Our beginnings
How Catholic Charities began
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Archbishop Neil McNeil
Archival seated portrait of Archbishop Neil McNeil (Archdiocese of Toronto archives).
Archbishop Neil McNeil, who appointed Father Patrick Bench in 1913. Photo courtesy of the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto.
One archbishop. One priest. One small office. No budget.
In 1913, one year before the First World War, Archbishop Neil McNeil appointed Father Patrick Bench to coordinate Catholic charitable work in Toronto. Existing institutions and welfare societies were already helping people in need, but their efforts sometimes overlapped while other needs went unmet.
Their work brought greater coordination to institutional admissions and the responsibilities of Catholic welfare societies. They sought to address poverty and unemployment while encouraging wider participation in charitable service.
From those beginnings, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto grew into a network supporting agencies and the communities they serve. Its history reflects the contributions of religious communities, clergy, lay leaders, volunteers and community partners.
“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.”
Samuel Johnson
Our story on screen
Watch the history of Catholic Charities
Explore the story of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto through the people and work that shaped its development.
Through the years
Milestones in Catholic Charities history
1913 — Catholic Charities Office established
Archbishop McNeil appoints Father Patrick Bench to coordinate charitable services and respond to unmet needs.
1914 — Services for mothers and children
St. Mary’s Infants’ Home, later known as Rosalie Hall, opens. Catholic Big Brothers and Catholic Big Sisters follow in subsequent years.
1919 — A shared fundraising effort
The Federation of Community Service brings Catholic and non-Catholic charities into a coordinated fundraising network.
1922 — Catholic Welfare Bureau organized
A needs assessment leads to more coordinated family and child care services.
1927 — Federation of Catholic Charities
After Catholic organizations lose access to federation funding, Archbishop McNeil mobilizes a separate Catholic fundraising response.
1946 — Council of Catholic Charities
The organization adopts the name Council of Catholic Charities.
1976 — ShareLife established
Archbishop Philip Pocock withdraws the Council from United Way following a disagreement over funding an organization offering abortion counselling. ShareLife is established to sustain Catholic charitable fundraising.
1978–1981 — Services expand across the regions
Catholic family service agencies develop in Simcoe County, York, Peel and Durham.
1981 — Our present name
The organization adopts the name Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto.
1984 — Doreen Cullen appointed
Doreen Cullen becomes the first lay person to serve as executive director.
2013 — A century of service
Catholic Charities marks its 100th anniversary, recognizing the people and agencies behind its work.
Part of a wider history
Catholic charity across the Archdiocese of Toronto
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Sacred Heart Children’s Orphanage, Sunnyside
Archival photo of the large Gothic brick orphanage building run by the Sisters of St. Joseph (Archdiocese of Toronto archives).
The Sacred Heart Children’s Orphanage in Sunnyside, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Photo courtesy of the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto.
Catholic charitable service in Toronto predates the establishment of Catholic Charities. Religious communities and lay people helped build a network of care that shaped the city’s social services and health care.
The Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in Toronto in 1851. Their work included the House of Providence, opened in 1857, care for children at the Sacred Heart Orphanage, and the establishment of St. Michael’s Hospital in 1892. The former orphanage property became St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1921.
Archbishop John Walsh’s advocacy helped restore municipal funding to hospitals in 1893. Later, Monsignor John Fullerton’s work on the Ontario Hospital Services Commission contributed to the development of public health insurance.
This wider history connects practical care with advocacy, cooperation and a commitment to serving people regardless of religious affiliation.
People, agencies and contributions
Historical articles from The Catholic Register
The Catholic Register’s anniversary features document the contributions of Catholic Charities and its member agencies, and the wider history of Catholic charitable service in Toronto.
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Cover: 100 Years of Helping
First page of the 100th anniversary section, rendered from the PDF.
100th Anniversary of Catholic Charities
Published in May 2013, this special anniversary section traces Catholic Charities’ development and brings together stories of its people and agencies.
Read the 100th Anniversary of Catholic Charities articles (PDF)
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First page: A history defined by Catholic charity
First page of the 175th anniversary feature, rendered from the PDF.
175th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Toronto
Published in May 2017, this feature explores Catholic charity’s contribution to Toronto’s social services, health care and public life, including Catholic Charities’ role within that wider history.
Read the 175th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Toronto article (PDF)
Our work continues
The same purpose. Changing needs.
Today, Catholic Charities continues to support member agencies through leadership, collaboration and advocacy, responding to the needs of our communities.