_ Terrace Review — Wednesday, September 26, 1990 B11

Drawings by
--Marion Schlegel

~ Diamond anniversary for
Sacred Heart Parish

a ao
-*

_ Contributed by the Sacred
Heart Church
On’ October 6th ani 7th,
Terrace’s Sacred Heart Parish will
celebrate its 75th birthday.
Invitations have been sent to other
parishes in B.C., hoping old
parishioners will retum and
celebrate the occasion. A wine and
cheese social will be held on the
evening of October 6th; and an
outdoor mass will be held at ‘1
P.ta. on October 7th, followed by
an aftemoon tea at about 3 p.m.
The Sacred Heart Parish invites
one and all in the Terrace area to
share in this celebration.
| the parish was established
in 1915, although the

-exact location of the Original

arly records indicate that

church is unknown. Letters dating

fron August 4, 1915 refer to
Terrace’ 8 assembling Catholics as
a "poor mission", and the
Women’s Auxiliary of Extension
Toronto sent $500 for the church
‘Structure, along with vestments,
linen and an altar for "the poor
‘settlers of that mission". An exerpt
from Bishop Bunoz’s chronicles,
dated November 1915, reads: "[I]

remained in Prince Rupert till
November 6th, 1915, when I went
to Terrace to bless the church. It
was dedicated under the title of
Sacred Heart at the demand of the
Ladies Auniliary of Extension
Toronto...Fhe service was well-
attended especially by non-
Catholics. Things had been
prepared by Father Allard who
succeeded in having even a little
choir. At 3:30 p.m., Mrs. Roberge
and Pearl Lathulype were
confirmed."

In 1916, two lots on Lakelse:

Avenue were donated by a Mr,
Besner, a member of the Catholic
Church in Prince Rupert, and a

new church was erected in 1917, —

in the location where K-mart
presently stands. Father Rivet,
O.M.I. was pastor.

In 1923, under the direction of
Father E. Allard, O.M.I., the bell
tower was erected, and the parish
grew quickly through the years. In
early 1930, Mr. Besner donated
five more acres of land, and in
1936. Father Champagne, O.MLI.
built a small school next to the
church, which was later converted
to a rectory for the priesis.

A newspaper clipping dated

cr

of our parish on

_. October 6th
and 7th, 1990.

~The Pastor and Parishioners of |
Sacred Heart Parish, Terrace, B B.C.
invite you to Join us
as we celebrate the

‘75th Anniversary |

October 6th — 8 p.m. - Wine & Cheese Social
October 7th — 1 p.m. - Outdoor Mass
| October 7th — 3 p.m. - Afternoon Tea

January 8, 1948, reads: "The local
Catholic church was the scene of a
fire early on Sunday morning.
The brigade answered the
summons at 6:30 a.m., finding the
basement full of smoke — the fire
evidently smouldering for hours

before it broke into flames, which

was brought under control, but not
before considerable damage had
been done to the floor above, a
wall and a pillar post. One of the
supports was bumed badly —
allowing the floor to sag around
eighteen inches.” The parish
continued meeting in Father

Racette’s basement until the
church was re-built,
y 1951, that original

B "poor mission" had grown
large enough for a 40-
foot extension to be added onto the
original building, and another
extension would follow a few
years later. By 1958, a school
auditorium was built, and an eight-
Classroom school opened in the fall
of 1959. A 1957 newspaper article
reads: "New buildings are being
constructed frequently in our
community. It is felt, this
particular constructure will play a
very central part in coming years.
It- will’ not ‘only be used by
members of the
Church... Therefore, it is with keen
interest that the construction
progress of the Sacred Heart
Auditorium is being watched." The

» Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto —

arrived to take charge of the new
school in 1959, and a convent was
built in 1960,

As the population of Terrace
grew, and the downtown core
evolved, the Sacred Heart Parish
expanded. In 1972, the church
property was sold and Veritas
school and the convent were
moved from busy Lakelse Avenue
to their present

‘Straume Avenue. The new church
was dedicated on December 15,
1974 by Bishop Fergus
O’Grady,O.MLL, who referred to
‘the Sacred Heart Parish complex
as "the ,finest parish complex of

any denomination in. the whole of’

the Pacific Northwest."
Today, the Sacred Heart Parish

flourishes under the direction of
Father Allan Noonan,O.M.L
Veritas School is a full, active ©
educational centre for families

‘desiring a quality Christian

education. And the "poor settlers
of that mission" have come a long
way in the last 75 years.

location on -

Sacred Heart Church, 1930. °