On November 4, 1963, the land on which our church is built was purchased from Blaise and Florence Rivard, who remained our next-door neighbours and faithful parishioners for many years.
On May 28, 1965, Bishop Gerald Emmett Carter appointed Rev. Douglas F. Boyer Pastor of the newly established parish in the town of Riverside, Ontario. The name chosen for this church was "St. Thomas the Apostle."
The first Parish Rectory, purchased as a temporary rectory and office, was a house located at 1228 Matthew Brady.
St. Maria Goretti School gymnasium was rented for the purpose of having Parish Masses, and the very first Celebration of the Eucharist of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish was held there on June 25, 1965.
Fr. George Zimney became pastor of the parish in June of 1966, and he would be the "overseer" of the Church building project.
The Parish Catholic Women's League had its Charter Meeting in November of
1966.
The official Sod Turning for the new Church took place on January 15, 1967.
Sheppard, Masson, Brand and Langlois Architects, together with Woodall Construction, designed and built our Church, Hall and Rectory. The total cost of this entire project was $321,682.09.
The first Celebration of the Eucharist in the newly built Church was held on September 24, 1967. The Parish started with approximately 400 families.
The Church building project was completed by July of 1968.
On April 18, 1990 Pope John Paul II bestowed his Apostolic Blessing upon the people of St. Thomas the Apostle as they celebrated their 25th Anniversary as a Parish Family.
In November of 1993 our Parish celebrated the gala "Mortgage Burning Party," having finally paid off the last penny of the original cost of the the Church/Hall/Rectory building project which began in 1966.
In 1995, St. Thomas the Apostle celebrated its 30th Anniversary of being a Parish community.