Divine Infant Parish traces its beginnings back to September 1979, when Archbishop Joseph Aurèle Plourde established an English speaking Church Community, associated with and within the boundaries of St. Joseph’s Parish of Orleans. Father Michael Hurtubise assumed Pastoral and administrative responsibility for the Community, with the Liturgy being celebrated at Convent Glen Catholic School about a kilometre away from our present site .
During September of 1980, the Parish Council, on behalf of the Church Community, purchased 2.25 acres of land, just south of and adjacent to St. Matthew’s high School, as the future site for our Church. In the summer of 1981, Father Michael celebrated a Mass on the grounds of what was soon to become our meeting place of worship. It was a small group of dedicated people that trudged through the mud and long grass to where hopefully the new church would later be built. A makeshift sign was erected to mark the site of the future Church. In September 1981, it became necessary to relocate the celebration of Mass to St. Matthew's to meet the needs of our growing community. During May of 1982, the Church Building Committee was established to plan the building of a church to meet our immediate and long term needs. Because of the generosity of our parishioners, the final mortgage payment on the land was made in September 1982.
On March 20, 1983 Archbishop Plourde established the new Parish of the Divine Infant incorporating the same boundaries as that which existed for St. Joseph's Parish of Orleans. Father Michael was appointed Pastor of the parish, which now comprised over 1200 Roman Catholic Families.
At LeBreton Flats, on September 20, 1984, Pope John Paul II blessed the cornerstone of our Church. On September 29, 1985, Bishop John Beahen officiated and con-celebrated with the Parish at the groundbreaking ceremony on the building site.
Just before Christmas 1986 the Church was officially transferred to the Parish and the first Mass was celebrated within our new building on Saturday December 20, 1986. Still growing quickly, Divine Infant has increased its size tenfold now looking at some 12, 000 people even after considering the realignment of the south-western part of our original Parish boundaries which now has been realigned as part of Good Shepherd Parish in Blackburn Hamlet.
Our
founding Pastor, Father Michael Hurtubise, was ordained a priest June 10,
1957 at St. Patrick's Church, Ottawa, and then served as choir master of
Notre Dame Basilica, where he was in charge of music for the Archdiocese
of Ottawa. He also served as chaplain to the Grace Hospital and the
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. He served many parishes in
the archdiocese as associate Pastor until appointed as Pastor of Our Lady
of Perpetual help in Ottawa. He then left to become our Pastor here
at Divine Infant in 1981 and served his flock well until his retirement
to Clayton, Ontario in 1987.
Father Michael passed away on May 27, 1991 in his 60th year.
He is interned at Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa.
Msgr. Len Lunney became our next
Pastor in 1987. Msgr.
Lunney was born in Pakenham, Ontario. He was ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of Ottawa in 1959. He was appointed to work in the
field of secondary education at that time, and was a high school principal
for fifteen years at St. Pius X High School, Ottawa, and at St. Matthew's
High School, Orléans, Ont. He holds a Master's Degree
in Educational Administration. In 1996, he was honoured by Pope John
Paul II with the title of Prelate of Honour. He is also the chaplain for
the Fire Department and was the chaplain of Council 7873 of the Knights
of Columbus. He also served as chaplain of many other parish organizations.
A tireless worker and much beloved by his flock, he led by example and
coped admirably with fulfilling the duties at one of the largest Catholic
Parishes in Canada, notwithstanding having only a few permanent staff assigned
to him. He always praised the generosity of the volunteers who gave
so much of their time to assist him in making Divine Infant a loving and
growing community. When not busy at his pastoral duties, he could
be found tinkering with one of his vintage automobiles or playing the piano
or singing at one of the numerous parish gatherings at which he was famous
for pulling out his guitar and entertaining children and adults alike.
We were indeed fortunate to have been blessed with having a Pastor
of his capabilities. His genuine love for the people was reciprocated
by all who came to know him.
He was promoted to become
the Episcopal Vicar for the english sector of the Archdiocese of Ottawa
in September of 2001, and continues to serve
our Parish today by providing advice and guidance to Divine Infant and
to the many other Parishes under his care.
