By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--March 27, 2023
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Many long and lonely miles separate me in Nova Scotia and Remnant Editor Michael J. Matt in faraway Minnesota. It is because of Matt, my inspiration and Soul-Line in Keeping the Faith, that I learned this morning of the heartrending fate of the glorious St. Bernard Church—a longtime landmark of the Acadian community not far from the Acadian fishing village where I now live has been put up for sale with a paltry asking price of $250,000.
“The worldwide graveyard of empty Catholic churches -- another indication of the smashing success of Vatican II….” Matt wrote in a Tweet yesterday.
No one has done more to keep the Latin Mass out of the clutches of anti-Latin-Mass Pope Francis than the courageous, unwavering Michael Matt.
Even knowing down at heart the truth in the saying that, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” how I wish that I was Elon Musk who would have the money to save St. Bernard Church, rather than a poor journalist trying to hang in on the Internet in Acadian Nova Scotia!
Catholic and Acadian that I am, I rate the words, “a huge, DECONSECRATED Roman Catholic Church used in the same sentence, as hopelessly heartbreaking:
“A huge, deconsecrated Roman Catholic church that has been a landmark to the Acadian community in southwestern Nova Scotia is up for sale. (Canadian Press, March 25, 2023)
“St. Bernard Church officially closed last summer as the number of people attending mass in the 1,300-square-metre building had fallen to about 30 to 40 people.
“It was listed on Thursday for private sale with an asking price of $250,000.
“The listing says during the church's 32-year construction over 8,000 blocks of granite were transported by railroad and oxen from Shelburne, N.S., to the small community 35 kilometres north (Wrong. The community being south west) of Digby. The church officially was completed in 1942.
“Its interior is coated in plaster and framed by religious statues, with Douglas fir plywood from British Columbia used in the pews and wall panels.
“However, Suzanne Lefort, a former treasurer of the parish council, said in an interview that it's been estimated last year that thorough repairs would cost over a million dollars for improvements to the roof, water system and the 28,000 cubic metre interior.
"One part of the roof should be shingled, but because of the height you'd need cranes. So what would be a normal shingling job for a roof gets to be much more expensive," she explained.
"Whoever takes it over will have to put some money into it now.”
“Lefort, 72, said she hopes an investor purchases the building and gives it a fresh purpose that benefits the community.
"She said she and some other parishioners now attend another Roman Catholic church in the Parish of Notre Dame d'Acadie in Clare, N.S., which is an amalgamation of six parishes.
“Jean Le Blanc, the president of the Heritage Society of St. Bernard, said in an interview Saturday he's hoping that the church will be converted into apartment units that address the shortage of housing in the rural area.
"Hopefully, if somebody does buy it we (the community) will have some input as to what they will actually do with it," he said.
"Le Blanc said a study by an architect had indicated that the building would be viable as a housing development with about 28 units, if the provincial government or donors assisted.
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“Le Blanc said he's also hoping that artifacts from the church will find homes within the area, rather than being sold or disposed of.
"Lefort said it's expected that items such as religious statues and a crucifix that was behind the altar will be stored in another parish.
“A spokeswoman for the diocese of Halifax-Yarmouth was not immediately available for comment on Saturday evening.”
(And would not likely be available for comment today either).
Millions of young families are now flocking to Latin Masses worldwide, in spite of the current pope’s bid to get rid of the 2000-year-old Mass of the Ages.
Hundreds, if not thousands of families living in the Halifax-Yarmouth Diocese have been earnestly striving to have a Latin Mass they can attend.
The Knight in Shining Armor for the deconsecrated St. Bernard Church is the Latin Mass finding a home there.
Pray that God Almighty’s Providence comes to the rescue of St. Bernard Church.
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