Museum hoping to heal old wounds from rubble of demolished church building

Nearly 40 years after a decision to demolish a church building nearly split a community, a local museum is hoping to help heal the old wounds.

St Pierre-Jolys Museum Curator Sol Desharnais says that in 1981 the decision was made to demolish a church built at the turn of the century in St Pierre-Jolys.

“It was an extremely divisive thing in the town,” says Desharnais, “it even made national news.”

Desharnais shares that the church was built when Jean-Marie Jolys, a beloved priest who ministered in the town for 40 years, coordinated the construction of it beginning in 1899.

“He really established a community,” says Desharnais of the priest. “He was responsible for bringing in many new families from Quebec to settle, and he was a very strong believer in education, so he always ensured that our town had a good educational system.”

It was because of this strong heritage, and the scale to which it was built, that so many had opposed the church’s demolition.

“The church was built by many, many volunteer hours,” explains Desharnais. “There were over 55,000 linear feet of timber cut, milled, and transported to the site, and we’re not even talking about gravel or bricks or the trips that were made between St Pierre and Otterburne to the railway station to pick up materials.”

In addition, Desharnais says three volunteer parishioners assisted a mason recruited from France to complete the masonry of the church. Something he attributes to St Pierre residents’ “reputation of having many people who give their time and money to local organizations and traditions.”

Desharnais also acknowledges the countless events that would have endeared residents to the structure. “It’s a sacred place where many events were held, from baptisms to marriages to funerals to Christmases and Easters, and many, many celebrations.”

Now, almost 40 years later, Desharnais hopes to recover relics such as stained glass, chandeliers, and doors from the old church for the exhibition at St Pierre-Jolys Museum.

St Pierre-Jolys Museum Curator Sol Desharnais

“We already have a good bank of materials to create a beautiful exhibit, but we’re also sending out an invitation to those that might still be holding on tightly to some of the relics if they are willing to share them with the community again.”

Desharnais acknowledges why some residents may still have emotions regarding the historic event, but believes it has become heritage and should now be celebrated.

“I think it’s unhealthy to suppress a story,” offers Desharnais, “and it would be nice to bring it to the light in order to heal these wounds.”

Desharnais hopes to have the exhibit opened on January 18th as it would mark the 40th anniversary of the divisive demolition to the day.