The 12th resident pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in West Arichat was a priest who later became known throughout all of Canada.
He was Dr. Neil McNeil born at Hillsboro, in the Mabou parish. His pastorate at West Arichat lasted only a year-and-a-half, with his records extending from Oct. 11, 1891 to April 25, 1893, and he was then transferred to D’Escousse where typhoid had caused the death of the pastor, Father John N. MacLeod, six months before.
Father Hugh Peter MacPherson was the 13th resident pastor of West Arichat, born at Cloverville in the Parish of Antigonish in 1867. He was ordained in the old chapel of StFX by Bishop Cameron on the feast of the Assumption in 1892, and the next day became assistant at Arichat. Three months later he became assistant to his elder brother, Father Lauchlin, at L’Ardoise. MacPherson was pastor of West Arichat from May 25, 1893 to Oct. 13, 1895.
At West Arichat, MacPherson was succeeded by Father Alexander Beaton, who returned on Oct. 16, 1895 from Havre Boucher. In this second pastorate, Beaton remained until May 27, 1900, when failing health forced him to resign and go to the warmer climate of Colorado. He died at Glenora Falls, Inverness County in September 1907 and was buried in Mabou.
In the first 37 years of its existence, the parish of West Arichat had 14 pastors (counting Beaton twice). In the remaining 63 years, it had but four pastors and one administrator.
The 15th resident pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish was Father Joseph Édouard Robitaille. On May 29, 1900 he became pastor of West Arichat, where he was destined to serve many years.
Father Theophilus Paul Maillet had charge of the parish as administrator from Sept. 28, 1924 while Robitaille was on a leave of absence. He was there until Oct. 1, 1928, when he became pastor of Louisdale.
The 16th pastor and the 17th priest to have charge of West Arichat parish was Father Amable Briand, who took charge as pastor of West Arichat on Feb. 14, 1929 (eight months before the stock market crash), and he guided his people through the dire days of the depressions. In 1935, during Briand’s pastorate, Conrad P. Terroir, native of West Arichat and graduate of Acadiaville School began advanced studies of his education at StFX for the priesthood.
On Sept. 1, 1943 Briand was transferred from West Arichat to Pomquet. He retired in 1961 after 50 years of active duty.
Father Albert Doucet was a native of Grand Étang, in the parish of St. Joseph du Moine. He was named pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish on Sept. 1, 1943, Diocesan Director of the Propagation of the Faith since 1950, and one of the Diocesan Consulters starting on Dec. 28, 1960. He also served as a member of the board of governors of StFX.
Two outstanding events in the life of the parish were the ordination of Terroir in Halifax on Dec. 22, 1945, and the coming of Les Filles de Jesus to teach in the parish and occupy Immaculate Conception Convent.