Taken from Chronicles of Windsor, 1977:
The history of the Catholic Church in Windsor can be said to have started with the missionaries who first came to Vermont in the early 1800s. Mass was celebrated twice a year at the homes of the various railroad workers who came to Windsor in 1847, among them Brady, Culligan, Marcotte, McHugh (McCue) and McCarty. The Culligan house is still standing near the upper Mill Brook bridge on Union Street. Later, Mass was celebrated in Carleton Hall and the Davis Block.
The influx of cotton mill workers, many from Canada, stressed the need for a church and regular services, so in 1881 a portion of the Vaughan property on the south side of Union Street was purchased by Bishop DeGoesbriand. Ground was broken in October of that year, and in the month prior a very successful fair was held by the women of the congregation which netted $1,100 towards the church building. The contract was awarded to W.P. Morse of White River, who had recently repaired and remodeled the Old South Church. Many generous contributions were received from non-Catholic friends - The Hon. William M. Evarts donated the bell, which was cast in Baltimore and weighed nearly 700 pounds. The church was a plain wooden structure with a seating capacity of 350.
The first resident pastor was the Reverend Robert Higgins, appointed in 1886. Since there was no parochial residence, he boarded at various homes in the village during his pastorate of eight years. He was succeeded by Reverend William Lonergan, under whose dynamic leadership the church debt was paid off and a new rectory built opposite the church. During the pastorate of Reverend Thomas Liddy (1941-1951) plans were formulated for the building of a new church because of the ever-increasing number of communicants. Each year a definite amount was allocated to a building fund and, at the time of his death in 1951, $80,000 was available.
Ground for the new church was broken in October 1953. It is an attractive vitri-granite structure capable of seating 600 persons, with a spacious hall and kitchen for parish activities. Dedication ceremonies were held November 14, 1954.
Taken from a publication "St. Francis of Assisi Church"
After the destruction of the second church by fire, caused by the cellulose fiber insulation...action committees were organized within a few days - committees for site, grounds, demographics, interior and exterior design, size and fundraising.
40 architectural firms were contacted and 23 responded and from that number the Peter Kosinski Associates of New Haven, CT were chosen. Mr. Kosinski and his associate Paul Belaski, a local man, presented plans and showed pictures of the proposed structure at a parish meeting.
The design chosen was in the Gregorian vernacular in red brick with a two-story gable roof. A second floor gallery overlooks the interior nave and at this level are four classrooms at both the north and south ends of the building. Around the periphery of the nave is the parish hall, kitchen, cloak room, sacristy, the Repository Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and Shrine of Our lady, the Paul Davis Reconciliation Room, choir room and storage spaces.
The main entrance is located on the west side, facing the rectory, and the chapel entrance faces Union Street. The bell, originally on the first church, will be hung in a bell tower in the court yard. The seating capacity is 250, with removable chairs rather than pews.
Some dates of importance - taken from the most recent Parish directory:
1847: Fr. John Daly celebrates the first Mass in Windsor
1881-1882: Fr. Daniel O'Sullivan builds first church.
1892: Fr. William Lonergan builds rectory
1951: Fr. William Ready builds new church across the street
1977: Church is destroyed by fire on December 22nd
1980: Fr. Forrest Rouelle builds our present church
1981: George Tooker donates his painting of "The Seven Sacraments"
1983: St. Francis of Assisi parish is entrusted to the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette
1984: George Tooker donates his "Stations of the Cross"
Works of other important artists are also part of the new church: stained glass by Robert Pinart, sculptures by Robert Carsten
Pastors of St. Francis of Assisi Parish:
Rev. Robert F. Higgins, July 1886-1888
Rev. William Lonergan, January 1888-May 1894
Rev. Joseph Therien, 1894-March 1903
Rev. Cornelius Delaney, Nov. 1903-Jan 1907
Rev. Joseph Caisse, Nov. 1907-Feb. 1909
Rev. John B. McGarry (admr), May 1909-June 1912
Rev. Joseph Campeau, June 1912-July 1926
Rev. Emil Fontaine, July 1926-Feb 1941
Rev. Thomas Liddy, March 1941-March 1951
Rev. David Roche (admr), March-September 1951
Rev. William Ready, Sept 1951-Nov 1959
Rev. Joseph Sawyer, Nov 1959-Nov 1960
Rev. Gavin Maloney, Nov 1960-June 1962
Rev. Edward Hebert, June 1962-June 1963
Rev. Forrest Rouelle (admr), June 1963-August 1963
Rev. Edward Buckley (admr), August 1963-January 1965
Rev. John Glancy, Jan 1965-June 1967
Rev. Anthony Jurgielewicz, June 1967-Oct 1969
Rev. Daniel Roberts, Oct 1969-June 1975
Rev. Forrest Rouelle, June 1975-1988 (dates estimated)
Rev. J.H. Normand Nadeau, June 1988 - April 1993* (dates estimated)
REv. Robert Campbell, June 1993 - Sept 1997* (dates estimated)
Rev. Paul Belhumeur, November 1997 - January 2008 (dates estimated)
Rev. Rene Butler, March 2008 - November 2012 (dates estimated)
Rev. Thomas L. Mosher, Nov, 2012 - 2015 (dates estimated)
Rev. Charles R. Danielson, 2016 - 2022
Rev. Cyrain Cabuenas. (Administrator) 2022-present