About Us

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)

In the autumn of 1953 a small yet dedicated and committed group of believers gathered within this community and established a Sunday school to meet the spiritual needs of children and young families in the area.

The Rev. Frank Weston Fry was appointed to the parish and arrived on May 2nd, 1954. Just one week later, on May 9th, regular worship services were held for the first time in a portable church located on Loney Avenue in North York; just to the north and west of the intersection of Jane and Wilson. In the autumn of 1954, the church petitioned the Bishop seeking the formation of a new parish. Shortly thereafter the present site at 2259 Jane Street was purchased by the Diocese, and plans were set in motion for the construction of the present edifice at this location.

The church embarked upon an ambitious fundraising campaign; the campaign was exceedingly successful and raised close to $70,000. The first soil was turned for the church in October of 1955, and the cornerstone laid the following May. The church of St. Stephen was subsequently and formally dedicated by Bishop Wilkinson, Bishop of Toronto, on November 28th, 1956.

We are thankful to God for the faithful ministry of those who have preceded us; for their dedication to Jesus Christ and their labor of love in His name. On account of their sacrificial efforts we are privileged to continue to engage in ministry and to reach out to our surrounding community from this place.

We are a diverse and community in the Christian tradition; reaching out in love to others. Our mission is to worship God through our service to our neighbor, using our gifts and talents to reach out in love to others.

We are an intergenerational congregation ranging in experience from infants to youth to the elderly. A number of parishioners who have grown up in the church are now raising their own children here, creating strong bonds and relationships within the parish.

We are actively involved in the community through various outreach initiatives, including the Saints Café; which provides hot healthy meals to our friends in the community. Our commitment to our outreach programs and interaction with one another reflect our commitment to Jesus and the work that he did.

As stewards of all that we have received, we have been entrusted not merely with this sacred space, but with a sacred responsibility to care for and hand on in good stead that which we have first received; for the support of future ministry in proclaiming the gospel in this community of Downsview and beyond.

We invite you to make our story your story; even as Christ makes our story the story of His activity in our community and world.