Bishop James Rogers Assembly

St. Bridget's

St. Raphael's

The Church In
New Brunswick

From 1823 until 1833 Renous and other parts of the Miramichi were served by Rev. William Dollard who was appointed resident missionary by Bishop Plessis of the Diocese of Quebec. Rev. Dollard made Bartibogue his headquarters until 1826 at which time he moved to St. Patrick's in Nelson and served the Miramichi region from there.  On 30 September 1842 the province of New Brunswick was formed into a separate diocese and Father William Dollard was appointed its first Bishop.  

In October 1836 Rev. Michael Egan was appointed to St. Patrick's in Nelson to serve the Miramichi region. On his early visits to Renous he said Mass at the home of John and Ann (O'Shea) Donovan. In 1846 a group of the faithful from Renous under the leadership of William O'Brien made a request for a chapel to be built at Renous or "Renous Bridge" as it was called at that time.

On September 15, 1851 construction on the first church was begun under Rev. Michael Egan's supervision, with John Kehoe and Andrew O'Neil as carpenters. Rev. Egan served the Renous area until 1868, at which time Rev. William Morriscy was appointed Pastor of the Church at Renous and the Upper-Miramichi area became missions of Renous.

In 1874  St. Joachim's church was built in the mission of Boiestown and was dedicated by Rev. William Morriscy.

In October 1889 Rev. Edward S. Murdock was appointed Pastor of the Church at Renous. At the time of his appointment, Rev. Murdock was assistant priest at Campbellton. He had only been ordained ten months when he was assigned to Renous and the many missions around it. He had this to say some time after his arrival:

"On October 1, 1889, I reached Renous Bridge finding an empty house, a poor little church but kind and generous people.  There were three churches, the home church of Renous Bridge, the church of our Lady of Mount Carmel at Cains River Forks, 13 miles distant, and a little mission church at Boiestown, 48 miles away.

There were partial railway facilities throughout the missions, but slow 'stage coach' was nearly always required as the best means of reaching my people of some seventy miles extremes."

At the time that Rev. Edward Murdock was appointed Pastor at St. Bridget's, the upper Miramichi area which included Blackville, "The Forks" (Mount Carmel), Blissfield, (including Doaktown), and Boiestown were missions of Renous and remained as such until 1896. 

In 1890  St. Raphael's church was built in the mission of Blackville.

In 1893 Holy Name Of Mary church was built in the mission of Blissfield.

On August 1, 1896 Blackville became a parish and "The Forks" (Mount Carmel), Blissfield, and Boisetown became missions of Blackville.

In 1896 a portion of Nelson Parish, Chelmsford, was added to Renous and on June 1st 1897 Bishop Rogers said mass in a new church, St. Edward's, that was erected there. In 1908 the mission of Milllerton, was added to Renous and in 1909 a church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, was erected in Millerton.

On August 14, 1911 St. Bridget's Church was destroyed by a severe storm with high winds. The new hall served as a church for nearly two years. On May 29, 1912 the ground was broken for a new church at Renous by: Rev. E.S. Murdock,P.P.; Rev. Eudore Martin, Curate; Cornelius Donovan, Francis Donovan, Benjamin Young, William Donovan Jr., Parishioners; and Miss Loretta McCarthy, Parishioner, Teacher and Choir Director.

On April 13, 1913 construction of the new church began under a contract by B. Mooney & Sons of Saint John, N.B. Only the basement was completed at this time and Mass and other Church Services were held in the completed basement. The cost of building the church to this incomplete stage of construction was over $33,000.00. 

On September 6, 1916 the corner stone of the church was blessed by Rev. Louis O'Leary, Auxilliary Bishop of Chatham assisted by Rev. P.W. Dixon of Newcastle, Rev. E.P. Wallace of Campbellton, and Pastor Rev. E.S. Murdock. Also present were: Rev. N. Power of Nelson, Rev. S.J. Crumley of Blackville, Rev. G.P. Gauvin of Neguac, Rev R. Hawkes of Bartibog, Rev. J.R. Hartt of Chatham, Rev. J. Doucette of St. Margarets, Rev. A.J. Babineau of Acadiaville, Rev. J.P. Saindon of Legaceville, Rev. J. Trudell of Newcastle, Rev. L.A. Martin of Chatham, and Rev. Mr. Violette, Eccl. of Madawaska. 

Rev. E.S. Murdock worked tirelessly and zealously as Pastor of St. Bridget's Parish for 36 years until he died of a heart attack in the church yard on his way from morning mass on August 1, 1925. 

The upper and main floors of the church were not opened for use by the parish until November 30, 1952 and were not completely finished until 1960. 

Pastors who succeeded Rev. E.S. Murdock at St. Bridget's Parish were:

• Rev. J.M. Burns 1925 - 1934
• Rev. W.J. Nowlan 1934 - 1950
• Rev. Thomas Barry 1950 - 1961
• Rev. Rev Roy MacLean 1962 - 1971
• Rev. Robert A Grattan 1971 - 1981
• Rev. Vincent Donovan 1981 - 1986
• Rev. Sam Diotte 1986 - 1989
• Rev. Joseph D. Woods 1989 - Present

Other priests who administered to the faithful at Renous according to Parish Reconds were:

• Rev. F.X.L. DeLangie 1866 - 1868
• Rev. William Morriscy 1868 - 1877
• Rev. John Carter 1877 - 1884
• Rev. Edmund Pattenaude 1883
• Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald 1884 - 1887
• Rev. M.M. O'Brien 1887 - 1889
• Rev. P.W. Dixon 1889
• Rev. E.S. Cashing 1897
• Rev. A.A. Boucher 1897
• Rev. R.H. Fitzhenry 1909 - 1910
• Rev. Alphonse Babineau 1910
• Rev. Eudore Martin 1910 - 1912
• Rev. Joseph D Saindon 1913 - 1915
• Rev. R.J. Hogan 1914
• Rev. L. Armand Martin 1915 - 1916
• Rev. Ernest Albert 1917
• Rev. J.W. Cyr 1917
• Rev. P.R. McCarthy 1921
• Rev. W.J. Wallace 1923
• Rev. J.V. Pitman 1924
• Rev. J.M. Hill 1924

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Broderick, Rev. B.M. The Catholic Church in the Maritimes Rev. B.M. Broderick

Hynes, Rev. Leo J. The Catholic Irish in New Brunswick Rev. Leo J. Hynes 1992

Archival Material, St. Michael's Museum, Miramichi, N.B.

Essay on St. Bridget's Parish, By Sir Knight Shirley Hogan.