Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-05
The Oldest Catholic Church.


spoke of st. Patrick's church at Damaf-
scotia Mills, built in 1908, as the sec
ond Oldest Catholic church in New
England. conceding the honor of
priority to the church Of the Holy
Cross in Boston whose centennial has
been celebrated with many elaborate
ceremonies during the past week. 1t
now appears that we were wrong in as
suming that the Boston papers in their
editorial columns and their headlines,
and the Catholic clergy and laymen OF
Boston in their addresses at the CEN
tennial celebration, were justified in
speaking of the schurch Of the Holy
Cross as the first Catholic church i'll
New England AS usual, Maine has Il
better story to tell. 1t is another in
stance of the truth that Maine had a
history before Massachusetts had an
existence
Rev. FIR. Charles w. Collins OF Port
land. writes us an interesting letter,
giving some facts and dates which put
Catholicism in this State back into his
tory far earlier than the founding OF
the frs, church of that faith III Boston.
In the interests of historic truth we are
glad to give publicity to the substance
of Father Collins letter. The Catholics
of Maine have a right to be proud CT
their heritage. and to resent any at
tempt of Massachusetts to claim honors
which belong in this State.
And in claiming a Catholic church
older than that in Boston which cete-
brates its centennial. Maine does not
have to go back to the missions estab-
lished by the devoted French pioneers
among the Indians, though it would be
justified in doing so. The structure
which Father Druelletes built at Nor
ridgewock in 1916 where his red con-
verts wOrshipped. was Il church IL
every sense of the word. 1t was sooil
burned and was replaced in 1914 by
larger and finer structure which in its
turn was destroyed in 1924 when Faith
or Rasle was killed And at Castine
there was a church as early as there
was at Norridgewock and in 1913 the
community of Capuchin Friars at that
place laid the foundations OF the Church
of Our Lady of the Holy Hope which
was the successor OF an earlier chapel
The mission at Castine tourished fo'
over century. These facts are
brought out by Williamson and Other
historians and are not DISPUTED. Tho
only point which any critic can raise
is that they we're churches for the Wor-
snip of Indiaa converts and that point
does not seem to us we'll taken. Father
Collins holds that THE church wherein
the Indian worshipped God and learned
His law is as indefeasibly His temple
as the grandest cathedral"
But even from the white mans point
Of view Maine can assert with perfect
certainty the title of the first Catholic
pie of English speech. The Original
parish records of the parish of Damar-
iscctta Mills, written in the hand OF
the late Governor kGvanaSh and OF
earlier secretaries state that the frs
church of the Catholics in that parish
was built in 1898. The records of the
parish priest make the same statement
Thi:, first church was removed to the
Eavanagl shipyard and In 1893 The
present church of st. Patrick was be
gun: in 1908 it was dedicated and since
that time has been in continuous u.s.
as a church to the present day and is
now in excellent condition. Nowhere
else in New England can be found &
Catholic church now in actual use %
antiquity approaching to this. Th'
churches whose CenteHnials are being
celebrated. have long disappeared OF
have been converted to other uses
This church stands in the very church
yard where stood the chapel of ll3S ant
can almost claim to reach back to tht
date of the earlier structure. In view
of the vast amount of misstatemen
that has appeared in the journals o
the day in connection with the cen
tennial of the old church of the Hol!
Cross in Boston, and in view of th'
headlines announcing the centennial o
the oldest Catholic church in New Eng
land, it seems but proper that we wis
live in Maine should look out for ou
own history and state the facts o
these things as they are laid down.
To those who get their idea of Obi
politics from the newspapers 1t come
as something of q shock to find L