St. Elizabeth Hungarian Community Plaque, 2024.  

Plaque Text

Toronto’s Hungarian population began to emerge in the 1920s with the establishment of Roman Catholic and Presbyterian faith communities. However, Roman Catholics didn’t have a permanent place of worship until St. Philip’s Anglican Church, at the corner of Dundas Street and Spadina Avenue, went up for sale.

The community raised $10,000 ($180,000 in 2024), which was matched by the Catholic Archdiocese. The church was consecrated and re-dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary on March 19, 1944.

Following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Canada received 37,565 refugees from the country, and the membership of St. Elizabeth’s grew rapidly. The church became the centre of the neighbourhood as newcomers opened restaurants, stores, and services between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street, reaching north to Bloor Street.

There were mass wedding ceremonies at the church, where dozens of couples were married at the same time. Organizations such as a Hungarian-language school, scout troops, and a variety of theatrical, dance, and social groups found a home at the church.

In 1985, the congregation sold the church building and moved north to Sheppard and Bayview Avenues, where it continues to be a vibrant centre for Hungarian spiritual and cultural life.