Saint-Thomas de Memramcook Church
The first Acadians of the greater Memramcook region, circa 1700, were ministered to by the missionaries attached to the Beaubassin parish. The first church or chapel ever built in Memramcook was erected in 1753 at a place called Pointe-a-Bouleau, the present-day Breau's Creek. This church did not last very long as it was burnt down by the English army two years later during the unfortunate events of 1755.
Some ten years after the expulsion, around 1765, some Acadians returned to their former lands and a few settled in the Memramcook area. These few settlers were periodically visited by itinerant missionaries attached to the Diocese of Quebec, including a certain Joseph-Mathurin Bourg who was appointed "missionary of Acadia" in 1772. Around 1781, Father Thomas Leroux was appointed pastor of the Memramcook parish recently erected canonically and dedicated to Saint-Thomas. At that time, Saint-Thomas parish covered the entire region from Richibuctou to Minoudie in Nova Scotia. The parish church, the first of the modern era in Memramcook, was of a thatch-roof design and was located at La Montain where a memorial cross can be seen today on its former location. Father Leroux died in Memramcook in 1794. At that time, a new parish had been established in Richibouctou-Village and the extent of Saint-Thomas parish had been reduced somewhat.
Father Leroux was replaced as pastor by an Irish priest named Thomas Power. Two years later, the church at La Montain burns down when sparks from a nearby brush fire set fire to its thatch roof. Faced with disagreements and misunderstandings, Father Power decides to rebuild at a place called Village-des-Piau (today's Saint-Joseph), not far from where you're standing right now. This new church was of a somewhat mediocre and poor construction.
In 1804, Father Power is replaced by Francois Ciquard, a French Sulpician priest who remains pastor until 1812. Meanwhile, other parishes have been erected along the east coast of New Brunswick so that Saint-Thomas parish now extends from Scoudouc to Minoudie, including the present greater Moncton region.
In 1816 Ciquard's successor. Father Louis Brodeur, supervises the construction of a new church which is described as "the most beautiful temple ever erected in the region". By using the detailed contract written up for its construction, it has been possible to reproduce a sketch of this church (MAUM collection).
After Father Brodeur's departure the following priests will minister to Saint-Thomas parish: Isidore Poirier (1818), Louis Gingras (1821), Celestin Gauvreau (1825), and Ferdinand Gauvreau (1829). Having left Memramcook in 1832, Father Ferdinand Gauvreau will return in late 1836.
In the intervening years, several priests will look after Saint-Thomas parish, including Father Joseph Couture from 1833 to early 1836. Father Ferdinand Gauvreau remains pastor of Saint-Thomas for sixteen years. Although the parish has not decreased in size, other churches and chapels have been built within its confines, including Saint-Anselme and Scoudouc. In 1840, Father Gauvreau begins the construction of a stone church whose main body is the one that still exists today. Faced with various problems, Father Gauvreau is unable to finish its construction and in 1847 only the outside walls have been erected.
Meanwhile, in 1842, as work proceeds on the new church, a chapel is built at Beaumont on the lands of the Mi'Kmaq reserve. This marks the first time that two churches or chapels exist simultaneously in the greater Memramcook region. The native people dedicate this chapel to Saint-Anne.
Father Ferdinand Gauvreau leaves Memramcook in 1852 and is replaced by Father Francois-Xavier Lafrance. Shortly after his arrival in Memramcook, Father Lafrance identifies two major projects: the foundation of a college, or academy, for the education of young Acadians, and the resumption of construction works on the new church. Lafrance's college, called "seminaire Saint-Thomas", will open in 1854 while the church, finished in late 1855, will be officially inaugurated on August 15, 1856. A vestry will be added to the church in 1857.
In 1864, Father Lafrance is replaced by Father Camille Lefebvre, c.s c., who comes to Memramcook with the task of re-opening Lafrance's college which had to cease operations, two years prior, due to financial difficulties. Under the direction of Father Lefebvre and other members of the Holy Cross congregation, the college reopens in the fall of 1864 under the new designation of St Joseph's college. In coming to Memramcook, Father Lefebvre also takes on the pastorate of Saint-Thomas parish, two functions that he will exercise simultaneously for over thirty years.
The stone church's external structure will not be modified until 1879 when Father Lefebvre has the original spire replaced by the steeple that has remained to this date. Two years later, during the first national Acadian congress of 1881, the blessing of two new bells (1192 and 520 lbs) takes place, thus giving the Saint Thomas Church a peal of three bells, the original one, weighing 800 pounds, having been installed in 1865. On January 28, 1895, Saint-Tomas parish is saddened by the death of Father Lefebvre. His thirty years as pastor of Saint-Thomas parish will never be surpassed. During this time, the peripheral regions of the large Memramcook parish had seen new parishes evolve so that, at the time of Lefebvre's death, Saint-Thomas parish is confined to the region commonly referred to as "the Valley".
Father Lefebvre's successor, Father Albert Roy, c s.c., will continue to exercise the dual functions of pastor of the parish and superior of the college until, 1904. After that date, the pastor of Saint-Thomas will never again have that double responsibility.
Three years after his appointment as pastor. Father Roy decides that a church must be built at "Village-du-Bois" (present-day Memramcook-east). Ths is necessitated by a lack of space in the stone church. This new church is dedicated to "Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes", the name which will be given to this new parish when erected canonically later on in 1900.
Despite the construction of this new church the lack of space remains a problem at Saint-Thomas church. As a result, in 1934, construction work takes place to enlarge the church. The nave is almost doubled in area, and the following sections appear: a new sanctuary. an organ loft, a new vestry, Saint-Anne chapel and a parish hall under the vestry. The lateral lofts are eliminated allowing the double row side windows to be replaced by larger and wider single windows as they appear to this date.
As renovations are taking place at the Saint-Thomas church, the pastor is also supervising construction works on a new church at Pré-d'en'Haut. This new church opens in 1935 and is dedicated to "Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation", the name of this new parish when erected canonically in 1940.
Since then Saint-Thomas parish is confined approximately to the region skirting the Memramcook river, bordered on the east by Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes parish and on the west by Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation parish.
From the Plaque at the Church