COVID-19 disrupts fundraising drive for new Catholic church in Vaughan

'Our well-made plans have been tossed out the window'

Yorkregion.com
October 5, 2020

An artistic rendering of what St. Andre Bessette Church will look like. - St. Andre Bessette Parish

COVID-19 has disrupted St. Andre Bessette Parish’s drive to raise $2 million to build the newest Catholic church in Vaughan.

The church’s campaign started in 2013, but the pandemic has “caused severe illness, death, loss of employment and devastation throughout the world.”

“All of our lives have been turned upside down and our well-made plans have been tossed out the window.”

Like elsewhere, St. Andre Bessette Parish has “not been left unscathed and will continue to suffer.”

Its Oct. 17 ground-breaking ceremony has been “cancelled not only due to restrictions on public gatherings, but mainly due to the fact that our fundraising capabilities have also ground to a halt.”

“In the past seven-plus years, we have been committed to serving the Catholic families in our parish community and unwavering in our resolve to fundraise to build our parish church.”

To support the church’s crowdsourcing fundraiser, visit www.standrebesssette.ca