All Saints Parish, Cardigan

     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.”

      The following information cf. Historic Places website...

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=11344#

     “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.

http://www.islandregister.com/mysteryphoto.html

"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

St. Margaret's of Scotland Parish Church

    I was to eastern Prince Edward Island earlier this week and out by St. Margaret's Parish Church, which is located in the community of St. Margarets.  The church is located on Route 16 near the intersection with Rte. 307 ( which takes you through Bear River to Rollo Bay ).
     Here's a few photos I took of the church.

 Below: Parish Hall

     Here's some history of the church from, "A Faith Walk: Diocese of Charlottetown" by Fr. Art O'Shea.  Page 82.

     "Scottish settlers came to the Naufrage (shipwreck) area in the 1770s and already there were forty families when they built their first log chapel there in 1805.  A second church followed in 1816 which with additions served the needs of the parishioners for the next forty years.  In 1857 the people erected a new and quite imposing church on high land overlooking the Gulf to accommodate the still growing Catholic population.  The first parochial house was built in 1840 and replaced by a new one in 1878.  In 1894, with the population moving farther back fro the shore, the church and other buildings were moved about a mile south to where they stand today.  Tragedy struck the parish in 1921 when a forest fire destroyed the church, parochial house and all the other buildings except the hall which became the temporary home for the pastor and a place for worship.  Strangely, this burning took place on the patronal feast of the parish, St. Margaret of Scotland.  Out of the ashes a new parochial house was built in 1922 and a new impressive church in 1926.  Both of these stand there today and come as a surprise to those travelling that generally wooded area." 

Immaculate Conception Church, Palmer Road

     I was recently by this incredible historic church in rural Prince Edward Island.  It's the largest wooden church on the Island and seats 1,000 people.  
     Here are a few photos of the exterior.
     Father Albin Arsenault has recently become Parish Priest here, having moved from St. John the Baptist Parish Church, Miscouche where he'd been priest since 2003.

     The following information about this church comes from the book, "A Faith Works" by Rev. Art O'Shea.

"Fire in 1890 completely destroyed the first church but three years later the present handsome and spacious church opened its doors.  Seating 1,000, it is the largest wooden church in the diocese.  Stained glass windows of recent years have added to its beauty."

     The following information comes the Historic Places website:

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1894

"The church is a fine example of the French Gothic style of architecture in PEI and is significant as a symbol and centre of the community's religious life. It was built in the late Victorian period (1891-1893) by Dunstan Martin who also constructed a similar church at Miscouche, PEI. The architect was Francois-Xavier Edouard Meloche of Montreal, PQ. It is also believed that Meloche's studio produced the interior paintings of the Stations of the Cross. A statue of the Virgin was placed in the exterior shorter front tower in 1893. The ornate high altar was created by Bernard Creamer of Souris, PEI and installed in 1903."

     Below is an old aerial view of the church - not sure if its hand-tinted, AND I don't have a source reference for the image - sorry!