Oriole-York Mills United Church

Have you heard of the church that rose from the rubble of another? Oriole-York Mills United Church, right here before us, has such a story. Its roots trace back to the 1840s, to Methodists gathering in the village of Oriole. The first congregation, Clark’s Wesleyan Methodist, met in Thomas Clark’s home by 1848. They built a simple brick church on Sheppard and Old Leslie Street in 1873. This church, known as Clark’s, then East York, then Oriole Methodist Church, eventually became Oriole United Church in 1925. But Toronto’s growth demanded the land. The old Oriole Church was dismantled in 1965. The congregation, however, had already begun anew. Oriole-York Mills United Church was constituted in 1959, first worshipping at Harrison Road Public School. Then, on Easter Sunday, 1961, the ground was broken at this very spot on Bayview Avenue. The cornerstone placement followed later that year. The current Oriole-York Mills United Church building was dedicated on January 7, 1962. This sanctuary, with its soaring arches and towering campanile, stands as a testament to the resilience of faith. Look closely. The colored glass in some of the sanctuary windows came from the original Oriole Church. Outside, near Cedarhurst, you’ll find the foundation stones from both the 1873 and 1961 buildings. Oriole-York Mills United Church, the Church of the Good Shepherd, continues its ministry here. It serves as a reminder that even from the stones of the past, a new foundation can be built.