HOULTON, Maine — Officials with the St. Mary of the Visitation church in Houlton are gearing up for what is expected to be a huge celebratory event as the congregation celebrates its 175th anniversary.
“This parish is actually older than the diocese,” explained the Rev. David Raymond. “We became a diocese in 1953, but it was in 1839 when it became a canonical parish. When it was commissioned as a canonical parish it was part of the diocese of Boston.”
Four days of celebration are scheduled to commemorate the historic event.
Starting Thursday, Oct. 9, at 9 a.m. and continuing until Friday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m., the Knights of Columbus will sponsor a Miracles of the Eucharist display at the parish center. At 5 p.m. Oct. 9, an opening celebration Mass and dinner will be held. Donations for the meal will be accepted.
On Friday, Oct. 10, a Mass of the Anointing of the Sick will be held at 10 a.m., followed by a luncheon in St. Anthony’s Hall (donations will be accepted.) From 6-9:30 p.m., a pizza supper and concert with Christian Rock Band Exit 244 will be held at the St. Anthony’s Hall. The cost is $5 per person or $20 for a family.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, a Family Fun Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with children’s games, clowns, popcorn, hot dogs and more. From 2-5 p.m. an Open House will be held at the former St. Mary’s Convent School, now Bowers Funeral Home. A Mass service will follow at 6 p.m., followed by a bonfire, sing-a-long and s’mores.
The celebration concludes Sunday, Oct. 12, starting with a Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Agnes. A Mass at St. Mary follows at 10 a.m. and a pig roast sponsored by the Knights of Columbus takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 3 p.m. a reading of the rosary will be held followed by the release of balloons.
A special 175th anniversary book was created to remember the historic event. The book features a complete history of the parish and was compiled by church member Marc Blanchette. A copy of that book can be ordered online at www.Maryagnespaul.org.
Raymond has been with St. Mary of the Visitation church since 2008. Prior to serving in Houlton, Raymond was a priest in Caribou. He was born in Fort Kent and raised in Frenchville. Before entering the ministry, Raymond was a school teacher for 22 years. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 2003.
“I’ve come to call Houlton home,” Raymond said. “I have really enjoyed my time here and hope to remain for some time longer. It has been a wonderful journey.”
Raymond explained the 175th celebration has been a year in the making.
“A 175th anniversary is quite a milestone in the diocese,” he said. “We are going to focus on thanksgiving for 175 years of faith. We wanted to include everyone of all ages. We’re excited that a lot of the former pastors and the sisters who served at our schools and hospital are going to attend.”
History of the church
The present parish church building is the third to grace Military Street and has served as a landmark to Houlton generations. The first building, erected in 1839, not only served the small congregation of Irish pioneer settlers, but also the soldiers of the Second Infantry Regiment, who kept sentinel over the border of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, during the years of the Bloodless Aroostook War, according to the church’s history.
“It really began as a missionary parish,” Raymond said. “The call for a permanent pastor here came at the time of the Aroostook War. More and more Catholics were coming into the area from all parts of Maine because of the barracks.”
In the 1840s-60s, there was an influx of Irish immigrants coming in through New Brunswick.
“A significant population of Irish Catholics were settled here,” Raymond explained.
This region of Maine was largely wilderness at the time. In the early years of the parish, priests were truly missionaries who had to frequently drive over rough terrain braving the bitter cold of winter. The geography of the parish included (and still does) Houlton, Littleton, Monticello, Hammond Plantation, Ludlow New Limerick, Linneus, Hodgdon and St. Monica’s Mission in Cary and Amity.
Families were large which necessitated cooperation of each member and the mother was the glue of unity. Mothers in the pioneer period taught the children their prayers and values, helped clear the land, cured and spun wool and made clothes for the family. Those noble women even hoed fields and cradled the grain. It is faith and hard work that sustained the family unit.
When the parish outgrew its first building, a new, beautifully-ornate and gothic-style church was constructed in 1886. That building stood until the church faced one of its greatest challenges.
“Back in the mid to late 1950s, the church went through a renovation and not that long after the renovations were complete, it burnt,” he explained.
According to a Bangor Daily News article on the fire, “In the small hours of the morning June 12, 1958 the old church was burned to the ground at a loss of $400.000.”
Two years later, the new St. Mary’s church, was dedicated. It featured a modern design and amenities typical of church construction immediately prior to Vatican ll. During that two-year period without a home, the parish held services at the Temple Theatre in downtown Houlton and the Armory building.
“We have made many cost saving improvements to the building over the years,” Raymond said, “however, we felt that it was important to preserve the integrity of the original architecture.”
The following is a list of the past reverends and deacons of the St. Mary of the Visitation church in Houlton: Rev. John McMahon, 1828-39; Rev. Manasses Dougherty, 1839-44; Rev. William Moran, 1844-50; Rev. Thomas Connelly, 1855; Rev. Patrick McIver, 1855-61; Rev. Daniel Murphy, 1861-64; Rev. John Brady, 1864-70; Rev. Luke Bartley, 1869-79; Rev. Denis Ryan, 1879-82; and Rev. Cornelius O’Sullivan, 1882-85.
Also, Rev. William Lonergan, 1885-1901; Rev. Jeremiah McCarthy, 1901-08; Rev. John Manning, 1908-10; Rev. Patrick M. Silke, 1910-33; Rev. Joseph Sullivan, 1933-43; Rev. Michael F. Tierney, 1943-66; Rev. Francis Nelligan, 1966-71; Rev. John Bellefontaine, 1971-81; Rev. Coleman O’Toole, 1981-87; Rev. Thomas M. Murphy, 1987-91; Rev. John R. Skehan, 1991-96; Rev. Philip Cyr, 1996-2002; Rev. Ed Moran, 2002-08; Deacon Al Burleigh, 2004–present; Rev. Ron Labarre, 2008; Rev. David Raymond, 2008–present; and Deacon Ron Ouellette 2012–present.
“Today the parish is a beacon of Catholic faith in southern Aroostook,” Raymond said. “I am proud to be pastor at this time in St. Mary’s story. With faith, perseverance, work and a continued commitment to live the Gospel of Jesus and follow the counsels of the Church, I am confident that the next generation will celebrate its next milestone.”
Editor’s note: Historical information from this article was obtained from the booklet created by church member Marc Blanchette.
