Holy Redeemer Parish Community lives the Great Commission with boldness and urgency: to make disciples of all nations.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20)
Holy Redeemer Parish is a vibrant and caring Catholic Community in Kanata, Ontario. We started as a mission from St. Martin de Porres Parish in the late 1970s with Masses said at Roger St. Denis School in Katimavik and St. Martin de Porres School each Sunday. The Parish officially received its decree on June 25th 1981 from Archbishop Joseph Aurele Plourde by the grace of God and the Apostolic See of the Archbishop of Ottawa.
In the 1960 and 1970s the community of Kanata experienced rapid growth and a new subdivision, Glen Cairn, was build in the Kanata South. The lack of a Catholic Church in the Glen Cairn area led to the requirement to establish a new parish. In 1977, the Catholics of Kanata South were recognized formally as a Mission attached to St. Martin de Porres in Bell's Corners was established. The first action of this newly established group of the faithful in Kanata was to buy the land to build a Church.
In 1981, the then Archbishop of Ottawa, Aurele Plourde, raised this Mission to the status of a Parish. On September 20th 1984, during his visit to Ottawa, Saint John Paul II blessed the cornerstone for the church that the Catholics of Kanata South were working hard to complete. It was on Christmas Eve in 1985 that the founding pastor, Fr. Peter Schonenbach, celebrated the first Mass in Holy Redeemer Church, which the Archbishop consecrated early in the following year on January 6th.
In addition to Msgr. Schonenbach who served as pastor for five years, Holy Redeemer has been guided by Fr. Corbin Eddy for five years, Fr. Frank Brewer for six years, Fr. Paul Shepherd for eleven years, Fr. Pierre Champoux for six years and Fr. James Raphel for one year. In August 2017 Fr. Paul Nwaeze was appointed pastor.
Today, after two renovations, Holy Redeemer Church has seating for 635 with an extended capacity of up to 1000 at Christmas and Easter, and parking for 262 vehicles. The Parish ministers to 2,500 families with five Masses celebrated each weekend. The Parish boasts more than 40 ministries with over 300 individuals volunteering their time, helping to bring the message of Jesus Christ to our community.