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On March 14, 1946, just
three and a half years after his return to St. Angela Merici
parish, and only eight
years after his first arrival in Windsor, Fr. DeSantis called
the first meeting to discuss plans for a youth centre. There
was the same eager co-operation as in 1939, and work was started
a few months later. The grand opening of the St. Angela |
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P10471
- Group
of altar boys with Fr. John Stopponi, Fr. De Santis, and Fr. Beda
Barcatta, 1958-1960. Courtesy of St. Angela Merici Church
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Youth
Centre, after its blessing by Bishop J. T.Kidd, took place on
December 11, 1949. |
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Since then, the youth and the Italian
community at large, have enjoyed bowling in the Centre’s
bowling alley, and recreation, movies, plays, dances and parties
in the Centre’s main
hall. All of the parish organizations have made use of the Centre
for meetings and functions.
In 1952, an addition to the hall for
kindergarten classes was completed, and in the 1950s,
the Centre was used as classrooms for Grades one and four from
Immaculate Conception School. Later,
many of the new arrivals benefited from the use of these facilities
for English language instruction.
The Youth Centre eventually became known
as St. Angela Hall, and over the years, has been host of many
of the parishioners’ wedding
receptions and parties.
As the parish continued to grow in the decade following the
end of the Second World War, other priests, primarily members
of the Benedictine Fathers of Detroit, came to assist Fr. DeSantis.
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