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Our History
St. Patrick's Church
The impressive stone structure of Saint Patrick's Church as we know it today, has very humble beginings. In the year 1796 a small chapel, presumably built of wood, was constructed near the site where St. Patrick's now stands. John Malcolm, a settler who arrived with a commercial fisherman from Scotland, directed the construction of the structure which was then named Malcolm's Chapel. In the year 1811 the name St. Patrick's Church was bestowed upon the building, as it was blessed.
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When Malcolm's Chapel was originally blessed, the spiritual needs of the Catholic settlers were attended to by missionaries from France. These missionaries spoke French, and it wasn't until Fr. Charles French arrived in 1812 that St. Patrick's obtained it first English speaking priest. In 1814 Fr. French purchased the land plus 10 acres from John Malcolm, forming the plot where the current St. Patrick's Church is located. And in 1822 Fr. William Dollard was named the first resident missionary of the Miramichi. Fr. Dollard would be the one to order the building of Saint Patrick's church, thus replacing Malcolm's Chapel. The wooden church would be completed in 1826, however in 1883 the structure would be lost in a fire. for 11 years parishioners worshiped in the second floor of the newly rebuilt rectory, waiting for the stone structure that is now our beloved St. Patrick's to be built.
On November 8, 1894 the new stone church was consecrated. A few days later, on the 15th Bishop Rogers from Chatham arrived and the great bell was rung, signaling the approaching ceremony. This was a new era for the parishioners and for the church of Saint Patrick's, and the congregation grew rapidly in the spacious church.
The sanctuary, sacristy and side chapel were added in 1898, bringing a sense of completion to the church. A new rectory was constructed out of brick in 1924 after the wooden one was lost in a fire in 1922.
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For more than 210 years (as of 2021) people have found faith, community and God through this holy site on the Miramichi River, we are proud of our humble beginnings, and of the love and effort that our parishioners gave, and still give today.
-Collected and written in 1991 by Mary Gill
Most Pure Heart of Mary
The first church in the community was built in 1882, under the supervision of Msgr. Marcel-François Richard, though the purchase of the land was only finalized two years later, in September 1884. Before this time, missionary priests, such as Fr. Michael Egan, and his nephew, Fr. Nicholas Power, visited the community. Many of the faithful in Barnaby River, and the Semiwagan Ridge, travelled to St. Patrick`s in Nelson to attend Mass. Beginning in 1833, Fr. Egan would also travel to the home of David Sullivan, on the Semiwagan Ridge, to celebrate Mass and minister to the spiritual needs of the people.
In August 1884, Bishop James Rogers visited the church to bless the church bell. Fr. Nicholas Power was placed in charge of the church in 1885, remaining until 1891 when Fr. Edward Patrick Wallace became the first pastor of Barnaby River. Within a month of his appointment, on the patronal feast of the church, Fr. Wallace welcomed fifty-one children to the Lord`s Table, as they made their First Communion. Without a presbytery in the community, Fr. Wallace stayed at the Dalton home along the Barnaby River, opposite the church.
Fr. Francis Campbell succeeded Fr. Wallace in 1894, and felt the need for a permanent resident for the church pastor. He took possession of the new presbytery on July 11, 1895, which had been constructed by the Chappell Bros. of Tidnish , NS at a cost of $2000. A woodshed was added in 1902. Fr. Campbell added Stations of the Cross to the church in April 1897, and an altar dedicated to Mary on July 2, 1902.
By 1897, two hundred seventy-three children from the community had been confirmed at the church by Bishop James Rogers.
In September 1905, Fr. Edward Bannon became pastor of the church, where he remained until his death in 1920. On October 17, 1917 Bishop Louis O'Leary blessed the cemetery, followed by a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. On August 28, 1918, the Holy Name Society was organized, with eighty-three men making the solemn act of consecration and taking the proscribed pledge.
After a brief time being overseen by the combination of Fr. P.R. McCarthy of Rogersville, and Fr. J. Alfred Lang of Chatham, in June of 1921, Fr. Peter Duffy became pastor. A kind and gentle man, his ill health and loss of hearing made it difficult to discharge his duties, and he retired in September 1922.
In October 1922, Fr. Hugh Cletus Elhatton became pastor of the church , where he would remain for fifty years. Overseeing a number of repairs and renovations, for which he organized volunteer labour, Fr. Elhatton also conducted regular visitations, both through the parish and into the lumber camps, and maintained good records at the church. In September of 1960, the church was threatened by a large forest fire, which destroyed two homes and the rail station, but efforts by firefighters averted disaster. During this time as well, four women from the parish entered religious life and three men were ordained to the priesthood.
One of these same men, Fr. Edmund Casey, succeeded Fr. Elhatton, but his sudden death in February 1974 shocked the community. That same year, the church became a mission of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chatham Head, a situation that remained until the early 2010s. The Most Pure Heart of Mary Church rejoined St. Patrick's Church in Nelson in 2015. With the realignment of the Saint John Diocese in 2017, these two churches, along with St. Edward's in Chelmsford became the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes.
- As recorded by Fr. Henry W. McGrath , collected and provided by Shawn McCarthy
Most Pure Heart of Mary
The first church in the community was built in 1882, under the supervision of Msgr. Marcel-François Richard, though the purchase of the land was only finalized two years later, in September 1884. Before this time, missionary priests, such as Fr. Michael Egan, and his nephew, Fr. Nicholas Power, visited the community. Many of the faithful in Barnaby River, and the Semiwagan Ridge, travelled to St. Patrick`s in Nelson to attend Mass. Beginning in 1833, Fr. Egan would also travel to the home of David Sullivan, on the Semiwagan Ridge, to celebrate Mass and minister to the spiritual needs of the people.
In August 1884, Bishop James Rogers visited the church to bless the church bell. Fr. Nicholas Power was placed in charge of the church in 1885, remaining until 1891 when Fr. Edward Patrick Wallace became the first pastor of Barnaby River. Within a month of his appointment, on the patronal feast of the church, Fr. Wallace welcomed fifty-one children to the Lord`s Table, as they made their First Communion. Without a presbytery in the community, Fr. Wallace stayed at the Dalton home along the Barnaby River, opposite the church.
Fr. Francis Campbell succeeded Fr. Wallace in 1894, and felt the need for a permanent resident for the church pastor. He took possession of the new presbytery on July 11, 1895, which had been constructed by the Chappell Bros. of Tidnish , NS at a cost of $2000. A woodshed was added in 1902. Fr. Campbell added Stations of the Cross to the church in April 1897, and an altar dedicated to Mary on July 2, 1902.
By 1897, two hundred seventy-three children from the community had been confirmed at the church by Bishop James Rogers.
In September 1905, Fr. Edward Bannon became pastor of the church, where he remained until his death in 1920. On October 17, 1917 Bishop Louis O'Leary blessed the cemetery, followed by a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. On August 28, 1918, the Holy Name Society was organized, with eighty-three men making the solemn act of consecration and taking the proscribed pledge.
After a brief time being overseen by the combination of Fr. P.R. McCarthy of Rogersville, and Fr. J. Alfred Lang of Chatham, in June of 1921, Fr. Peter Duffy became pastor. A kind and gentle man, his ill health and loss of hearing made it difficult to discharge his duties, and he retired in September 1922.
In October 1922, Fr. Hugh Cletus Elhatton became pastor of the church , where he would remain for fifty years. Overseeing a number of repairs and renovations, for which he organized volunteer labour, Fr. Elhatton also conducted regular visitations, both through the parish and into the lumber camps, and maintained good records at the church. In September of 1960, the church was threatened by a large forest fire, which destroyed two homes and the rail station, but efforts by firefighters averted disaster. During this time as well, four women from the parish entered religious life and three men were ordained to the priesthood.
One of these same men, Fr. Edmund Casey, succeeded Fr. Elhatton, but his sudden death in February 1974 shocked the community. That same year, the church became a mission of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chatham Head, a situation that remained until the early 2010s. The Most Pure Heart of Mary Church rejoined St. Patrick's Church in Nelson in 2015. With the realignment of the Saint John Diocese in 2017, these two churches, along with St. Edward's in Chelmsford became the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes.
- As recorded by Fr. Henry W. McGrath , collected and provided by Shawn McCarthy
St. Edward's Mission
In October 1896 steps were taken to build a church in Chelmsford, under the direction of Fr. Edward S. Murdoch. The construction was undertaken by Lebans & Ross of Blackville on the property of Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Duthie, who sold the property to the Chatham diocese in 1903. The church was opened on June 1, 1897 by Bishop James Rogers as a mission church of St. Bridget's in Renous. The mission stretched from the property of Maurice Hackett in Doyle's Brook to that of George Connelly in Kirkwood.
Thirty-three families formed the initial congregation. Those who were able, supplied the wood to heat the church, two woodstoves being found within - one in the aisle and the other in the vestry. Travelling to St. Edward's by wagon in the summer, and sleigh in the winter, they hitched their horses along the upper fence, and sometimes staged races when returning home.
A house and barn were also built at this time, so that, in poor weather, Fr. Murdoch, and his horse, could be housed overnight. In winter, Masses were held when the roads were passable, sometimes only once a month. Fr. Murdoch, and later Fr. Joseph Burns, was known to snowshoe across the frozen SW Miramichi River, to visit the church. The house was later occupied Mr. & Mrs. George McLean, Mr. & Mrs. Alex Regan. and John and Margaret Duthie, before being destroyed by fire in 1976.
The bell for the church, purchased through fundraising collections door-to-door, and at dances at the local Orange Hall, was installed in 1911. The 1950s saw the installation of electricity at the church, and an oil furnace was installed in the following decade. Fr. Roy McLean oversaw the re-design of the sanctuary following the reforms of Vatican II - the addition of a table, built by Daniel Creamer of Lower Derby, in place of the high altar, as well as a podium crafted by John Hayden. In the 1970s, the ceiling was lowered, the choir loft was closed off, and wallboard was added to interior of the church.
In 1981, the church was raised and moved back some twenty feet by Bruno Babin of St. Louis-de-Kent, a full basement was excavated below the church, by Magnus Clouston of Lower Derby, and a cement foundation completed by J&D Savard Ltd of Ferry Road. The following year, the vestry was removed from the church, and work done on the steeple; a well was also dug, and washrooms installed.
In August of 1989, the chuch became a mission of St. Patrick's in Nelson-Miramichi and Fr. Leon Creamer oversaw the introduction of a new tabernacle, sanctuary lamp, baptismal font, and new lighting at the back of the church. With the realignment of the Saint John Diocese in 2017, these two churches, along with Most Pure Heart of Mary in Barnaby River became the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes.
- As recorded by Opal Doyle, collected and provided by Shawn McCarthy