OLDEST - Catholic Church on PEI - Rustico, PEI
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T0SHEA
N 46° 25.400 W 063° 17.059
20T E 478153 N 5141123
The first Catholic church built in Rustico, a log building, was erected in 1792. This church, built in 1838, was the third St. Augustine to be built on the site. Given that it's the oldest Catholic Church on PEI it deserves a Lucky 7. Tally=14
Waymark Code: WMRAED
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Date Posted: 05/31/2016
Views: 3
For the first 22 years of its life, St. Augustine was the Cathedral of the Diocese of Charlottetown, from 1837 until 1859.
At the church is a very nice and informative sign apprising visitors of some aspects of the history of St. Augustine, as follows:
Augustine's Church of Rustico, P.E.I., is the oldest Catholic Church in the Diocese of Charlottetown. The present church replaced the first log church built around 1792 near the Pioneer Cemetery and a second church built in 1807. In 1834, the parishioners and the pastor, Rev. Bernard Donald MacDonald, drew up plans for a new church which was completed in 1838. It is said that the first service held in the new church was the Midnight Mass of December 25, 1838. As Bishop MacDonald decided to remain in Rustico on his appointment as bishop in 1837, St. Augustine's Church became the pro-cathedral of the diocese for a period of twenty-two years from 1837 to 1859. During that time, eight ordinations to the priesthood for the diocese took place in the church.
The Gothic Revival church, built entirely of wood, has twelve paired multi-paned windows in a Gothic architectural design. Two stained glass windows in the sanctuary commemorate the parents of two native sons of the parish, Cornelius O'Brien who became Archbishop of Halifax in 1883 and James Charles McGuigan, Archbishop of Regina and Toronto and who in 1946 was elevated to the College of Cardinals. The interior of the church was completed in 1845, and contains ten columnar pillars surrounded by a gallery and a choir loft. The main altar, beautiful in its design and simplicity, is flanked by statues of Saint Augustine, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The massive tower with its decorative quatrefoil trim on all sides also houses a carillon of three bells.
The community of Rustico prospered greatly under the leadership of Father Georges-Antoine Belcourt, parish priest from 1859 - 1869. Among his many achievements, Father Belcourt founded the Farmers' Bank of Rustico, organized the first Acadian model school on P.E.I., established a large library and operated a steam driven automobile on June 24, 1867 on the church grounds. The parishioners of St. Augustine's in Rustico are very proud of their church and are very grateful to their ancestors who erected such a beautiful temple consecrated to the worship of God.
Designated a Provincial Heritage Place on November 1st, 2004, the Statement Of Significance for St. Augustine, from the Province of Prince Edward Island, is included below.
St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
As one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in PEI, St. Augustine's stands as a landmark in the village of South Rustico. The wooden structure is predominately white with decorative gothic elements outlined in black. The registration includes the footprint of the building.
HERITAGE VALUE
The church was begun in the Fall of 1838 under the direction of Bishop Bernard MacDonald. The building is significant as the oldest parish church in the Diocese of Charlottetown. It also served as pro-cathedral for the diocese until a building was erected in Charlottetown. The building materials were local and the work was completed by local Acadian craftsmen. It replaced two former churches which had been built in 1795 and 1806. The three tower bells were cast in London, England and purchased during the tenure of Father Belcourt (1859-1869) who also founded the nearby Farmers' Bank of Rustico in 1864. An interior scene of the church was featured in a drawing by Robert Harris (1849-1919) showing Acadian nuns at prayer.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The heritage value of the church is embodied in the following Gothic Revial style elements:
- the multi-paned, paired Gothic windows
- the quatrefoil motif of the decorative woodwork
- the central entrance tower on the front elevation which appears to have been moved from the side elevation sometime after 1880
- the symmetrical placement of the windows and doors
- the gabled roof with eave returns
- the corner finials and central cross on the top of the tower
From Historic Places Canada