Initially, the population of Sudbury was very transient, but as the economy diversified, people settled more permanently in the area.  The Jesuit priests could now count on devoted lay people for help in their missions.  It was then that a number of religious, charitable, cultural or social associations were created with youth organizations resulting from the Catholic schools.

The Ligue du Sacré-Coeur and the Enfants de Marie brought the youngest parishioners together.  Older students in Central School were Cadets du Sacré-coeur or Cadettes de Marie.  Their parents were members of Société St-Jean Baptiste, Apostolat de la prière, Conférence St-Vincent-de-Paul, Union St-Joseph, Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises, parents' committees, or Dames de Sainte-Anne.  The young people belonged to the Club Saint-Louis, Cercle Lallement or Jeunese Ouvrière Chrétienne.

Parish halls were the scene of unending activities including bowling tournaments, literary study groups, concerts, amateur theatre, dances, distribution of relief to the poor, bazaars, card tournaments, distribution of awards or graduation ceremonies, chat sessions, conferences, meetings and assemblies of all kinds.  All of these activities were done for the benefit of parish projects.

Other associations whose centre of activity went beyond the parish setting originated with an idea put forward during a parish meeting.  These ideas resulted in the creation of the Société historique du Nouvel-Ontario, from which the Centre franco-ontarien de folklore would later come.

When the co-operative movement developed, the priest of the time invited Alphonse Desjardins, founder of the Caisses Populaires, to open a Caisse in Sudbury.  The parish hall would be used for study groups on the co-operative movement.

Material compiled from 75e anniversaire du diocèse du Sault Ste-Marie 1904-1979.