Masses would move to the Holy Name site, the possibility of a donation was brought forward. This was the largest single proposed donation in the history of the Diocese. The potential donor was previously unknown to the Diocese in terms of such a large donation. It was clear that a due diligence process would be required to provide certainty to both the parish and to the Diocese.

Charities have an obligation to undertake a due diligence process in these types of situations. It is especially important where the donation is to be used for a particular purpose, when that purpose cannot be achieved without that donation.

Some have questioned the necessity of the process. Our due diligence process was consistent with that of other charities. For several months, both parties worked hard to conclude the process, but the potential donor did not agree entirely with our due diligence process. With regret, we made the difficult decision that we could not proceed further without the due diligence being satisfied.

The church building will be preserved in its present condition to the extent possible.

Over the last number of months, many parishioners have written to me to express their disappointment and sadness. Every attempt to raise funds to repair and restore Assumption church has begun with promise, only to fail. This has been personally painful for me, and for all those involved. I believe that we have all done as much as can be asked of us and it is time for us to move forward.

At the beginning of May, a new parish priest, Fr. Maurice Restivo will begin his pastoral ministry here. In July, Fr. Jim Stenberg will join him and, together with the lay leadership and parishioners, will forge a new vision for ministry in the west end of Windsor. All will work hard to ensure that this new vision will lead to a greater stability for the parish, renewed viability and greater engagement with the larger community.

Know that you are remembered in my prayers as we continue to move forward into this new chapter in the life of your parish community.

Sincerely yours in Christ, 
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, C.S.B.
Bishop of London