What will happen to our larger churches?

By Laurent d'Entremont



The church where I have attended mass for the last 60 years or so is 115 years old. A person need only count the heads at mass on the weekend to know that we are facing serious problems.

Saint Peter’s Church is a huge building with beautiful Gothic arches and a steeple 125-feet tall pointing to heaven.

Recently, when our church needed repairs to the stained glass windows, we made a house-to-house drive for funds and even those who no longer attend church functions donated very generously. All repairs were accomplished, but how much longer can we keep operating like this?

Besides declining attendance at church services, another problem that Catholic churches face is that a large number of priests are well into their senior years. Importing priests from foreign countries will solve some but not all of the problems.

Some churches have already closed their doors and others will ultimately do the same in the near future.

For example, a recent edition of the Yarmouth Vanguard had two Catholic churches plus a rectory for sale. What will these church buildings be used for?

One large former church in Yarmouth now houses the county museum. However, few museums are in a position to maintain the costly upkeep on such buildings.

It would be a sin -- a big one -- to use these beautiful church buildings as warehouses, boat shops or fish plants. Hopefully that won’t happen for a while.

In Church Point, Digby County, next door to University Saint Anne, stands one of the tallest wooden churches in North America. As one can imagine, it is a very expensive structure to maintain. So far, it appears to be in very good condition, but I notice some form of repair works going on every summer. This church is also a very popular tourist attraction, and will hopefully stay open for a long, long time.

The huge stone church in nearby Saint Bernard might not be so lucky. This gigantic structure would look very much at home in any large European city. The church was built between 1910 and 1942 and this elegant place of worship is a living example of the dedication and hard work of Acadian fishermen, farmers, carpenters, and others who donated days, months and years of their time to see it completed. What will happen to this one?

It does not take an experience stonemason to see the watermarks in the mortar between the big stone blocks. Think of the cost involve in re-facing this church. On second thought, unless you have several millions to donate, it is best if you don’t think of it. Will it be torn down one day and the heavy granite stones put to other uses in another structure someplace? Who knows?

Saint Bernard Church is a masterpiece, a work of art. It should be saved at all cost. Who will restore this one to its former glory?

All churches don’t have to be big to have class and be inviting. There are two smaller churches that I find attractive in design and cozy in character; one is the quaint Baptist church in Argyle, Yarmouth County. I know the minister there and have attended a few of their Christmas services. There is always a glow and a feeling of joy at these festive celebrations.

The other smaller church is Saint Lawrence Roman Catholic church in Canning, Kings County. I have been there several times on Sunday morning and the church is always packed to standing-room only. There is a lot to be said about these family type services in smaller churches.

People are likelier to attend church services at Christmas and Easter than other times of year. At Saint Peter’s Church in my native village, it is always a great experience to attend midnight mass. It is always complemented with an excellent, well-practiced choir, and features the best of Christmas hymns. I am sure it is the same in churches throughout the Annapolis Valley.



laudent@hotmail.com