The description of Assumption Parish in the 1975 book 'Saltfleet Then and Now' is as follows (pages 83, 84):

Our Lady of the Assumption is the latest Roman Catholic Church to be built in Saltfleet on top of the escarpment and in a very short time it has grown from 70 families to an estimated 300. The school in conjunction with the church has Miss Mary Duffy as the principal with 430 pupils.

The beginning of Our Lady of the Assumption really started in the early decades of the nineteenth century and the weatherbeaten grey gravestones in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Binbrook, give real testimony to the number of Roman Catholic families living in the area from the beginning of settlement to the United Empire Loyalists.

Irish immigrants also came to the escarpment area during the early eighteen hundreds. St. Joseph's Church was constructed in 1844 and mass was celebrated by missionaries stationed in Smithville which became a mission attached to Caledonia in 1856. The then priest from St. Patrick's and Sacred Heart parishes in Hamilton celebrated the mass.

In 1951 future prospects indicated that a new parish was desirable in Saltfleet at the junction of Highways 20 and 53. It was in July of the same year that Bishop J. F. Ryan formed the new parish of Our Lady of the Assumption in Elfrida. The hamlet of Elfrida is a quiet area, but in the early part of settlement it boasted two hotels, Quance's Mill and Swayze's large General Store. Tradition says that the hamlet had been known by such names as Swayze's Corners and Clinesville. However, when the post office opened on January 3, 1865 the area was known by the name of Elfrida and the Wentworth atlas of 1875 clearly indicates that.

The first pastor named to Our Lady of the Assumption parish was the Rev. James De Jonge. Arrangements were made by Father De Jonge to move a house from the Holy Family Camp in Grimsby in 1952. This house was placed on land purchased and adjacent to the Corrigans. Just when the house was ready for occupancy it was gutted by fire in August of 1952. Undaunted the pastor went ahead with the construction of a new parish house aided by funds received from other parishes in the Hamilton Diocese. The new rectory was opened on September 26, 1953. Still there was no church in Elfrida.

In 1949 a chapel had been set up in Tapleytown as a mission of St. Francis Xavier in Fruitland. This chapel dedicated in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was blessed by the late Vicar General Monsignor G. L. Cassidy on December 18, 1949. Two years later this chapel became a mission of Elfrida.

As time passed it was realized that there was a great need for a church building in the Elfrida area. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chapel was transferred to the Elfrida property in 1955. Mass was first celebrated in this building on its new site on Christmas of the same year. Many of the present parishioners effected improvements in the following months.

Original Assumption Church 1955 - 1969


Original Assumption Church Interior
Easter Sunday - 1969

The Rev. T. G. Hill was appointed pastor in June, 1956. The first church census of the area was taken in that year. The sacrament of Confirmation was first administered by Bishop Ryan in July of 1956. Then Rev. J. W. Flaherty became the pastor of the parish. During his pastorate the parish continued to grow. It was during this time that Our Lady of the Assumption School was erected in 1962. The parish was blessed in the 60's by having the presence of Father Vincent Re during weekends whose example of courage inspired many.

Then in June of 1967 Father Flaherty was transferred to St. Andrew's in Oakville and the Rev. Kevin Sheridan was appointed to administer Assumption parish. Since the parish had increased greatly in number, all things pointed to the fact that a new parish church was needed. Under the direction and generous leadership of Bishop Ryan, Father Sheridan formed a building committee to investigate the possibility of building a new church as the old church was too small and incapable of fulfilling the needs of the expanded community. A committee composed of Father Sheridan, John Hadfield, Don Burden, Carl Besseling, Albert Gris, John Minchen, John Nugent, Ted Wichers and Tom Flanagan was set up to study the present situation and its future expectations. The result of the study was the appointment of Michael Torsney in 1968 as the architect for the new church. At the beginning of 1969, the architect's plans were approved and building began. The construction contract was given to Allard Construction of Binbrook. The last mass was said in the old church on Sunday, April 6, 1969 and the new church was officially blessed on February 15, 1970.

During the future years, this church with its many parishioners would lead the quiet community of Elfrida to a new concept of endeavour.

     In 1991 Father Jim Boudreau asked John Nugent to formulate a short history of the parish that could be given out to new members to give them an idea of the background of the parish. It was called "Our Parish - Its Past, Present and Future". It begins:

The Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption came about from the merger of two existing missions in 1951, Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Tapleytown and St. Joseph's in Binbrook. The central location for this new Parish at #20 Highway and #53 Highway was on four acres of land purchased from William Corrigan, a long-time farmer and Catholic in this hamlet of Elfrida.

St. Joseph's Church, Binbrook



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