St. Brigid's Church, Prince Edward Island

St. Brigid's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Foxley River, PEI, Canada. It is part of the Roman Catholic diocese of Charlottetown

St. Brigid's Roman Catholic Church
General information
Architectural styleGothic Revival
Town or cityFoxley River, Prince Edward Island
CountryCanada
Construction started1868
Completed1873
Design and construction
ArchitectJohn McLellan

History

Prior to 1870, residents of Lot 11 traveled to St. Anthony parish, Cascumpeque, a journey which involved a ferry crossing and nine miles travel over land, or in winter time, a horse and sleigh ride across the ice. In 1868, under the guidance of their first priest Rev. James Aeneas McDonald (1820- ?),[1] the Catholic settlers of Lot 11 started construction on the church. It was completed in 1873, although by Christmas Eve 1870, construction was far enough advanced that midnight mass was offered on a temporary altar. [2]
The name for the church was chosen due to the predominantly Irish pioneer settlement of the area. St. Brigid was a 5th Century Irish saint.
In 1914 a sacristy was added to the church.
In 1931 the spire was struck by lightning. During the repairs a new copper cross was added.[2]
Since 1982 there has been no resident priest. Services are conducted by Fr. Danny Wilson, [3] Pastor of St. Anthony's, Bloomfield, PEI.
In 2003 the church was officially recognized as a Registered Historic Place under the Heritage Places Protection Act of Prince Edward Island. [4] [5]
Since 1870 the church has held an annual picnic every summer.

Architecture
Opening of the new sacristy 1914

The architect was John McLellan, who also designed St. Joachim's Roman Catholic church at Vernon River, PEI and St. Joseph's convent in Charlottetown, PEI

.[6] The builder was Jeremiah Dalton. The church has a Gothic Revival style with a central tower capped with an elaborate pointed spire topped with a cross. The roof of the spire has decorative high narrow dormers on each of its four sides. Extensive renovations were made to the building in 1913–14, when a side vestry was added.
The church measures sixty feet in length by thirty feet in width. The walls are 22 feet high. The interior is completely covered in wood paneling. Two stained glass windows decorate the altar, one depicting St. Brigid and one depicting St. Patrick.

  • Aerial view
  • Choir loft
  • Altar
  • Altar detail

Notes
  1. "Baptismal Record, James Aeneas McDonald". Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  2. Morrison, J. Clinton Jr. (1984). Along The North Shore: a Social History of Township 11, P.E.I., 1765-1982. Morrison. p. 188. ISBN 0-9691824-0-6.
  3. "Fr. Danny Wilson". Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  4. Historical Registration Documentation: Located in the Culture and Heritage Division, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8 File #: 4310-20/S9
  5. "Heritage Places Protection Act" (PDF). Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  6. Smith, H. M. Scott (2011). The Historic Architecture of Prince Edward Island. SSP Publications. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-9868733-0-0.

"List of Island Churches". Retrieved 21 July 2012.

"St. Brigid's Website". Retrieved 21 July 2012.

"Diocese of Charlottetown website". Retrieved 21 July 2012.

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