Reverend Anthony Francis Scalisi

Anthony Scalisi was born on September 9, 1907 to parents Ignatius Scalisi and Anna Tantillo in Woodstock, Ontario. His early education was at St. Mary’s School in Woodstock, and he remained in Woodstock through high school years, before going to study at St. Peter’s Seminary. He was ordained on June 10, 1933 by Bishop John T. Kidd in St. Peter’s Cathedral.

His first role was as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Windsor. Alongside his usual duties, he was also tasked with administering sacraments to any Italian who was ill living in the border cities of Windsor and Detroit. He remained in Windsor until 1938, when he went to Sacred Heart Parish in Ingersoll, again as assistant pastor. He would remain there until 1942, before moving on
briefly to Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Sarnia from 1942 to 1944, and then as administrator at St. Patrick’s Parish in Lucan from 1944 to 1945.

He became pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in Tilbury that same year, where he set to work fixing up the church and grounds: he made improvements to the rectory, church, cemetery and
river banks. He stayed there until 1953, when he became pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Mount Carmel, remaining there until 1956.

His next assignment was at Sacred Heart Parish in Sarnia, where he would remain for the next nine years. It was there that he celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary as a priest in June 1956. His time in Sarnia saw a number of significant changes to the area: it was under his leadership that St. Helen’s School opened in 1957; 1959 saw a fire in the old basement church, but Father Scalisi was there to bless the new church on November 1, 1959.

Father Scalisi went to St. Philip’s Parish in Petrolia in 1965. He remained there until his
passing in March 1970.

Father Scalisi served all of his parishes faithfully, whether he was only there for one year or
ten years, and it is this constant dedication that characterized his ministry.