Editor’s note: This article was written in 1996 by the late Lorraine Cox (1919 – 2003) on the occasion of the Caribou Catholic Church’s centennial anniversary.
In the early 1800s there were small congregations of Catholics residing here and there along the banks of the Aroostook River. These early Catholic pioneers were served spiritually by missionaries from the Diocese of Quebec. It was a rare treat when the missionary came to serve the people, because the territory was vast and it was difficult to reach the inhabitants. Three of the northern Maine parishes were the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Presque isle, St. Denis in Fort Fairfield and Sacred Heart in North Lyndon.
Some places saw a priest only once during the year when all would attend Mass, go to confession, receive communion, and have their children baptized. Other spiritual needs were attended to as well.
June 1, 1881, is a cherished date in this area. This was the day when Sacred Heart Church in North Caribou, then named North Lyndon, was officially established as a parish and received its first pastor, Father George Talbot. This was still six miles from Caribou and traveling was rough by horse and buggy. However, this was a great improvement.
On May 26, 1884, Father Ferdinand Pineau, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, celebrated the first Mass known to be said in Caribou. It was at the house of Doctor Remi LaFleche, father of Mrs. Oswald Thibodeau, on Bridge Street, which is now Lyndon Street. Henceforth, Caribou was established as a mission of Sacred Heart and the pastor from Sacred Heart would travel each Sunday to Caribou for the small congregation. Sunday Mass was also offered at the home of Edmund Tetu on Bridge Street. Often times, it was impossible to get the services of the priest when someone died because of distance and time.
After a time, Father Pineau was approached by the Catholics of Caribou to ask for their own chapel. Father Pineau, through his zealous efforts, received permission from His Excellency James A. Healy, Bishop of Portland. Construction of a chapel was begun. The land was purchased form Freeland Jones, son-in-law of Washington a Vaughn, original owner of the land. This plot of land was where the old Catholic cemetery is now located.
Father Pineau was transferred and replaced by Father Charles Gingras, third pastor of Sacred Heart, who was very active in the development of the Caribou mission. On May 26, 1886, the chapel bell sounded its dedication to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. Sixty-five families made up the mission at that time.
Father Gingras administered the mission until June 25, 1893, when he was succeeded by Father Charles F. Marsan on July 9, 1893. He remained as pastor of Sacred Heart and the Caribou mission until October 21, 1896.
The first baptism was conferred on May Blanche Ayotte on October 1, 1886. She was born on February 20, 1886, the daughter of Jean and Sara (Parent) Ayotte. Her godparents were Xavier Bouchard and Marie Violette. The first marriage to be solemnized in the Mission Chapel was between William Haley and Alice Hale, parents of Leo Haley. Witnesses were Conar Gahagan and Maggy Hale. The first funeral services held were those of Marie Virginie Dionne, on August 6, 1888, daughter of Pierre and Alvina (Chamberland) Dionne.
By 1883 the number of families had more than doubled. There were over 130 Catholic families in Caribou. These families were now hoping they would soon be able to have their own resident pastor.
In 1894, Father Marsan built a schoolhouse near the church, which was used for many years as a parish hall. This building was demolished and the lumber used toward the new church in 1935.
Lumbering was an attractive occupation and it drew many people to Caribou. Among these were Irish, French, and Lebanese Catholics and the mission increased rapidly.
On November 8, 1986, Holy Rosary finally became a parish, and Father Eugene Gauthier took over as its first pastor. He did an excellent job as organizer, and the parish became a close unit. He also made extensive repairs, paid off the debt, and purchased land for the new rectory fro Eloi Cyr, granduncle of Father Albert Cyr who became pastor of Holy Rosary in 1946.
The rectory was built on Washington Street by Father Gauthier. The piece of land on which rested the original rectory is now part of the old cemetery. The building was moved in 1910 to Church Street and subsequently enlarged.
On his first day as pastor, on November 8, 1896, Father Gauthier performed the first baptism in the newly formed parish, that of Francis Xavier Theriault, son of Joseph and Sophie (Levesque) Theriault. The godparents were F.H. Gagnon and Sharon Fox. Wedding bells sounded for the first time on November 16, 1896. Paul Cote, son of Prudent and Modeste (Michaud) Cote, married Alma Bernier, daughter of Thomas and Alma (Pelletier) Bernier.
On August 22, 1899, Bishop Healy administered Confirmation for the first time in the newly organized parish. Ninety-three youngsters and some of the adults had prepared themselves for the formal reception of the Holy Spirit. What joy and happiness must have filled the hearts of the parishioners as they greeted Bishop Healy! He had founded their new parish and now they were witnessing his first official act in the Holy Rosary Church.
On October 12, 1902, Father Gauthier was transferred by Bishop William O’Connell. He will long be remembered and revered for his six years of untiring work.
Father J. Henry McGill succeeded Father Gauthier. He continued the labors of Father Gauthier and stayed in the parish for eight years, until his transfer by Bishop Louis S. Walsh on June 26, 1910.
Father Joseph A. Levesque was named temporary administrator between June 20, 1910 to July 24, 1910. Bishop Walsh then appointed Father Joseph Hogan to Holy Rosary. From August 11, 1910 to July 25, 1915, Father Hogan labored hard and zealously to continue the work of his predecessors. He improved the buildings and enlarged the cemetery while he was at Holy Rosary. Father Alfred Pelletier was his immediate successor, but only stayed from August 15, 1915 to October 22, 1916.
The fifth pastor was a native of Aroostook County, Father Dennis J. Martin. He was from Frenchville, and served Holy Rosary form November 5, 1916 until September 29, 1918. During this time he enlarged the rectory and the sacristy of the church.
Father John M Chatagnon replaced Father Martin. His was a difficult period from October 6, 1918 to June 29, 1919. It was the time of the influenza epidemic that ravaged the country, when entire families died due to the epidemic. Father Chatagnon was there to offer consolation and help during this trying period.
From June to August in 1919, the parish was administered by Father Edouard Nadeau. On August 31, 1919, Bishop Walsh name Father Ludger Ouellette as pastor. This was Father Ouellette’s first parish and to it he brought all the enthusiasm and zeal that characterized his life.
The parish was now 23 years old and well established. There were 343 families with 1,464 parishioners. Time was now ripe to build a parochial school. Father Ouellette bought the so-called French School and the land surrounding it. This French School was a public school built for the French speaking child of Caribou. Most of the French people had built their homes around the church which accounts for the fact that the French School was also built in the vicinity of the church on Vaughn Street. This building, now demolished, was never used for a parochial school. However, it was remodeled into a convent to house the teaching Sisters.
Construction of the parochial school started in July of 1920. The exterior shell was completed but due to lack of funds, construction was forced to halt for two years. In the winter of 1922, the Caribou High School was completely demolished by fire. It was in the middle of the school year and the town needed classroom space immediately. Arrangements were made with Father Ouellette to rent the uncompleted Holy Rosary School. Within a few weeks, the town had managed to finish the inside of the school enough to be used as classrooms. Classes were resumed and the 1922 class of seniors graduated as planned. The building was used as the Caribou High School for six years, from 1922 until 1927.
In the fall of 1928, Holy Rosary School opened its doors as a parochial grammar school for its parish children. The teaching was assigned to the Ursuline Sisters of Waterville. The school opened with the three lower grades and had an enrollment of 101 students. Each year following the opening, a class was added until it had a complete grammar school of eight grades.
On July 19, 1934, the people had attended a band concert in the town square. They were just leaving the square around 9 p.m., when fire was discovered in the Holy Rosary Church. The wooden structure was completely destroyed. Father Turcotte, who was curate here at the time, was able to save the Blessed Sacrament from the flames. It was not long before the parishioners found another place to worship. Julia M. Powers, owner of the Powers Theater, made arrangements for the people to attend Mass in the theater. Baptisms were performed at the rectory, and the weddings and funerals were held at Sacred Heart Church in North Caribou.
It is interesting to note that the altar and crucifix over it, stood almost undamaged after the fire. This altar was used in the second church. An incident that occurred during the burning of the church concerned the bell which fell from the tower and broke. It too was used in the second church however, it never rang. Holy Rosary would not hear its bell ring until 1962 when the third church was completed.
One year and two days later, on July 21, 1935, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Joseph E. McCarthy. It was a beautiful brick edifice of Gothic Norman design. It was situated across the street from the Sisters’ convent on Vaughn Street, where the Parish Center is now situated.
Father Ouellette was transferred to Skowhegan on November 14, 1935. He had received a challenging assignment, and had coped with it well. The Caribou people have much to be grateful for to this active priest. To this day he is remembered with love and affection by the parishioners. During Father Ouellette’s pastorate, the surging Catholic population of Caribou and the construction of the new school, led Bishop John Gregory Murray to send the first of many assistant to help the pastor in his care of souls.
Father Elie Hevey was the eighth pastor and came from St. David’s parish in Madawaska. There was a lot done before Father Hevey came to Caribou, and his first task was to pay off the debt. He then tackled projects that needed to be done such as improving the interior of the church, buying a new altar, a pipe organ, and a new heating system.
In April of 1937, Boy Scout Troop 184 of Caribou was organized under the sponsorship of the League of the Sacred Heart of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Rev. Valmore Lepine was one of those most responsible for its success. Scoutmaster was Clement McDonald with Lionel Blanchette and Lionel Guerette as Assistant Scoutmasters. A photo taken at a later date shows a gathering of 42 Scouts with their Scoutmasters and lists four more Scouts who were absent.
The Ursuline Sisters’ stay in Caribou was not a very long one. They came here from Waterville in 1928 and 17 years later in 1945 they were called back due to lack of personnel. The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary agreed to take over the care of the school. They came by train on August 2, 1945 to direct the Holy Rosary School. There were 420 students attending the school in 1945, however, the school was too small to handle all the Catholic grammar school children in Caribou.
Father Albert G. Cyr, who was born in Madawaska, replaced Father Hevey, who had served Holy Rosary untiringly and unselfishly for more than 10 years. He made substantial improvements on the church, convent, rectory, school, and remodeled the church basement or Parish Hall to build a first-grade classroom.
Up until this time, the announcements, the gospel, and the sermon were done in both French and English at all Masses. More Masses had to be added because of a sudden surge in population. The establishment of the Birds-Eye Potato Processing Plant, Presque Isle Army Air Force Base, and Loring Air Force Base more than doubled the church’s population in just a few years. Due to a lack of time between Masses, it was decided to have the announcements, the gospel, and the sermon in French at some Masses and in English at others.
Twenty years had elapsed since the burning of the first church. The people had by now recuperated from the loss. The debt had been paid and now the parish would set funds aside for other projects. On January 5, 1954 the first-grade pupils had just left their basement classroom to go home for dinner, when an explosion occurred near the Christmas crib and the church was ablaze in a few minutes. The parishioners returned once more to the Powers Theater through the generosity of the Powers family.
One year later on January 22, 1955, Bishop Daniel J. Feeney blessed the new basement church. Mass was celebrated in that basement for seven years. There was no debt incurred in building the basement.
At this time there were well over 1,000 Catholic families with over 4,000 parishioners at Holy Rosary. Two priests were not enough to serve all these people. Bishop Feeney sent a second curate to Caribou in September of 1956, and extensive renovations were made in the rectory to accommodate the new curate. That same year, private rooms were built for the sisters at the convent. In 1958 the cemetery was graded and a new vault was built. The Ladies of St. Anne, paid for a steel fence around the school yard.
Father Cyr’s health began to diminish. On August 15, 1959, Feast of Assumption of our Blessed Mother, Father Cyr was to celebrate the first Mass that Sunday. Just before the sermon he fell at the altar, and the sermon, which he had prepared for that day, was read by Father Amedee W. Proulx, who later became Auxiliary Bishop of Portland. The words had a tone of sadness to them as though he was saying his parting words to the parishioners. He assured them that all he had done at Holy Rosary, had been done primarily for the spiritual welfare of his people. God would now use him in some other way to lead his people heavenward. Father Cyr was ill for three months, and on November 19, 1959, he died at the People’s Benevolent Hospital in Fort Kent. His body lay in state at the church and was interred in the Old Holy Rosary Cemetery in the family plot.
Father Joseph Carrier, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in North Caribou, had been named temporary administrator of Holy Rosary in September of 1959. He continued in this office until April 30, 1960 when Bishop Feeney transferred Father Charles E. Rivard form St. Luce Parish in Upper Frenchville to become pastor of Holy Rosary. At this time Father Proulx was transferred to Fort Kent thus leaving Father Rivard with only one curate. The Marist Fathers from Van Buren agreed to continue lending a helping hand for Sunday Masses, as they had been doing since September of 1959. Father Rivard set his goal. He would build the new church, but much larger than originally planned. The school was completely redecorated; the school grounds were paved and paid for by the Holy Rosary Society.
In September, 1960, Father Valmont Gilbert was sent to Holy Rosary where he organized the Columbian Squires, a youth group of the Knights of Columbus. This later became the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) which continues to this day under the name of Catholic Youth Ministry.
In 1961 and 1962 Northern Aroostook Altar Boy Convocations were held at Holy Rosary with Father Valmont Gilbert as coordinator. The first one attracted 300 boys and the second one brought 350 boys here. At Father Leopold Nicknair’s direction, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary organized an elaborate liturgical display of vestments and Sacred Vessels at the latter one. Twelve prizes were awarded each year for posters designed by the boys.
Actual construction of the church did not begin until October of 1961. The contractor was Cote Construction of Caribou. The blessing of the cornerstone took place December 28, 1961 with Father Rivard officiating. A sealed metal box containing the history of the Holy Rosary Church and current copies of the Aroostook Republican and Bangor Daily News were placed in the cornerstone.
When completed, the new church had a modernistic design, composed of the latest building materials. The church basement has 7,450 square feet of space and the upper structure has 9,230 square feet. When first built, the church could seat 1,000 people, later modifications resulted in a reduction of that number to 875, the present capacity. The designers were Frank R. Masiello, Jr. and Associates, Inc. of Worcester, Mass. Its cost including the basement and furniture, was approximately $450,000. At this time there were 1,400 families with 5,800 parishioners. The parochial school had 376 children attending with 11 teaching Sisters.
Cyr Brothers purchased a large marble altar for the new church while it was under construction. Later Vatican II decreed that altars be moved away from the back wall, so that the priest could face the people while saying Mass. This altar was then cut up into smaller parts because it was too heavy for the planned location. These parts were used for a pulpit, a smaller side altar for the repository and a platform for the baptismal font. The new electronic church bell was sponsored by the Solman family in memory of their parents. The stained-glass windows were paid for by people as memorials of their deceased relatives and they are so marked to this day. The new Lowry organ was purchased by the Daughters of Isabella, and the large triangular-shaped, stained-glass window in the narthex was given by the Ladies of St. Anne. Many other items, such as pews, were sponsored and the donors of these and other items are listed on a plaque in the entrance of the church.
In the fall of 1962, the school lunch program was moved form the school to the church basement under the direction of Father Gilbert. More than 260 pupils were accommodated comfortably.
In the fall of 1966, plans were made to build a new rectory because of a highway bypass taking over the location of the old rectory. The architect for the new rectory was Alberic J. Cyr, and the contractor was the P.L. Willey Co. On January 3, 1967, the pastor Father Rivard, and his two associates were able to occupy the modern brick facility.
In 1967, Father Rivard was transferred to Biddeford and Msgr. Armand E. Cyr, who was brought up in Lille, was assigned to replace him. During the five years of his tenure, Msgr. Cyr borrowed funds to renovate the parochial school. However, the school eventually became a financial burden on the parish, causing the elimination of grades seven and eight.
Serving on the Bureau of Human Relations Board, Msgr. Cyr was involved in the development of the Rose Acres Apartment complex on land donated to the Diocese by Rose Corriveau. He was also responsible for the purchase of a sizable plot of land on the New Sweden Road for future development of a new cemetery. In May of 1972, because his health did not warrant his continuing in the capacity of pastor, he retired. Father John L. Audibert was appointed temporary administrator until a new pastor could be assigned.
Father Romeo A. St. Pierre was installed as pastor on June 8, 1972. The first major issue to face the new pastor was to pay the debt on the school and consider its status. After much deliberation, the difficult decision was made to close the 45-year-old parochial school in 1973. This was due to financial difficulties and the decision of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary to withdraw from Caribou because of decreasing number of vocations. During its last year of operation, the school had 182 students in grade one through six staffed by five Sisters and two lay teachers. The rest of the Catholic students were enrolled in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) headed by a volunteer coordinator.
Following the closing, the classrooms in the school building were divided to accommodate the entire Catholic student body of the parish who would need religious instruction. A religious education coordinator was hired by the parish and programs were developed to fulfill the spiritual needs of our children. A large number of parishioners volunteered to prepare and teach students in the faith. The school building was used for 15 more years as the Religious Education Center.
During some of the years of its operation, the parish school had an active parents’ organization called the Holy Rosary School Society which was very helpful to the school. They raised funds for many needed items such as a television, a portable organ, a mimeograph machine, a copier, an overhead projector, book cases, dictionaries, a sprinkler system, an encyclopedia, and playground equipment. Members of the Society also donated many hours of time for various projects.
In 1973, during Father St. Pierre’s tenure, Bishops Peter L. Gerety and Edward C. O’Leary, approved the founding of what was to be known as the first Christian Life Center in the building which had housed the Sisters. The center, commonly called “The Holy Hut” was modified to accommodate 30 teenagers per weekend. Father John L. Audibert, its first director, was succeeded by Father Frank Morin and later Father Paul Stefanko. In time the whole program was moved to Upper Frenchville where another former convent building was purchased by all the county parishes.
The basement of the old school became the location of the Good Samaritan Thrift Shop which was moved from its small quarters at the Diocesan Bureau of Human Relations Building on Vaughan Street. A group of volunteers was active in providing clothing and funds for the needy of Caribou and the surrounding communities. In addition, tons of clothing was sent to the missions on a yearly basis.
Without parochial students, the School Lunch Cafeteria in the parish hall was no longer being used. In order to make use of this facility, Father St. Pierre contacted the Aroostook County Action Program and a nutrition committee was established to set up the “Forget-Me-Not Meals” and “Meals on Wheels” programs. For five years the parish facilities were provided, free of charge, to the 100 Senior Citizens of Caribou who served by the program which was later moved to the new Lions Center Building.
The new cemetery on the New Sweden Road, having been in use since 1972, received some much needed attention consisting of surveying, grading for water runoff, and landscaping in 1977.
The spiritual needs of the parish were nurtured through the years with a strong and active Parish Council. The Catholic Golden Age Chapter and Charismatic Prayer Group were established. Movements, such as Marriage Encounter and Cursillo, were brought to the parish by active lay people. The local CYO which was the largest group in the Diocese continued to thrive. In 1985, they celebrated their 25th anniversary, and were considered the oldest continuous youth organization in the Diocese.
While spiritual aspects are of the most importance and forever in the forefront of ministry, the buildings and grounds are also of concern. In the fall of 1976, and extensive renovation program was embarked upon. This consisted of work on the roof of the church and insulation throughout the building, a ramp for the handicapped, reconciliation rooms, landscaping and resurfacing of the parking area, and porches for the rectory. A new organ was purchased and installed in the newly reconstructed choir area of the church. The Sisters’ Convent was demolished. Father Richard R. Ouellette designed new copper appointments such as the tabernacle, pulpit décor, sanctuary lamp holder, candle holders, baptismal font, processional cross and the presider’s chair. The tabernacle has the shape of a tent to symbolize the tent in which the Ark of Convenant was kept as described in Scripture in the book of Exodus in chapters 25 and 26. The doors of the tabernacle are decorated with a sheaf of wheat and a cluster of grapes to symbolize the bread and wine used in the Eucharist.
While Father St. Pierre was here he held a yearly Altar Boy Outing at his camp at Little Madawaska Lake during spring break from school. Several men from the parish brought their snowmobiles to give the young boys rides and women helped prepare and serve a lunch. This event was looked forward to and enjoyed very much by the boys. Holy Rosary parishioners owe a debt of gratitude to Father St. Pierre for his zeal and diligence during his tenure here.
In 1979, Father St. Pierre was one of two priests from Maine, chosen by the Diocese of Portland to give Communion at a Mass in Boston celebrated by Pope John Paul II. He was chosen from priests who were celebrating their 25th anniversary in the priesthood.
In 1985, a new Allen Digital Computer Organ was purchased after an intensive fund-raising effort. It is capable of producing pipe organ sounds without the cost, space requirements or maintenance of a pipe organ.
After studying the issue and consulting professionals, it was decided to replace the Holy Rosary School with a new Religious Educations and Multi-Purpose Center to better serve the entire parish needs.
Ground-breaking for the new $400,000 Parish Center was held on September 28, 1987. Its dedication occurred in October of 1987. Besides the 12 classrooms, it has an office for the directors of religious education, a complete kitchen and one large room for lunches and dinners. Retractable dividers permit this space to be made into smaller rooms. The basement of this facility houses the Good Samaritan Thrift Shop as well as a religious articles store. Many meetings, religious as well as secular, are held in this building every week. It is a very busy place and a wonderful addition to our parish facilities. Its architect was the Robert Knight Associates of Blue Hill and the contractor was the P.L. Willey Co.
In July of 1989, Father Rene T. Mathieu was appointed pastor. While most of the funds for the following projects were raised before Father Mathieu arrived, he saw to their completion. New lights were installed in the church and the rectory was completely refurbished. The office area was remodeled and the purchase of a computer brought the parish into the era of modern technology. He started a Cemetery Committee which established guidelines and published a cemetery booklet. New signs for all the buildings and the cemeteries were installed. New sacred vestments were purchased with a $10,000 donation from a parishioner. Several workshops for Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors were held. Volunteers were urged to plant and tend flower beds, and containers of flowers were donated to dress up the grounds. Groups such as Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon were encouraged to meet in the church facilities. In 1994, the Aroostook Mental Health Center held programs for the mentally impaired at the Parish Center on a weekly basis until the fall of 1995 when Diocesan insurance requirements made it necessary for them to meet elsewhere.
In 1991, the RENEW process was introduced to this parish. This consisted of small groups of people who met on a weekly basis for two six-week periods per year for three years, to discuss the Scriptures and share their faith experiences.
In July of 1993, Holy Rosary Parish welcomed Father Leopold G. Nicknair back as pastor. He had been an associate pastor here from 1961 to 1967. With his encouragement, several concerned parishioners started the Mother Teresa’s Food Pantry in the basement of the church which is staffed by volunteers. Cursillo, an evangelization tool in the church, took on new life in the parish. This is a short course in Christianity which takes place during a weekend away from the pressures of everyday life. Those who have made a Cursillo are invited to attend a weekly prayer breakfast held on the parish premises and monthly Ultreas with surrounding parishes.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, known as RCIA, consists of adults helping adults who meet for fellowship, sharing, and study as well as snacks. Recognizing that we all want more information about our faith, fully initiated Catholics, and those wishing to learn more about the Catholic faith meet weekly on Sunday mornings throughout the year. Generally, each year at the Easter Vigil, four or five adults are initiated into the Catholic faith in our parish as a result of the RCIA process.
Holy Rosary Parish is proud of the fact that two of her associate pastors were later named auxiliary bishops. In 1975, Father Amedee W. Proulx was the first Franco-American of Maine to be so honored. That same year, Father Michael R. Cote was the only priest form Maine among 200 priests ordained by Pope Paul VI during that Holy Year. Twenty years later in 1995, parishioners were delighted to learn that Father Cote had also been chosen as auxiliary bishop for the diocese of Portland.
In 1994, the United States Government decided to close Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. This had an impact on our parish as many people from the base had become parishioners. Nearly 150 of our parish families left the area.
Currently, our parish has approximately 1,200 families with 3,200 members. Our mission, church of St. Catherine’s in Washburn has 100 families with 271 members.
Our parish has a great dedication to its sick and shut-in members. A weekly Mass is held at the Caribou Nursing Home and once a month at the Veterans’ Home. Those who are confined to their homes are visited weekly by people who bring them Communion. Catholics who are patients in the hospital and at the Veterans Home are able to receive Communion on a daily basis, thanks to our priests and several lay volunteers.
Our parish family prepares and distributes food baskets for the less fortunate at Christmas time. The number of families served this past year was 144.
Early in 1995, Father Nicknair enthusiastically proposed that our upcoming Parish Centennial be celebrated with one or more activities for each month of the year. This year started in October of 1995, and is scheduled to conclude with a Centennial Mass and banquet at its conclusion in October 1996. Many people agreed to get involved and have worked diligently to bring this proposal to fruition.
As part of our Centennial Year activities, an opening supper was held in October 1995, hosted by the Ladies of St. Anne. In November, Bishop Cote was welcomed as the newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop of our diocese and presided at a Mass which was followed by a luncheon hosted by the Daughters of Isabella.
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a successful Christmas Bazaar was held. It consisted of games for children, a café with excellent food, and booths with donated homemade crafts and gift items. Proceeds from this event were donated to our Food Pantry. In December, a group of children presented several skits on the theme of keeping Christ in Christmas.
On January 14, 1996 our parish hosted an Ecumenical Service. The homilist was Father Malcolm Martin, formerly of this parish, and a member of the Graymoor Friars. He spoke about his missionary activities in San Paulo, Brazil in the field of Christian Unity. Thirty-two of the area churches were invited and many participated. Prepared banners were carried in procession at the beginning of the service, with their church members following behind. Choir members from the different churches donned their choir robes and joined together under the direction of Dan Ladner at the organ. It was a very moving event.
On February 18, in honor of World Marriage Day, our Family Life Commission hosted a breakfast for couples who will be celebrating a significant anniversary this year. During the weekend of February 23rd to 25th, nearly 600 youth and their advisers gathered at the local high school for the Youth Ministry’s Winter Carnival. Although there was more rain than snow for this winter event, the group managed to make this a very worthwhile gathering with workshops and other activities. On Sunday, a Mass was celebrated for the youth, their advisers, as well as the host families, with Auxiliary Bishop Michael cote as principal celebrant and Father Nicknair concelebrating.
