Up the Gatineau! Article
This article was first published in Up the Gatineau! Volume 4.
125th Anniversary of Ste. Cecile-de-Masham Parish
Laurent Lafleur
Ste. Cecile-de-Masham Parish celebrates, this year, its 125th anniversary. Though it was a Mission as early as 1836, it was June 1853 when its first parish priest arrived. It was during that year that the first church was built. Before 1853 the parishioners worshiped in Mr. Ovide Belangers residence.
The first official parochial act was the baptism of Mr. Godfroid Proulx, on June 26. 1853.
The first pioneers in the region, apart from the Indians who left the area around 1860, were names such as Belanger, Cloutier, Trempe, Legros, Beaudoin, Gauvreau and Renaud. They were lumbermen working for companies such as Hamilton, Edwards, MacLaren and Gilmour.
The families of Ovide Belanger and Edouard Trempe were the first families to settle in the area; this was in 1835.
Mr. James Nesbitt was the first Mayor of Masham; he held office between 1855 and 1857.
In 1913 the municipality was divided into Masham North (anglophones) and Masham South (francophones). Mr. lsaie Brazeau was the first Mayor of Masham South.
In 1975 the La Peche Municipality was formed, thereby uniting all the surrounding municipalities; its first Mayor was Dr. Joseph Matte. Its population in 1976 was 4,662 permanent residents and 2.120 cottagers, the proportion being about 70% of French extraction and 30% English.
The present church in Ste. Cecile de Masham was built in 1911 after fire had destroyed the one which had been built in 1868 to replace the original one built in 1853. The present one can seat 900 persons as it did on January 22.1978. at a joint celebration of its 125th anniversary and an ecumenical service during the recent Week of Prayers for Christian Unity.
Rev. René Soucy is the priest of the parish. Mr. Raymond Berlinguette is the chairman of the committee organizing the celebrations. Mr. Lafleur is the secretary-treasurer of the parish.