Arichat is the oldest parish in the Diocese of Antigonish. This is the fourth installment recounting its history.
In 1842 Father Jean-Baptiste Maranda continued as pastor for the parish of Isle Madame. In 1844 Arichat was officially designated as the seat of the diocese. This meant that the new Notre Dame church became a cathedral and the parish priest became the cathedral rector. In addition, Fr. Maranda was named vicar general by Bishop Fraser.
Late in 1845 or early in 1846, Father Denis Geary became the first resident priest at D’Escousse. Since 1824, D’Escousse had functioned as a mission of Arichat. For example Arichat pastor, Fr. Maranda, would regularly spend from Wednesday to Sunday morning at D’Escousse where he would celebrate early Mass then on to Arichat for 10 o’clock Mass.
Fr. Geary left D’Escousse about March of 1849, and as a result, the parish remained without a resident priest for some four years. During this time, and as before, D’Escousse became a mission of Arichat.
In 1848, the first Arichat native to be ordained to the priesthood was Patrick Madden, son of Dr. Andrew A. Madden. Most of his priestly service was spent in the Diocese of Halifax, but he retired to Arichat in 1893 and died there in 1898.
In March, 1850, Fr. Maranda, only 47 years old, passed away. His funeral was attended by some 4,000 people. There is a memorial tablet in the church, which he was instrumental in building, that indicates he was buried below the sanctuary.
Father Maranda’s successor was Etienne Chartier, a native of Quebec, who widely travelled through Canada, the United States, and Europe. He was 52 years of age when he came to Arichat. His non-conciliatory personality soon expressed itself, and he clashed with anyone who disagreed with him.
On a number of major issues he came into conflict with Bishop Fraser. One of these issues was his proposal for a Catholic school in the parish. He had received a positive commitment from les Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes, a teaching order in Montreal, but the Bishop did not respond to Chartier’s aspirations.
The incorporation of church property became a reality on March 7, 1849 when the provincial legislature passed “An Act to Incorporate the Roman Catholic Bishop of Halifax.” With an implied intention to extend this legislation, Fr. Chartier prevailed on Bishop Fraser to seek the benefit of this incorporation for the Episcopal Parish of Arichat. The bishop took no action.
Fr. Chartier sought a priest to tend to the spiritual needs of the people of D’Escousse. Once again his initiative fell on deaf ears.
Perhaps at the root of Chartier’s discontent was his contention that the Bishop of Arichat should be a French-Canadian. In any event, he had reached the end of his service as rector at Arichat.
At L’Ardoise, Father Michael McKeagney served as pastor until he became embroiled in the provincial election of 1840. Fr. McKeagney supported his nephew, Patrick McKeagney, one of the candidates, and as a result he was transferred to Cheticamp two weeks before the election.
The name associated with the Parish of L’Ardoise through the 1840s and beyond was Father Julien Courteau. In 1845, the Mi’kmaq mission was added to his ministry.