The religious centre for a thriving Franco-Ontarian community, this substantial brick structure was built to serve La Paroisse de St-Pierre sur la Tranche, the second oldest Roman Catholic parish in southwestern Ontario, established in 1802. It was erected in 1896, with volunteer labour provided by parishioners, and replaced an earlier building destroyed by fire the year before. Prominently situated in a rural setting overlooking the Thames River, St. Peter's is distinguished by its tall square tower, spiral steeple and decorative brickwork. The church's most notable features, however, are the eighteen ecclesiastical paintings that grace the interior. Commissioned in 1920, they are the work of Marie Joseph Georges Delfosse (1869-1939), a French-Canadian artist noted for his religious and historical tableaux.

Location

On the grounds of the church, River Road, Tilbury East Township - northeast of the town of Tilbury

Themes

• Buildings and structures
• Religion