Back in the year 1914, not a large number of Catholic Deaf were in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Yet there was a large circulation of Protestant Deaf in Toronto. A Church was secured for them to attend their Religious Service but, this type was not for the Catholic Deaf to attend.
A number of Catholic Deaf attended there, and a number of Catholic Deaf got married there.
In 1918 Mr. Frank Crough of Peterborough, being a Catholic was guided to attend the Mass by guidedance of his Catholic Parents.
It happened that Frank met a non-Catholic girl, they loved each other. She accepted to learn about the Catholic Faith. By coincidence, Frank remembered a Catholic Teacher in his former school. She had become a member of the Loretto Sisters. He looked for her and finally found his ex-Teacher who had taken final vows as Rev. Mother Columbiere. She worked in the office as a Bursar. She was very happy to meet Frank, and after their conversations she said she was worried about the Catholic Deaf who have left school. She lost no time in asking Frank to find and bring the Catholic Deaf to Loretto Building. Rev. Mother Columbiere contacted the Archdiocese of Toronto, Neil McNeil. He was delighted she found the Catholic Deaf, and Blessed he with the charge of Religious Services for the Catholic Deaf. Then she got in contact with the Paulist Fathers at St. Peters Church (Paulist order) near Loretto College to conduct a sermon each Sunday afternoon. Rev. Mother Columbiere kept her action by asking Rev. Fr. Page of Montreal, and he travelled to Toronto to conduct the First Lenten Mission here in Toronto a fair attendance of the Catholic Deaf.
Later, she heard about a Missionary Father by name of Father Higgins of St. Louis, MO. He hastened to come and discussed with Rev. Mother Columbiere, and he went to see Archbishop Neil McNeil, Fr. Higgins was granted permission to visit St. Augustine’s Seminary where many Priesthood Students took interest in Fr.Higgins trip and suggestions were blessed with success.
Until 1923, a Mr. Frank Radbone, being a new convert was elected President. He did not lose any time asking Rev. Mother Columbiere for a change in the name of the Toronto Catholic Association of the Deaf. Because he thought “Association”- looked like a business name and offered a suggestion that a change would be would be changed to any saint name. Rev Mother Columbiere, without hesitation agreed with Mr. Radbone and would ask the Pastor of St. St. Peter’s Church, to suggest a name.
The Pastor recommended the name of St. Francis de Sales, because St. Francis de Sales was honoured as Patron Saint of the Deaf by a Pope. . Mother Columbiere offered the Saints’ name to Mr. Radbone. The new name of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Deaf Society was accepted by acclamation in 1924.
In the St. Augustine Seminary, a lot of the students volunteered to learn sign language almost each year for many years until Father Basil Ellard was appointed as the first Chaplain to the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Deaf Society though he still acted as a Professor at the Seminary for some years. Finally he was asked to be a Pastor at St. Margaret Church in Midland.
Then Rev. Father Bean was appointed to succeed Father Ellard but later the appointment was changed to Rev. Father John Moss after some years, he was chosen to attend the St. Augustine Seminary as a Professor.
The Catholic Deaf had to move from Loretto College School because of the growing number of students for the school. The St. Francis del Sales Catholic Deaf moved to the Catholic Extension building on bond St. in 1960.
From Bond St. the Catholic Deaf had to move again. They finally went to Columbus Boys Club on Bellwoods Ave. in the West end of Toronto. Father Moss and Father Bean alternated with Mass for the Deaf.
It was largely Father Bean who got the Catholic Deaf at Holy Name Church for their Sunday Masses. The Catholic Deaf moved to Holy Name Church in 1968. Father Moss served the Catholic Deaf until 1969.
Priest with the Deaf Sisters
Rev. Hopper Rev Mother Columbiere
Rev. Bean Sister Eugene O’Reilley
Rev. McGoey
Rev. McGivney
Rev. John Moss
Rev. Brian Dwyer
Rev. Guy Blair
Rev. Keith Wallace
Rev. Rich Lamberti
Rev. Anthony Gonsalves
Rev. Harry Stocks C.S.C.
Rev. Arthur Segueira
Archbishops of Toronto who supported Deaf Ministry
Archbishop Neil McNeill
Cardinal McGuiggan
Archbishop Pocock
Cardinal G.E. Carter
Archbishop Thomas Collins