Saturday, October 3, 2015

A Parish For Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (Paroisse St. Thomas D'Aquin) is a French speaking parish in the Alta Vista area here in Ottawa. It has a more modern look, from its architecture, than the many Gothic churches of Catholic or Protestant denominations that we see typically in Ottawa. I passed by late one afternoon in August when I was running errands close by. The parish was founded in 1886, and the current church dates back to 1957.

32 comments:

  1. 1886. Wow. I would love to step through and just see what things were like and then be able to step right back to today.

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  2. Lovely parish, and so nice to see they have a ramp for the disabled, too!

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  3. Wonderful mid-century modern!




    ALOHA
    ComfortSpiral

    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

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  4. I love the church dedicated to St. Thomas
    Aquinas. I like to see a church with my same name.

    Tomás.

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  5. I do wish we could figure out a better way to make facilities like this fully accessible other than building more highways in the sky.

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  6. That's a beautiful church. Love the modern look!

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  7. That sleek roof line and look reminds me of a lot of churches built in the 1950's. There were some talented guys building those roofs.

    Janis
    GDP

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  8. I really like the angels in the bricks!

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  9. i like it! the paint-work on the bricks is unique. :)

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  10. @Whisk: I wonder what the original parishioners would think of it now.

    @Linda: a sensible addition in this day and age.

    @Cloudia: I did like the design.

    @Tomas: I would think so!

    @Revrunner: indeed.

    @Tamago: it does appeal to me.

    @Hilary: I think so too!

    @Janis: it reminds me of a church my family attended for many years, also built during that decade.

    @EG: I did too- it really stood out.

    @Tex: it's something of an impressionist pattern.

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  11. A nice church... of exactly my age!

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  12. I love that artistic brick work that you feature in the third shot.

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  13. I agree that the angels in the brick work caught my eye.

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  14. A nice looking parish and pretty wall mural!

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  15. I like the side wall with the angels.

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  16. I agree, the angels in the bricks are beautiful !

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  17. Some of the modern church buildings are very attractive.

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  18. I like the looks of it and it's nice to see the fancy brick inserts!

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  19. The architectur in thin building is very nice, though it doesn't look so much chuch as usually.
    hugs

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  20. Very nice looking.

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  21. @VP: I don't see it very often- it's a part of the city I rarely get to these days, but it does stand out well.

    @Sharon: I do too.

    @Jackie: it's such a different design!

    @Nancy: it certainly is.

    @Marleen: that appears to be a common opinion today.

    @Karl: that would be the consensus!

    @Red: this one certainly is.

    @RedPat: thank you!

    @Orvokki: it's a different style than the more conventional Gothic ones we have here.

    @Carolann: I agree!

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  22. I remember 1957 well for several reasons. This is a good example of "modern" architecture in the mid to late 50s. It's been very well maintained, too. Looks like the complete complex with school, etc.

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  23. Interesting architecture, although it's a modern building the traditional church style shows through...

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  24. It is nice! I really like that brickwork on the side wall. Almost like a brick mosaic!

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  25. It makes it look more like a house, but that is fine as the earliest Christians worshipped in people's homes.

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  26. It looks like it has been well cared for.

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  27. I agree with Janey. It looks well maintained, very tidy.

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  28. Nice touches of art in the brickwork here William.

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  29. @Lowell: I'd love to get inside sometime.

    @Geoff: that is true.

    @Lois: it does!

    @Mari: true.

    @Janey: it certainly is.

    @Kay: whoever tends to it does a good job.

    @Norma: I like showing them.

    @Jan: it certainly is.

    @Grace: I agree.

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