Low Down Articles
Echoes from the Past
Article 77 of 111
This article first appeared in the "Echoes from the Past" column of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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St. Stephen's Church, Old Chelsea
From "The Voice" Sept. 1988, by Patrick M.O. Evans
The original Roman Catholic church was of wood, situated on a hundred acre lot presented by Charles Lennox Brigham, a son of Thomas Brigham and Abigail Wright and thus a grandson of Philemon Wright, founder of Hull.
The church must have been constructed between 1838 and 1940 because it was consecrated by Msgr. Ignace Bourget of Montreal in the latter year. Word that such a building was planned appears in "Histoire Ecclésiastique" Tome 1, by the Rev. P. Alexis, de Barbezieux Capucin, on page 196:
- Nous avons fait des arrangements pour la construction à Chelsea d'une chapelle en bois. 1838."
The Parish of St. Etienne-de-Chelsea was a mission serviced from Aylmer of which Rev. Father Desautels was the priest. On October 15, 1845 the parish of Chelsea became a separate entity, with Rev. James Hughes, who came from Ireland, in charge. Father hughes, the first of a line of priests, gave devoted service for 14 years, and on his death he was buried in the basement of the church, directly under the altar.
- "Histoire Ecclésiastique, Tome 1, p.238. Un an plus tôt le 14 décembre 1845 un missionnaire irlandais, le rév M. Hughes, avait pris possession de la paroisse de Saint-Etienne de Chelsea. Nous aurons amplement l'occasion de reparler de ces vénérables missionnaires. Cette date du 14 décembre 1845 nèst point celle de l'installation de M. Hughes, mais du premier acte qu'il signa."
Bishop Guiges, of Bytown (Ottawa), visiting the area in 1848, found 130 Roman Catholic families in the neighbourhood, on both sides of the Gatineau River, including Cantley. In the same year Rev. Alexis in his "Histoire Ecclésiastique", page 259, notes that there were five churches constructed of wood and mentions St. Stephen's as being one of them.
In 1877 came the decision to build a larger church of stone, to be sited slightly to the south of the old wooden one. Work was started on the structure in August of 1879. Despite the date 1879 appearing on the front of the church it was not in fact completed until 1883.
The stone for St. Stephen was called Corkstown Road stone, being the same as that used in the construction of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. It became the practice for a while for men of the parish to leave Old Chelsea at 3:00 a.m. with a load of logs or hay for delivery in the city, returning with a load of stone at 9 or 10 o'clock in the evening, which was a shade faster than the OVERNIGHT trips of earlier days.
The parish was visited, from time-to-time by incumbent bishops. Bishop Duhamel used to come from Cantley, crossing the river at Kirk's Ferry. Martin Welch from The Hollow, driving his team of greys, hitched to a two-seated buggy, met the ferry as it landed on the west shore and drove the bishop to Old Chelsea. Bishop Duhamel came to preside at confirmations. He usually stayed three days at the priest's house. At the end of the visit Martin would drive the bishop to Masham.
The priest's house was built in the 1890s by a man with the name of Spratt, a partner in the firm of Spratt and Freeman.
A church hall once existed behind the priest's house.
The ceiling mural in St. Stephen's, which depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary, was executed by an artist from Italy.
Strange as it may seem St. Stephen's has celebrated two centennials, once in 1945, on 21, July (according to the "Ottawa Journal") and again in 1979. Perhaps this may be explained in the following way. The earlier one marked the one hundred years since the parish separated from Aylmer and became independent. The second anniversary celebrated with a garden party at the end of June, 1979, the 100th birthday of the start of the stone St. Stephen's.
The beautiful old church is well worth a visit to view the treasures within its walls. Nowadays the spire is illuminated at night, as if lighting the faithful who come to pray where their ancestors have knelt in years gone by.
There are two cemeteries in Old Chelsea, one is Protestant and was known as a burial (or burying) ground at the time Thomas Brigham presented the lot to the community. The second cemetery is adjacent to St. Stephen's. The Letters Patent being in the name also of Thomas Brigham, according to the National Archives in Hull. It was dated 4 March 1824.
A record was made of all the memorial markers in St. Stephen's cemetery in September 1975. It was again checked and brought up-to-date in October 1979. At the latter time there were 319 memorials. A beautiful outdoor shrine (grotto) overlooks the graves, both marked and unmarked. It's as if there flows from the tiny figure (madonna, Virgin Mary) installed in the sheltering shrine a permanent benediction is directed toward all those who're buried within the confines of this haven of eternal rest.
To many local residents, regardless of faith, a welcome feature in the last quarter of the 20th Century has been the ecumenical gatherings just prior to Christmas each year at St. Stephen's being the only edifice large enough to hold the crowds which attend. There seems a touch of magic in the air as we pray and sing praises together in honour of the Baby Jesus, born on this earth as the Saviour of all mankind. This sense of magical spirit is carried outside as one steps into the newly fallen snow from the opened doors of this magnificent old church to an area mellowed by the beautiful lighting installed to enhance tower and spire. God Bless Us, Everyone.
AMEN
Sources: Articles in "Up the Gatineau!"
1. THE STONE CHURCH OF ST. STEPHEN by Karen J. Watson. (issue No. 7, 1981).
2. STONE FOR ST. STEPHEN'S by Richard Mulvihill (Issue No. 2, 1976).
3. 100th ANNIVERSARY OF ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH by Father Maurice Théoret (Issue No 5, 1979).
4. FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY (Outdoor Lighting) by David Morisset (Issue NO. 12, 1986).