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Historic Churches of West Pubnico
Learn about three historic churches and their cemeteries in West Pubnico
St. Peter's Church
St. Peter’s Church was built in the 1890s through 1892 under the direction of Louis P. LeBlanc and architect Joseph B. Spinney. The parish bought the Nicholas d’Entremont lot for $160.00. This church was the third church of the parish. Father Sullivan said the first Mass at midnight on Christmas Day 1891, when the church was not yet complete. The net cost of construction was approximately $ 12,000. The chapel was built in 1928 when Father Denis Comeau was parish priest. The church is now known as a spiritual home where several generations come, and still come, to practice the Catholic religion.
Around 1950, Anne d’Entremont organized a campaign to collect enough money to buy the Calvary, which was placed halfway in the cemetery. In 1971 he was moved to the bottom of the cemetery, near the wall.
The last person buried in the old cemetery was Marie-Jeanne d’Entremont in 1891. The first dead person buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery was Actime d’Entremont, buried on October 28, 1892. The tombstone of Actime d’Entremont can not to be found.
Immaculate Conception Church
Construction of the Immaculate Conception Church in 1875 was entrusted to Pierre d'Entremont of West Pubnico, a work completed in 1879. In 1910, Father A. Fortier became the first resident priest, but he only stayed six weeks. It was not until 1912 that the parish had a permanent resident priest, Father Lichtenberger, who served until 1916. There have been no resident priests at the Immaculate Conception since 1996.
In 1919, significant modifications were made. (The original dimensions of the first church built in 1875 were where the large interior pillars now stand in the church. Part of the original roof is still contained within the first floor on the west side.) An addition to the west included a gated entrance and bell tower enlargement. The addition on the east side is made up of the sacristy and the flower room, and on the south a gated entrance. The windows were also modified at this time. The blessing of these renovations as a new church and the restoration of the old took place on July 29, 1919 by the Archbishop of Halifax McCarthy.
Pubnico-Ouest-le-Bas
The current Catholic Church in West Pubnico is, in fact, the third to have been built. The first was built at the time of Father Sigogne, who had blessed the cornerstone in 1810 and the church itself in 1815. It was located north of what is called the old church road, on the hill, and measured about 25 feet by 37. It was abandoned as a church in 1840, and was moved and then demolished.
The second church was built in 1840 just opposite the first church, on the other side of the road, in what is now called the old cemetery. This one measured 40 feet by 50 ( see photo ). Its demolition began in October 1902 and continued until the following year.
At Pubnico-Ouest le Bas is the old cemetery after the deportation. Its tombstones are weathered and date back to the early 19th century. The last person buried in the old cemetery was Marie-Jeanne d'Entremont in 1891.
