Council colleague Denis Sabourin tells the story of an Osnabruck Township — as it was called in the day — farmer who happened to be a strong Liberal and devout United Church worshipper, in that order, who attended a funeral in a Roman Catholic church. It was his first time in a Roman Catholic church.
The homily was delivered by a young priest named Kevin Maloney. So impressed with the touching message delivered by the priest, the chap decided to attend Maloney’s church the next Sunday, just to, as the saying goes, “Check him out.” He never converted, tells Sabourin, but he kept going back, just for the sermons.
A Baptist churchgoer told me of a similar experience, how touched he was by a homily given by Maloney at a funeral he attended. A gifted preacher, Maloney was a “people’s priest.”. He touched so many lives – parishioners and non-parishioners, Catholics and non-Catholics. And he had a terrific sense of humour. Once, during a homily, a cell phone went off in one of the pews.
He paused, and said, “Answer it, and say, ‘I’m in church, come on over. We need you’.”
At a funeral, several people continued with the last lines of the Lord’s Prayer, absent in the Catholic version.
“That’s okay,” he said. “That’s how we know who the Protestants are.” Along with his parish work, he devoted countless hours to community work. He was on the ground floor of the Big Brothers organization, worked with the Children’s Aid Society and helped in the establishment of the Children’s Treatment Centre.
He was “roasted” multiple times for the CTC cause. Or, as city lawyer Sean Adams, put it, “Roasted to crisp.”
Actually, a little known fact is that back in the early 1990s, he became the city’s first “roast victim” when he was put on the hot seat for a Rudy Villeneuve scholarship fundraiser at Cornwall Golf and Country Club.
His work in the community was recognized in 2019 when he was named Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
When many folks his age were enjoying retirement, his workload became heavier. Recently, with the local clergy team struggling with a short bench, as they say in hockey, he took on the additional role of co-pastor of St. Columban’s Parish after its pastor retired.
Jim Dilamarter, retired public board director of education and the first president of the Children’s Treatment Centre, said it for all of us. “The entire community will miss him.”
Msgr. Kevin Joseph Maloney, a bright beacon of light, left this Earth on Sept. 20. Rest in peace. You will be forever missed.
OCTOBER 1961 – Ontario social services statistics showed that Cornwall had the highest per capita welfare numbers in the province with 3,064 recipients, 7.30% of the population…What was believed to be the oldest tree in Cornwall – a towering elm on the McNairn property on First Street between Amelia and Adolphus – was taken down. It was at least 200 years old…The 65-room Lockton Lodge in Williamsburg was destroyed by fire…The Seaway Drive-In at Pitt and Tollgate Road closed for the season…St. Lawrence defeated Queen Elizabeth of Kingston 21-13 in EOSSA football. Pete Travis, Don Dupuis and Ian McLeod had the Saints’ TDs. Robert “Bear” Lalonde’s interception de-railed a last-minute drive by Queen E…Cornwall Minor Lacrosse Association MVP awards went to Ron Robillard, Dennis Thompson, Richard Sullivan, Michael Crites, Gary Tyrell and Ron Thompson…The former CKSF Radio building next to The Standard-Freeholder on Pitt Street was torn down and became a parking lot for the newspaper…William Anderson was the city’s new industrial commissioner. He came from Newmarket…New teachers at Cornwall Collegiate were Alex McAllister, Rosaire Leger, Robert Raymond, Anna Jackson, Lawrence Faris, Marilyn Haley, Marjorie MacKay and Antonia Stephens…Shirley’s Restaurant on Second Street was sold by owner J. J. MacDonald to a Montreal group. It became a Chinese restaurant. MacDonald’s first Shirley’s was in Alexandria. Shirley’s No. 2 was at two other Second Street locations before setting up on Second near Augustus….The Cornwall City Junior Hockey League was formed. Vince Labrecque was president with Edgar Miron vice-president… The 90-year-old CNR station on Ninth Street was torn down…A department of defence classified document listed 16 potential nuclear war targets across Canada. The department would not say if Cornwall – because of the St. Lawrence Seaway and hydro power plant – was one of the potential targets. However, officials warned that deadly radiation fall-out from an attack on Ottawa would reach the Cornwall area within an hour.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Fern Guindon, who served in the John Robarts and Bill Davis provincial cabinets, was born in Quebec but lived in Apple Hill before moving to Cornwall. As labour minister in 1972, he played a key role in a settlement that ended the longest municipal strike – garbage workers — in Toronto history.
TRIVIA: In 1956, this capital project — $1.730 million — approved by city council at the time became the most expensive in city history: 1) New sewage plant, 2) Construction of a water pipeline from Lake St. Lawrence to the filtration plant, 3) Construction of a water purification plant, 4) New city hall, 5) Extension of Second Street from St. Felix Street to Boundary Road.
QUOTED: It is a paradox of French-Canadian life: the more we become bilingual, the less need there is to be bilingual. — Separatist Marcel Chaput in “Why I’m a Separatist.”
