Hi Alex;
I see Clive beat me to the military side of your wife's uncle
(I slipped away for a couple of hours to see my Grand-daughter)
...anyways, here is the other side:
The Dalton Pastoral Era 1946-1953
Major Reverend Michael Joseph Dalton, padre of the Essex Scottish Regiment became the pastor of Most Precious Blood Parish in September 1946. This was a time of transition when men and women had to learn from the hardship of the Depression and the horror of World War 11 to build for the future, Father Dalton brought much experience, untiring energy and firm leadership to this mission at Most Precious Blood Parish. Immediately, he began construction of a new rectory and basement church on the site of the southwest corner of Meldrum and Tecumseh Roads. In August 1947, His Excellency Bishop Kidd offered the first Mass in the new basement church. The rapidly growing parish was adequately accommodated for the time being. During the first Mass, Father Dalton told his flock that he had Laboured and sweated to make sacrificial offerings Sunday after Sunday, day after day and that hundreds have given God reasonable service to make his dream come true.
Father Dalton stressed church attendance, family worship, the parish as a community, and devotion to Mary. Father Dalton aced on problems and expected his flock to work with him to find answers. He emphasized the need for unity to build the Church in Christ.
Father Dalton acted to strengthen the Christian community. He reinstated the Altar Society, the Usher's Club, and the Catholic Women's League, and formed the Boy Scouts and the Legion of Mary. He advocated the rosary prayer and was responsible in inviting Father Patrick Peyton, the famous rosary priest to come to Most Precious Blood Parish to conduct a rosary crusade. Visiting parish families occupied much of his time. Mission and retreats also took priority He considered missions to be important and used loudspeakers on the streets, to announce missions and volunteers mailed mission notes to parishioners. In 1951, he invited the people to pray for world peace as part of Bishop Cody's Holy Year Mission Crusade of Prayer and Sacrifice.
Devotion to Mary characterized Father Dalton's era. The Legion of Mary improved conditions for the prayer to the Virgin and for worship at Most Precious Blood Parish.
Because of expansion during the post-war years, Most Precious Blood Parish required full-time assistant pastors. Father Herman Reardon was the fist and greatly helped Father Dalton. For such a busy man as Father Reardon life was not easy. While assisting at Most Precious Blood, he also had the responsibility of organizing and administering to the mission parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Comber from 1947 to 1951.
By 1951, the family at Most Precious Blood had grown so large that it became necessary to sever part of a large section in Sandwich East to create a new parish. St Christopher's was founded and Father V.C.Cote became its first pastor. The following priests also served during Father Dalton's pastoral era: Fathers U.A. Lefaive; V.C.Cote; J.F.Lynch; L.F. Bastien; J.H. Moss; F.M. Bezaire; P.V. Drouillard.
The parish was expanding and it needed the new church. Father Dalton was instrumental in raising funds and he encouraged bingo games and bazaars. Still, according to Father Dalton, the Sunday envelope is still the highest source of revenue on the average, with all due respect to the Usher's year-round bingos. When he initiated one collection., the honour system, instead of the dime collection at the door the whole diocese followed suit. Father Dalton offered $500, half the asking price, for the lots for the church, and his offer was accepted. Some donations came from beyond the parish, until the 20th Century Church Builders had collected $75,000.00 by 1953, the last year that Father Dalton was at Most Precious Blood Parish. This was another community effort that was worthy of the Father White and Father Donnellan years, an effort that is an example for all of us.
Cheers Alex and Thank you Clive for posting the military side.
