Church closure brings end to 300 years of Roman Catholic worship in Bridgetown

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Bridgetown, N.S., will hold its final mass on Sunday, marking the end of more than three centuries of Roman Catholic worship in the community.

The church building, part of a continuous Catholic presence since 1690, is closing its doors due to declining attendance.

"We're really trying to be thankful for everything that we had," Lynn Main, a parishioner at the church since 1992, told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

Main's family has deep ties to the church. Her daughter was married there, her granddaughters baptized, and she even renewed her wedding vows there on her 50th anniversary.

Church's history

According to the parish website, the roots of St. Alphonsus trace back to the Acadian Mission of St. Laurent, established around 1690 as a mass house serving Acadian and Mi'kmaw families from Belleisle to Paradise in Annapolis County.

The original chapel was demolished by English forces in 1736 and, after the Expulsion of the Acadians, the Catholic presence in the area dwindled to mostly Mi'kmaw and Irish families. For years, mass was celebrated in private homes, including that of Isaac and Euphenia Bonnett.

The current church building, constructed in 1874, owes its existence to determined parishioners, notably Euphenia Bonnett, who spearheaded its construction but died before it was opened.

In 1986, with a rise in church community activity, parishioners decided to expand the church, and the building was moved to accommodate the expansion.

Volunteers from the congregation built a basement, a kitchen and space for a Sunday school.

When the building closes, the faith community will continue, Main said.

 "We will still be members of the parish of Corpus Christi," she said. "It's not like we're being cast afloat with nowhere to go."

The fate of St. Alphonsus mirrors a trend across the province as the latest in a string of Catholic churches forced to close because of shrinking attendance.

As a longtime choir member, Main said she will miss the music most, noting that singing is a form of prayer.

Sunday's final mass at 4 p.m. AT will be a celebration of what the church meant to the community over the years, she said.

"You carry your memories. The church that you can no longer go to is still in your heart."

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