About Us

About St. Mary's

A Roman Catholic community of faith in the heart of Carleton Place, Ontario — welcoming all to worship, service, and fellowship since 1884.

Our Staff

Meet our team

Fr. Stéphane Pouliot
Fr. Stéphane Pouliot
Pastor
Katelyn Thom
Katelyn Thom
Administrative Assistant

Our Mission

Four pillars of our parish

We, the Catholic community of the faithful of St. Mary’s Church in Carleton Place, through our baptismal call, commit to proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and accept these four pillars as our mission.

Welcome

To embrace all peoples — parishioners and newcomers alike — as growing disciples, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Enrich

To strengthen faith through liturgical celebrations, regular prayer, worship, and catechetical programs for children, youth, and adults.

Respond

To show compassion to all our sisters and brothers who are in need, and to work for justice and peace.

Reach Out

To support the sick, the sad, and the suffering members of our community through pastoral care, spiritual and emotional support.

Our Patroness

Our Lady of Ransom

Feast Day — September 24

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has many titles and many occasions of appearing to those in need. In each case the Church gives Mary a special title that emphasizes the message she is trying to communicate. Our Lady of Ransom is one of those titles.

In Spain in the year 1218 A.D., the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in separate visions to St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond of Penafort, and King James I of Aragon. She asked them to establish a religious order to liberate Christians who had been kidnapped and imprisoned for their faith. Members of the new Order of Mercedarians were to do this through prayer, by raising money to pay ransoms, and by taking a vow to offer themselves, if needed, in exchange for the enslaved. Under Mary’s protection the order grew rapidly, and those ransomed are numbered in the tens of thousands.

The parish's Our Lady of Ransom banner on the brick face of the entrance tower: Mary in a pale veil holding the child Jesus, above the words “Bringing All Families to Jesus and Bringing Jesus to Every Family Since 33 AD”.

Our Lady of Ransom — the banner above the doors of our church.

Our History

The church with the rock

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.Matthew 16:18

St. Mary’s began as a small parish in Carleton Place in 1884. We have since added several additions to accommodate our growing family of parishioners.

The original rectory was moved in 1993 to Franktown Road to allow for the construction of a new church, and the church that stands today was built in 1994.

St. Mary’s is often called “the church with the rock” — the rock at its entrance originated from the Lanark Highlands. Visitors are always welcome to stop by and, should they wish, to join our family of parishioners permanently.

Street view of St. Mary's: the original red-brick church with its bell tower on the left, joined to the larger church built in 1994 on the right.
The original church of 1884, with the present church of 1994 alongside it.

Your First Visit

Step inside St. Mary’s

If you have never been here before, this is the walk from the parking lot to your seat — so that nothing on Sunday morning is unfamiliar. You are welcome to come early and look around.

  1. Red-brick entrance tower with a large banner of Our Lady of Ransom holding the Child Jesus, above wooden double doors reached by a level brick walkway.

    The door to look for

    The parish has two connected buildings. Come in under the banner of Our Lady of Ransom — this is the entrance everyone uses, and the walkway to it is level, with parking directly outside.

  2. View through open wooden double doors into a naturally lit lobby with a rock feature, potted plants and a framed image on a stand.

    Just inside

    The doors open onto a bright gathering area under a skylight. Take your time here — people usually gather and talk before Mass begins.

  3. A large natural rock beneath a skylight, with a carved wooden baptismal font bearing a dove and Chi-Rho, a tall paschal candle, and a statue to one side.

    The rock, and the font

    St. Mary's is known as the church with the rock — this one came from the Lanark Highlands. The wooden font beside it holds holy water, and many people bless themselves here as they arrive.

  4. View through open wooden doors down a central carpeted aisle toward the altar, with rows of seating on both sides and a crucifix window at the far end.

    Into the church

    A second set of doors leads to the main aisle. There is no assigned seating — sit wherever you are comfortable, and further back is perfectly fine on a first visit.

  5. Wide view across rows of light wooden chairs with burgundy cushions, beneath a white vaulted ceiling with skylights and hanging pendant lights.

    Where you'll sit

    Individual wooden chairs rather than pews, each with a kneeler that folds down. The room seats about three hundred and rarely feels crowded.

  6. The sanctuary seen head-on: a stone altar dressed in a green cloth, flanked by reading stands, beneath a crucifix and a large stained-glass window of the Crucifixion.

    The altar

    Everything at Mass happens here: the readings from the stand on the left, and the Eucharist at the altar in the centre. The cloth changes colour with the season.

  7. Stained-glass panel showing Christ in red vestments standing at a draped altar, raising the host above a golden chalice.

    The windows

    Stained glass runs the length of the church. This one shows the moment the Mass itself remembers — Christ offering the bread at the Last Supper.