Assumption Roman Catholic Church
Grand Falls
For many years, the Grand Falls Irish were served by itinerant priests who came to the area sporadically – usually during the warmer months of the year – May through to September.
Most travelled a fair distance for the all-important sacraments of baptism or marriage. There are records in St Anne’s mission, a few miles north of Fredericton in Kingsclear, of baptisms related to children from Grand Falls. The parish of Ste Basil de Madawaska also sometimes served the Catholic families of Grand Falls in the early years. Priests from Van Buren, Maine also crossed the border to serve Catholics in the Grand Falls area.
First Assumption Parish with the Chapel on the Right
It was in 1854 that Rev Michael Meloy, parish priest of St Bruno parish in Van Buren, Maine, found that there were enough families in Grand Falls for the construction of a mission chapel. This little wooden chapel stood near the present Assumption parish and was at an angle to Chapel Street, facing the corner of the cemetery.
In 1868, Grand Falls became a separate parish and the first resident priest was Rev J. J. O’Leary. Born in Ireland, he was welcomed by the parishioners who were also mostly from Ireland at this time. A fine large wooden rectory was built which stood across the street from the present Assumption parish in 1869.
In 1882, a large wooden church was constructed because the chapel was no longer large enough. Monsignor James Rogers, Bishop of Chatham blessed the cornerstone and the parish was called Assumption. The original chapel was kept for meetings and catechism classes. This church faced the older Assumption cemetery.
On November 5, 1906, a fire began in the James McCormack Restaurant on Broadway Street, near the present site of the post office. Strong winds fuelled the fire and sparks flew up the hill igniting the Assumption Parish Church as well as the original chapel. Both were burned to the ground within a very short time.
Almost immediately, funds were raised and the present stone church was constructed to replace the two buildings. A new rectory was added in 1949.
Assumption Parish Today
The old Assumption cemetery located in front of the church attests to the overwhelming Irish make-up of Grand Falls in the early days. Names such as Ryan, Kelly, Quinn, Quigley, Toner, Bradley, McCormick, and McCluskey attest to this. The oldest known stone in cemetery is for Michael Harley, one of the earliest Irish immigrants to Grand Falls, and a surveyor of “pasture lots” in 1847. Not far away is the grave of Dennis Hues (more properly known as Hughes), one of two people who died when a suspension bridge fell into the gorge over the Saint John River in 1858. Another headstone remembers Ellen O’Sullivan of County Wexford who claimed to be 105 at her death in 1872. There are some French names in the cemetery such as Michaud, Carrier, Godreau, Soucy, Corbin, St. Amand, Poitras, Page and Desjardins. However, in the early years, most of the parishioners were Irish in origin.
Interior: Assumption Parish
In 1896, parishioner James Mulherin donated land on Portage Road for a new cemetery as the first was filling up rapidly. One of the more impressive monuments in this cemetery is that of Senator John Costigan, whose family came to New Brunswick via Quebec in 1840.
More information on Assumption Parish can be seen on-line at www.geocities.com/heartland/8787/. This site is invaluable for genealogists as it has the parish birth records (1868-1920), marriage records (1869-1920) and death records (1871-1900) in its history section.
References:
Marceau, Margaret, Grand Falls Yesterdays, Grand Falls Historical Society, Merit Press, 1991
McGowan, Rev Dr. Michael, Pax Vobis: A History of the Diocese of Saint John, its Bishops and Parishes, Strasbourg, France, Editions de Signe, 2004