This church, located by the sea, was built in 1898, the third to be built on this site since 1812. The architect was Rene P. Lemay, the son of Pamphile Lemay, who had translated Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's influential 1847 poem, "Evangeline", in 1865. It is a registered historical site in the Province of Prince Edward /Island, though, unfortunately, the cemetery is not included in the registration.
The cemetery of Eglise Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel spreads out to the west of the church, extending to the shore of the Atlantic. The old section, nearest the sea, is filled with bright white markers topped with white crosses, while the newer section, nearest the road, contains more mundane contemporary markers, as well as more white headstones, though less picturesque.
Also in the cemetery is a World Wars monument in honour of the fallen of Mont Carmen and area, a stone triple arch erected in 1923 with two renditions of the Angel Gabriel blowing his horn atop. This large memorial is much like a wall of honour with three arches within, stepped higher in the centre third, the three sections having concrete caps. These angels and a cross between them were added to the memorial in 1927. Built by stonemason Cajétan Arsenault, a local resident of Acadian descent, the memorial stands front and centre in the cemetery, just off the road.
Following is a bit of the story of the memorial.
Monument Aux Soldats Morts
Au Champ d’Honneur
Historian and folklorist Georges Arsenault kindly offered this photo and information about the monument to those in the Mont Carmel (Prince Edward Island) parish killed in WW1.
The archway of fieldstone embedded in concrete was built by Cajétan Arsenault of Saint-Raphael. It forms an imposing entrance to the cemetery for Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Church and frames a view to the Northumberland Strait beyond. The family names of the 10 men leave no doubt about the Acadian roots of the community: Arsenault, Gallant, Poirier, Richard.
The monument was unveiled in August 1923 by Governor General Byng of Vimy. The Governor General was addressed by Justice Aubin-Edmond Arsenault, speaking to the sacrifice of Acadians in the war:
Vous avez sous les yeux un groupe d’infortunés parents qui pleurent des enfants chéris tombés sur le champ d’honneur. Vous avez aussi sous les yeux de nombreux jeunes gens qui répondirent vaillamment à l’appel et coururent au secours de la mère patrie. Et, Excellence, si tous les parents des enfants enrôlés étaient groupés, ils constitueraient la moitié du nombre entier des familles de cette paroisse. Et ce qui fut accompli ici, fut aussi l’oeuvre des autres localités acadiennes de cette province.
Excellence, si nous prenons la liberté de vous entretenir de ces faits, c’est que nous sommes convaincus que nous nous adressons à un patriote et à un soldat; c’est que nous n’ignorons pas que nous nous adressons au Héros de Vimy qui a immortalisé son nom par ses tactiques militaires, qui a conduit à la gloire nos soldats canadiens.
Translation:
You are looking at a group of wretched parents mourning their beloved children who fell on the field of honour. You also have before you many young people who valiantly answered the call and rushed to the aid of the motherland. And, Your Excellency, if all the parents whose children enlisted were gathered, they would constitute half of all the families in this parish. And what was accomplished here was also the work of other Acadian communities in this province.
Your Excellency, we take the liberty to speak of these facts because we are convinced that we address a patriot and a soldier; we know that we address the Hero of Vimy who immortalized his name by his military tactics, which led to the glory of our Canadian soldiers.
The trumpeting angels and cross were added to the top in 1927. A centre plaque above the World War I rext names those killed in WW2.
From Great War Reads