Here’s the last of the photographs I
took last week in Cardigan - All Saints Parish Church on Chapel Road near the intersection with Launching Road.
The following information comes from, A Faith Walk: Diocese of Charlottetown.
2001. By Reverend Art O’Shea. Page 49.
“In the early 1800’s a few Scottish
immigrant families settled this area and eventually other Scottish and some
Irish families joined them. In 1874 they
built the present beautiful church which they dedicated to All Saints. Of French Gothic design, one of its special
features was the main altar of Italian marble constructed by parishioner
William Lewis.
The rectory is undated but is said to have
been moved to its present site before 1900 after which two towers were
added. Father John MacMillan was the
first resident pastor and served from 1894 until 1916. One of his magnificent accomplishments while
in Cardigan was his writing of a two-volume history of the Catholic Church in
Prince Edward Island covering the years 1720
to 1891.
J.J. Bowlen, Lieutenant Governor of
Alberta in the 1950’s, was a native of Cardigan Parish. His brother, Father William Bowlen, while
pastor at High River, Alberta baptized former Prime Minister Joe Clark.
In 9154 the parishioners constructed a
Marian archway at the entrance of the church to commemorate that year’s well
celebrated Marian Year throughout the world.
In recent years the church has received extensive
renovations including a splendid new basement with facilities for its parish
functions. One of its sections is named the
“MacMillan Room” after the above-mentioned pastor and in which parish wakes are
held.
Named after on of the earls of Cardigan,
the village area where the church is located offers a picturesque view, touched
off by the beauty of its river of the same name which winds through the center of
the parish.
Today there are 160 families in All Saints
Parish.”
“Construction began in the Spring of 1874
and by November, the church was completed and blessed by Bishop McIntyre. It
originally did not include the transept which was added later. The building
retains many of its original style elements which include the segmented
entrance tower with a spire rising from the middle of four triangular gables on
each of the four sides of the tower. These are each topped by a small cross. The large gable roof features eave
bracketing and the transept features a Celtic style cross at the peak of each
gable. A transom Gothic window is placed above the double entrance doors.
Several renovations, the most recent in 1995, have been made to the building.
The original sandstone foundation was replaced by a large modern basement which
accommodates many church events. The interior features a rare Italian marble
altar which was carved by one of the parishioners, William P. Lewis.”
The interior photo below also comes from Historic Places website...
Below is an image of All Saints Parish House. cf. "Can you Identify these people" on the Island Register website. The house was demolished in recent years.
"Hi Dave, It is the All Saint's Parish house in
Cardigan, he said it was taken about 1970. Rev. David McTague would have been
the parish priest at that time. Nora Macdonald" - June 24,
2013
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