In West Arichat in 1862, a portion of land was procured from the diocese, and a two-storey building was erected to accommodate classrooms on the first floor and a convent on the second.
Les Freres des Ecoles Chretiennes oversaw the instruction of the boys, while Les Soeurs de la Congregation de Notre Dame did the same for the girls.
All went well until 1864 when the Premier of Nova Scotia, Charles Tupper, passed the Free Schools Act. This legislation required that the headmaster of a school must be a teacher qualified by written and public oral examinations in English. Les Freres refused to submit to this, and consequently, had to work under a secular, English-speaking principal. By 1865, the arrangement had become untenable and the Brothers notified the rector of Arichat, Dr. Cameron, that they could not continue to teach under a master who was not a member of their religious order.
Although the Brothers officially left Acadiaville (so named in 1866), three of their brethren came from Arichat under the protection of Fr. Gerroir. In his well-intentioned zeal, the reverend tried to force his parishioners to send their sons to the school presided over by Les Freres des Ecoles Chretiennes. Unfortunately, the parents of Grand Ruisseau (renamed Port Royal in 1867) were not in accord with their pastor and decided to form their own school section and thus establish their own school.
Then in the summer of 1866, Bishop MacKinnon visited Acadiaville in an effort to mediate the differences between the pastor and his flock. Father Gerroir and his supporters were intent on constructing a school for the Christian Brothers, while the opposing faction felt there was a dire need for a church building. After receiving delegations representing both sides, the Bishop and Dr. John Cameron, vicar general and rector at Arichat, ruled in favour of church construction over school construction.
It was into the midst of this turmoil that Father Louis Romauld Fournier found himself in October of 1867 when he arrived in the community to replace Father Gerroir. Initially, in a show of support for Fr. Gerroir, the parishioners refused to open the church buildings to the new priest. In the ensuing days and after several failed attempts to heal the rifts between the parties, Father Fournier made his fateful vow to gladly accept his death in one month’s time if the disagreement between the people and the church authorities was resolved. A few days later, he took sick, and precisely 30 days after his appeal for peace, he died. His death brought the parishioners together, the dispute was resolved, and the church was built.
Rev. Dr. Cameron, Co-Adjutor to Bishop MacKinnon, proclaimed this event a miracle and confirmed the saintliness of Fr. Fournier who was buried below the cathedral in Arichat, and his tombstone can be seen in the vestry there.