This year, Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Hornepayne, Ont., celebrates 100 years of Catholic presence. Established in 1925, the parish has stood through the shifts of an isolated northern town whose identity has long been tied to the railway.

Hornepayne, with a population just under 1,000, was founded as a divisional point for the Canadian Northern Railway in 1915. The rail yard brought permanent settlement and remains the town’s largest employer, though the network has been scaled back since its peak in the 1990s. Today, about 200 residents still work for CN Rail, alongside 100 employed at the local sawmill. 

The community has a hospital and schools, but residents often travel hours to reach basic amenities. Once home to more than 1,600 people, Hornepayne has felt the effects of economic decline, yet it remains a place where families, workers and parishioners hold on to what matters most.

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The Catholic community here has faced similar challenges. There is no resident priest, but each Sunday Fr. Gilles Grandmont makes a three-hour round trip from Hearst to celebrate Mass. 

“Our community is struggling these days to maintain a Catholic presence here, but there are some good signs as well,” says David Hoffman of the parish finance committee.

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Some of those signs are visible in the parish buildings. With support from Catholic Missions In Canada, Holy Name of Jesus Parish has been able to make needed repairs: a wheelchair ramp and sidewalk for the church, along with a new roof and ceiling for the rectory. Once used occasionally for visiting priests, the rectory now houses a Colombian family that recently joined the parish. 

“The building is not four star,” Hoffman says, “but it is providing a welcome place for this new family to our parish.”

Holy Name of Jesus is one of 38 faith communities that make up the Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee, which includes 25 parishes and 13 missions serving approximately 27,000 Catholics across a vast territory of northeastern Ontario. The Dioceses of Hearst and Moosonee were merged in 2018, bringing together communities spread across remote northern towns and villages under one pastoral care.

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As Holy Name of Jesus Parish marks its centennial, its members give thanks for the sacrifices of those who came before them and for the generosity of today’s donors. 

“We are grateful for the work accomplished by my predecessors and the generous financial help we received from Catholic Missions In Canada,” Hoffman affirms.