The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-12-01
CHURCH IS Is
YEARS OLD
Celebration Yesterday Of Sa.
cred Heart Parish.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With Him Were 20 Visiting Priests
Representing All Parts Of
the State.

The s5ih anniversary 81 the orgAnl
ration 81 The parish oi Tho church al
the Sacred Heart Of Jesus was held
Thursday wlih the carrying out Of ~
Interesting program, wiih tho prcscnos
81 Tho bishop Of the diocese and q
rumbcr Of clergy from wilhin add
without the state.
Up 20 the year ls7p the Frcnch speak
ing Catholic residents ~ tho village
wrrs members oi the church Of 81
Francis do Sales. 10 1850 desire ioy
a church organization which would
enable them 10 attend services In ihelr
own language became apparent and a
meeting was held In a room 10 the res
idcnce Of Leon Lamarrc for that pur
pose.
Congregations we're made up princlp'
aily 81 the families Of Leon LaMarrc
Alec Lamarrc, Edmund LafraDchIse
aud John y Sausville. All are yet
living and prominent In the parish as
Il exists today.
a year later Bishop de Goesbriand,
then 10 charge Of the diocese, organ.
lied the parish and the FIRST yestments
and chalics donated by him are now In
he possession OF the church and In
use at the services. For some time
jerylccs we're held In what was known
as Noycs hall which was large enough
20 bold all the congregation which
then numbered 20 families. In 1883 the
church was erected, and dedicated In
1886 under the direction OF Bishop de
Goesbriand rs the Church OF the Sa.
cred Heart OF Jesus, and among those
who assisted In the services was the
present bishop OF the diocese. John 3
Michsud, then pastor Of the parish
and church OF st Francis de Sales in
this village.
The parish grew 10 number and ten
years ago the church which stands on
School street was considerably enlarg.
ed. IL now consists OF 40 families OF
go souls, OF which 40 are communi-
cauts. Connected with IL Is parish
school established In 1887 with 20
scholars, and which now numbers one
hundred scholars, under the guidance
of three sisters.
The first priest in charge OF the par
ish was Rev T Brua!let, afterward
OF Notre Dame church in Worcester,
Mass. Later Rev J Audet succeeded
him for short time. The church was
built in 1883 while the Rev G. Gslot
was in charge. He was succeeded by
the Rev Jerome Gelot who died in
Ludlow about two years ago.
In 1885 Rev Charles f Provost was
assigned TO the charge OF the church
and the missions at North Bennington
and Pownal, with the Rev w Cullen
as assistant. The Rev Phi LaChance
was the longest settled OF any OF the
pastors OF the church He had charge
of this church and the one In North
Bennington, residing in the latter viii
lage.
1t was while he was pastor that the
church was enlarged to its present
seating capacity. FIR LaChance was
highly esteemed by members OF all de-
nominations ard when he was trans
ferred to lIsland Pond there was gen.
eral regret. At the time he left, tho
parishes here and in North Benning.
ton were divided.
FIR LaChance was succeeded here by
Rev G E Trottier who remained here
but three months when he was trans
ferred to st Adams and the present
pastor, Rev G e Provost was again
returned to the parish in exchange
with FIR Trottier and cordially welcom
ed by many old friends in the village.
Rev G E Provost was born in Que
bee, being one of the youngest of
family of II children of whom 8 are
now living. The next youngest also a
son, John Alfred, is also priest, be.
ing in charge of the Notre Dame par.
ish in Fall River, Mass, having five
assistant priests and the parish num-
bering 1000 families.
FIR Provost was educated at the
Grand Seminary in Montreal, and
where he was ordained by Arch Bish-
op Fabre, one of the most noted Arch.
bishops in the country. He was
first ASST .ned as assistant priest at